Another fire blast struck the room, and Variam flung out a hand, a shield of flame enveloping Luna and keeping her safe. As soon as it was over Variam broke into a sprint, scooping Luna up and carrying her to the far side of the room. A third blast struck, washing over his shield.
I stayed crouched behind cover, pressed between boxes and the wall. The blasts weren’t hurting me, but I couldn’t move. Luna! Are you okay?
I’m okay, Luna said, but there was pain in the message.
Vari, Kyle. How bad is it?
“Second-degree burns,” Variam shouted. “Need to get her out.”
“I’m fine,” Luna said. I could hear the strain in her voice. “Just—”
Another fire blast went off, erupting from high in the middle of the room. It had the signature of Pyre’s magic, but it wasn’t coming from where I’d last seen him. How was he getting through the forcewall?
I hesitated only an instant, then reached out through the dreamstone. Starbreeze. Going to need your help in a couple of minutes.
What?
“Alex!” Variam shouted.
“I know!” You have to get Luna, Variam, and Kyle out. Like we planned. Wait for the gate to open, then get them somewhere safe.
Starbreeze sounded confused. You’re going?
“Verus,” Kyle called. “How long till the gate opens?”
“I don’t know!” Not me. Everyone else.
What?
The three people with me. Get them out of here. You just need to wait—
“Alex!” Variam shouted.
“Give me a second!” I was doing too many things at once.
Pyre launched another fireblast. It was a longer one this time, flames roaring through the room. Again I ducked for cover, feeling my arms and back grow warm, then hot. When it stopped, the statue was smoking and there were small fires burning across the room. None were dangerous, but they were spreading.
And then Starbreeze was there, darting from Kyle to Variam to Luna, turning them into air one after another. Kyle barely had time to flinch before all three of them were mist, swirling up along with Starbreeze. She looked at me proudly. “There!”
“No!” I shouted at Starbreeze. “Not yet!”
Starbreeze looked thoroughly put out. “You told me.”
“I didn’t—Look out!”
Pyre struck again, and this time he was aiming at Starbreeze. I saw her eyes go wide and she fled, taking the other three with her. The blast spread outward, but Starbreeze outran it, flicking out through the gap between the forcewall and the ceiling. I ducked the blast; when I lifted my head again, I was alone.
Starbreeze, wait!
That hurt! Starbreeze sounded unhappy.
Wait, the gate isn’t . . . I tailed off as I realised that Starbreeze wasn’t listening. I could feel her presence fading. I looked at the cube. It was still resting in the statue’s hand, the beams of light still intersecting one by one, but they were barely half done. “Isn’t open,” I said to the empty room.
A bang and a clatter sounded from the back of the storeroom. I spun to see the back door creak open a few inches, coming up against piles of clutter. “Oh shit,” I muttered, pulling out my gun.
I could sense Variam in the distance, trying to talk to me. Not a good time!
Are you all right?
No! The door ground inwards a few inches, and a boy stuck his head around. I fired hurriedly, making him pull back.
This damn elemental won’t turn around! Luna’s shouting at her and she won’t—
Too late, I said. By the time they convinced Starbreeze to reverse course and bring them back, everything would be over, and Luna was in no condition to fight anyway. Get safe.
The boy stepped out from behind the door, levelling an AK-47. The assault rifle roared, deafening in the cramped space, bullets slamming into the walls and chewing splinters from the furniture. The bullets went everywhere but didn’t hit me.
The gun was awkward in my left hand, but I held steady until I saw the futures converge. Then I fired once. Red splashed onto the wall behind the boy’s head and he dropped. I heard shouts from the corridor; they sounded like they were yelling for help. Kyle, how—
Pyre attacked again. Flames gouted from above, playing over the crates and shelves. I ducked behind cover, waiting for the attack to stop. It didn’t. The flames kept roaring.
There were bangs and thumps from the back door. More of them were coming through, and I couldn’t do anything about it. Kyle! How’s Pyre attacking?
I don’t know. Despite the situation, Kyle sounded calm and focused. He can’t put spells through a wall. If he could, he’d have done it last time we fought.
A handgun boomed and the crate I was hiding behind shuddered. Well, he’s doing it now!
I know, I—Wait. I’ve seen him use focuses, red quartz. Maybe he’s got one installed in the room. Check to see where the attacks are coming from.
The crate was on fire now, and the heat was close to unbearable. My armour was shielding me from the worst of it, but I could feel my hair crisping. I searched frantically through the futures, looking for one where the flames stopped, and found it. I reared up, ignoring the pain in my hand and face, and fired blind.
There was a crack and I felt a flash of magic. Pyre’s spell cut off, the flames vanishing instantly. Then the two boys who’d made it into the room, and who’d been waiting with their guns trained on my cover, shot at me.
One of them managed to miss. The other didn’t. I didn’t have enough time to dodge, and the bullet took me in the chest. It felt like a murderously hard punch. Pain flashed through me and I lost my breath in an uff, the impact throwing me against the wall. I hit the floor hard.
“Yeah!” the boy shouted at me. “Get fucked!”
I lay still. I’d lost my 1911 in the fall and didn’t dare reach for it. Pain was spiking through my chest and the back of my head.
There was the crackle of a radio and I heard a voice. Pyre. “You get him?”
“We got him.”
Looking into the futures where I opened my eyes, I saw that the one talking was Trey. He was holding a giant silver handgun that looked sized for hunting elephants, so big that he needed two hands to lift it. Now that I was closer, I could see that he’d added some jewellery since we’d last met; two earrings in his right ear and a gold chain around his neck. The other boy had a bunch of face tattoos. They’d almost have looked funny except for the fact that they were pointing guns at me.
I’m going to die because Starbreeze can’t tell the difference between “two minutes” and “now.”
“He dead?” the other boy asked.
“Right in the chest, point five oh.”
“Check him,” Pyre’s voice said through the radio. “If he’s alive, keep him that way.”
The feeling was coming back to my limbs, and I knew that I’d be able to move. The bullet had struck my chestplate; the plate had splintered and it must have drained the armour’s energy reserves, but it had held. I kept still, my eyes closed.
“Looks dead,” the other boy said.
“Yeah,” Trey said. He stepped around the burning crate and kicked. Pain flared in my ankle, but I didn’t move.
“What’s with this thing?” the other boy said. He’d turned towards the statue, his attention off me.
“Dunno.” Trey bent down over me, poking at my face. “Hey, I think he—”
I kicked Trey’s legs out from under him and he fell onto me with a yell. I was already reaching for his gun hand, my fingers tangling in his. As Trey tried to pull back and his gun swung towards the other boy, I pulled the trigger and it went off with a boom like a cannon. The other boy slammed into the statue and slid down, leaving a blood trail.