Jaime Rush - Dragon Awakened

“What’s in the tube? It looks empty,” Ruby said.

“ Deus Vis . There’s only a trace amount in the tube. Deus Vis isn’t magnetic, per say, but it acts like one, drawing more of the essence toward it. Your father did it, Ruby. He found a way to free us, to make Deus Vis portable. He would have been a hero if it hadn’t ended up being such a bad thing.”

“How?” Cyn asked, studying the vial.

“It stems from hydrogen and helium,” Jay began, “the two most basic—and prevalent—elements in the universe.”

Ruby leaned forward for a closer look at the tube. She saw just the tiniest flicker of silver. A trick of the light or the Deus Vis ? Hydrogen brought to mind water, H 2O. And helium. She thought of how she used to suck air out of balloons backstage at Mon’s magic shows. Gosh, she really should’ve paid more attention during her tutoring sessions.

“Mundanes would kill for this technology,” Jay muttered. He pulled the vial from the water and set it carefully on a towel. “To date, there is no practical fusion reactor in use. Justin discovered a way to harness the energy of these basic elements. No small feat.”

“How does it work?” Cyntag asked.

“Hydrogen plasma is superheated. The isotopes collide and combine, then fuse. In labs, it takes massive electromagnets to confine the plasma. It took some time, but I figured out how your father did it. He used an orb.”

Magick and science, a dangerous combination.

Jay ran his finger down the tube. “What I can’t figure out is how the orb is maintained for any length of time. Eventually they disintegrate.”

“The device we saw in Darren’s lab was metal,” Ruby said.

Jay tapped his temple. “Ah, titanium, maybe. It’s one of the few elements that resists magick, meaning it can maintain the energy of the orb for an extended time. And thus the fusion process. The fusion draws in the Deus Vis , channels it.” He frowned. “And that fits in with Brom’s vision of doom. The process isn’t stable. Think about it. This fusion is the same reaction that fuels stars. It’s how our sun works. The fusion gives off massive amounts of energy and heat.” Jay raked a hand through his hair. “Combine it with the upcoming coronal mass ejection, and we’re talking the perfect storm, so to speak.”

“Smith—Purcell used that phrase about the ejection,” Ruby said. “What is it exactly?”

“That’s the blast of charged particles that hits the Earth a couple of days after the eruption. It bombards our magnetic field, disrupts communications, and, unbeknownst to most of the scientists studying this, distorts our Deus Vis —”

“And a device that acts like a magnet for Deus Vis is going to draw all that instability into one place.” Cyn’s dark eyes were bleak.

“That kicks off a chain of events. If the Deus Vis within the reactor isn’t dismantled, it will fuel a fusion process that won’t stop. The heat and energy released will cause massive damage.”

“Like killing every Crescent in Miami?”

Jay shook his head. “Beyond that. The blast will obliterate the entire state.”

Ruby slapped her hand to her chest, Jay’s words thudding heavily inside. “That can’t be what Purcell’s goal is. Otherwise he’d be leaving. And seriously, what would he gain by doing that?”

“He may not know that will happen. He probably has no idea what he’s dealing with. This has got to be stopped.”

Cyn pinched the bridge of his nose. “So how do we dismantle this thing?”

“Very carefully. Your inclination will be to destroy it with your Dragon fire, but you’d detonate it instantly. Which is what Brom saw.”

Ruby snapped her fingers. “When Garnet defeated the monster, she didn’t lob flashy orbs at it. She used a gentle, beautiful orb. Maybe Brom had the answer and didn’t even know it.”

After she explained who Garnet was, Jay said, “Yes, gently release the orb’s energy, the way air releases from a punctured tire. You’ll need something that’s strong enough to penetrate the metal but leaves you with enough control to pull it back before crushing the tube.”

Cyn bared his teeth. “Like a Dragon’s fang, maybe?”

Ruby’s mouth dropped open. “You’re going to bite an explosive canister? No, I’m going to bite it. Because it’s my destiny.”

Cyn got to his feet, pulling her up with him. “We have to go.”

Ruby wrapped her fingers around Cyn’s arm. “When Brom was trying to talk, he said ‘J-J.’ We thought he was saying ‘Justin,’ but he was probably saying ‘Jay.’ If we hadn’t come here, we would have blown the damned thing up.”

Jay leaned back against the desk. “Should you approach the Concilium?”

Cyn’s expression shadowed. “Purcell has connections in the Guard. I don’t know who else might be involved.”

“If the solar storm is the key factor, you only have until tomorrow to destroy this object. Is there anything I can do to help?”

Cyn clapped his hand on Jay’s shoulder. “How long since you’ve fought?”

Jay rolled his eyes in thought. “Fifty or so years. But it’s like riding a bike, right?”

How weird to hear guys talk about that kind of span of time so casually.

“You’re out of practice dealing with demons and the like. But keep your phone with you. I may need your guidance.”

Cyn called Grayson once they said goodbye. She packed her bag while Cyn retrieved his clothes. When he returned, he wore the black pants and white shirt he’d had on before. He closed the door behind him, but his gaze went right to her. To the way she was taking him in, no doubt.

“You’re right, there is something magic here,” she said, slinging the bag over her shoulder as she came closer.

He skimmed his hands over her shoulders. “Does that mean you’re going to go back to hating me when we get to Miami? I’m not sure I could bear that.” He was serious.

“No, I meant that there’s something magic…here.” She gestured between them. “Us.”

A sound drew their attention to the sight of Grayson appearing out of nowhere. Holy…well, not holy exactly. Black, ethereal wings shimmered. He took them in with a curious expression. “Your energy has drastically changed from a few hours ago.”

She said, “It’s called forgiveness. You should try it.”

His eyes frosted over. “Holding on is a good reminder not to make the same mistake. Ready?”

All righty then. No forgiveness happening for him.

Cyn took her hand and led her over to him. “Let’s go.”

Seconds later, they were in Grayson’s condominium. She couldn’t stop staring as his wings shrank down to the tattoo on his back. His shoulders drooped, and he braced his hands on the back of his couch for support.

“Does Leaping take a lot out of you?” she asked.

He stepped away from her, bowing his head and running his hand back over his hair. “Leaping by itself is taxing. Bringing two people even more so. Twice in a short period of time…definitely.” He looked at Cyn. “But if you need help—”

“I’ll let you know. We’ve been having demon trouble. We’ve handled them so far. But be on call. And if you start to feel unusually fatigued, or fluish, get out of here. Tell the other Caidos. The clerk at Sanctum said the place was fully booked starting tomorrow, solar storm panic.”

“I can already feel the difference,” she said. “In Chena, the energy was alive. Invigorating. Not here.”

The first faint hints of dawn lit the sky. They reached the car, and she pulled out Brom’s book as soon as they’d closed the doors. “There’s a new entry. Hopefully something useful.”