Vendevorex scowled. "This meshes with the story I was told, though with somewhat different motivations attributed to the goddess."
"That's because, while I was in Atlantis, I discovered you were a pawn," Jandra said. "You were given your genie by a woman named Cassie, who was Jazz's sister and lifelong rival. Cassie wanted you to spread the technology among dragons, so that Atlantis would regain its awareness of the outside world and wipe out dragon-kind. Cassie views dragons as biological contaminants-leftover relics of genetic engineering that don't belong in the ecosphere."
"It's fortunate I didn't behave as expected."
As Jandra and Vendevorex talked, Bitterwood crouched next to Zeeky. He whispered, "Is that really Jandra?"
"It's her body," said Zeeky. "But not her mind. Right now, if you kill Jazz, you'll kill Jandra."
"I'm willing to make that sacrifice," whispered Bitterwood. "You saw what the goddess can do."
Zeeky shook her head. "Jandra's still alive inside her. We can save her."
"How?"
Zeeky motioned for Bitterwood to pay attention to Jandra/Jazz once more.
"So, here's the plan," said Jandra. "Hex, Bitterwood, and Blasphet: you all have a passion for breaking things. I want you to help me break Atlantis. We can steal the wonders there and share them with everyone. Vendevorex, I wasn't expecting you, but you'll be useful as well. Once I trigger the jammer, you'll be one of the few minds on earth that will be able use the Atlantean tech to its full potential."
"So you know their weakness," said Vendevorex.
"Yes," said Jandra. "This is why you had me study all those books on chemistry and physics. If I want to make an antidote to a poison, I need to understand the physical properties of the molecule I need to counteract it. I have this knowledge for the same reason you and Jazz did-I spent years with my nose buried in books memorizing a lot of boring stuff."
"This is also why Blasphet adapted so quickly to the genie," said Vendevorex. "He's spent decades studying the workings of the body and the chemistry of countless poisons."
"Unlike the Atlanteans who haven't had to study anything for the last thousand years," said Jandra. "They have instant access to the city mind, a repository of all shared knowledge. They don't need to memorize the chemical and physical changes needed to turn water into wine. They don't even need to remember their own names. Whenever they want to know something, they ask the city. If they were cut off from the city mind, they'd be helpless."
"The city mind is too sophisticated for simple radio jamming, however," said Vendevorex.
"Wrong," said Jandra. "The goddess developed algorithms for jamming signals that will cripple the Atlantean network. The city mind will be able to crack the code in a matter of minutes, but we aren't going to give it minutes. Are you with me?"
Hex nodded. "Jandra, you have my promise I won't let you out of my sight."
Zeeky could tell from the sound of his voice that Hex suspected the woman before him was more Jazz than Jandra.
"I knew I could count on you." She looked toward Bitterwood. "How about you?"
Before Bitterwood could speak, Zeeky blurted out, "He'll go. I will too."
Bitterwood jerked his head toward her. "No," he said. "I'll go if you wish, but I'm not taking you and Jeremiah into a battle with gods."
Zeeky shrugged. "Okay," she said. Bitterwood frowned at her easy agreement.
Jandra, meanwhile, had turned to face Blasphet. "I assume I can count on you? Killing a city is certainly worthy work for a Murder God."
"No," said Blasphet.
"No?"
"I'll never again act to harm another living being."
Jandra sighed as she motioned toward the model city constructed from light. It bubbled away. She said, "I don't know who you're trying to fool with this good guy act, but you weren't part of my original plan anyway."
Vendevorex said, "I shall go. My familiarity with Atlantis could prove useful."
Jandra nodded. "Good enough. Let's roll."
She traced a half circle in the air and a rainbow formed in the wake of her motion, slowly opening into a yawning void.
"Next stop, Atlantis," she said, stepping toward the gate.
Suddenly, a man shouted, "Wait!"
It was Shay, sporting silver wings, floating in the doorway next to Burke. His wings folded behind him as he dropped to the ground and ran toward Jandra.
Jandra flinched as Shay threw his arms around her. "You're back!" he cried, hugging her with all his might. She awkwardly lifted her arms to pat his back.
"Yeah," she said, pushing away from him. "But, as much as I'd like to catch up, I'm kind of busy right now. I have a city I need to go wreck."
"Jandra?" Shay asked, sounding confused. "It is you, right?"
"Of course," she said, smiling. "I pushed Jazz out of my brain. But, you know me. I'm always rushing off on some new mission."
"Then I'm coming with you," said Shay.
"I don't know that that's a good idea. You're not really the warrior type. Bitterwood and Hex are more the firepower I need."
Poocher snorted indignantly. Zeeky knew he felt slighted not to be included on the list of great warriors present.
"Shay," said Burke, laying his hand on the red-headed man's shoulder. "I know your reunion with Jandra is important, but if we can get the items you mentioned, I'd appreciate it. I've been away from Dragon Forge too long."
"Of course," said Shay. "Hex, do you still have your pack?"
Hex nodded, placing the large leather bag onto the straw-covered floor. Shay opened it and pulled out several silver disks like the one that sat between his shoulder blades.
"Stick these on your back and think about flying. You'll sprout wings. I have six more sets," Shay said. "That's enough for you and Anza, plus Vance and Thorny if they want to go with you."
"And me," said Jeremiah.
All eyes turned toward the twelve-year-old. He stood up from where he'd been sitting. He pulled out a knife that had been tucked into his belt. "This is Vulpine's knife. It's not his only weapon here. He gave me yellow-mouth so that I'd make everyone at Dragon Forge sick. If you're going back, I want to come. I want to take a big handful of the dragonseed back to heal anyone who got ill because of me."
"Boy, I didn't drag you all this way to heal you so that you could go off and get yourself killed," said Bitterwood. "Let someone else take back the dragonseed."
"You're going off to fight in a city of gods. Zeeky's stood up to dragons and angels. If my younger sister can fight these battles, so can I."
"I don't want Zeeky fighting these battles," said Bitterwood. "But your sister has powers. She can control the minds of animals. She can talk to ghosts and see the future."
Zeeky didn't think Bitterwood described what she could do correctly, but she held her tongue. She knew exactly how the next ten minutes were going to play out. In ten minutes, she would follow Bitterwood through the underspace gate to Atlantis. That's where her knowledge of the future ended. Whatever waited in Atlantis, the voices either couldn't see, or wouldn't say.
Jeremiah walked over to the disks and picked one up. "You're right. Zeeky was born with powers. She's the one who could talk to animals. She once talked a bear out of eating our grandma." He stuck the disk on his back. He scrunched up his face, as if he were about to sneeze. Whatever mental signal he sent the disk worked. Silver wings unfolded from his shoulders, flashing in the candlelight.
"I should at least have wings," he said, as his feet lifted from the ground.
Zeeky had to admit, the wings looked good on him.