As we waited, the World Card bit her fingernails and tapped one of her boots. To everyone else, she’d appear to be a two-hundred-pound soldier with a nervous disorder.
Selena slapped the girl’s hand. “At ease, Quintessence.”
“You could stay here,” I told Tess. “Keep watch or something.”
“She goes where I go,” Gabriel said. “And I’ve got the scent. Ladies, shall we rescue the hunter?”
8
The camp was like a ghost town. No soldiers roamed the grounds as we navigated our way through a maze of tents and lean-tos.
One large tent had light spilling from it, and male voices carried from within.
A middle-aged woman shuffled around a nearby cooking fire, ladling food into bowls. Her ankles were hobbled, her feet bare on the freezing ground.
A slave. Under General Milovníci’s orders, this army abducted females, “involuntary recruits.”
My nails lengthened, turning into purple thorn claws.
Selena must’ve noticed my tension. “Don’t even think about it. Stay focused on J.D. Once we free him, we’ll worry about these prisoners.”
With difficulty, I turned away from the woman.
Gabriel inhaled short bursts of air. “I scent Jack just around the corner of the ridge ahead. He’s in a tent that’s off by itself, a boon for us.”
Selena’s gaze swept the area. “Can you tell how many guards?”
“I think about twenty or so.”
I shoved up my sleeve to reach the glimmering spore glyph on my forearm. “Pull up your bandannas. It’s time.”
Once the others were ready, I drew from the glyph, filling my hand with a sleeping toxin. As we rounded the corner, I blew against my palm to spread the spores. Like starting a blaze from kindling.
Dozens of men guarded a gigantic tent. And they all wore . . .
Gas masks.
My invisible onslaught drifted harmlessly over them, carried off on the wind.
Tess gasped, muttering, “You can’t put them to sleep.”
“Keep it together!” Selena yanked down her bandanna, and the others did too.
Now what were we going to do? There was no reason for us—or the four soldiers we resembled—to be this far from the main camp.
“Gabriel, you’ll have to talk to them,” I whispered. “Tell them that Vincent sent for us.”
He called to the guards, “Greetings!” He might as well have said, “Hail, fellow, well met!”
I inwardly groaned. Tess gasped again.
“Vincent summoned us.”
A tall, lanky soldier, the apparent leader, said, “He told us he doesn’t want to be disturbed.” The man sounded creepy through his gas mask. “Not for any . . .” He trailed off, eyes going wide.
At Tess.
Her illusion flickered like an old TV, going from girl to burly soldier. Girl. Then soldier.
“Enemy in the camp!” one of the guards bellowed.
We whirled around and bolted. With yells, half of the men gave chase.
Gabriel spread his wings, snagging Selena.
“Don’t take me first!” She flailed against his grip. “They’re dead if we leave them!”
He shot into the air like a reverse bungee, arcing upward and away.
Tess and I kept running. Conjuring my powers on the move like this felt impossible. I needed time to concentrate and seed my arsenal. Or I needed the witch. . . .
If we could just buy time for Gabriel to return! The bluff dropped off at a sheer cliff, so I skirted the edge of it, heading down the mountain. “This way!” I cried, careening along a winding trail.
“Come, Priestess, touch.” I raised my palm, and three barbs appeared. “And pay my price!” I tossed the barbs into the air, and a thorn tornado spun to life.
The Priestess attacked once more, but the tornado sheared her water feelers down like a propeller. They grew slower, regenerating with difficulty. She was weakening!
I laughed at her. “The earth went so long without water, Priestess. You must still be feeling it.”
“Only for a time, my sister enemy.” Her watery voice carried a melodic accent. “Ah, this rain, it falls without cease, no?”
The weary tentacles dropped, a last splash in the river. A final wave rippled. “We’ll meet again, Empress.” The surface settled to glass calm as the Priestess retreated.