Page 126 of Resolve
One guess who that is.
Reid drops us off behind a building at the dock, where we’ll draw the least amount of attention at midday. Part of me wonders if these coordinates were a way to wear Reid out, too. He’s been hopping around the world to get everyone in position. Charles may not want him available as an escape route, and he used this to drain his strength before the fight.
Silas peers around the corner of the building. “There’s no one here.”
The main Guild fighters are with us to help with any obstacles sneaking into town hall. Or to draw Charles’s attention away until we’re ready.
Fabian pops a handful of peanuts in his mouth. “Maybe it’s their lunch break.”
Aiden strides to Silas’s side to look for himself. “We knew he’d be expecting us. If he’s cleared out the town in advance, that only makes things easier.”
“Harder to hide, though,” Dane adds.
Sam moves next to me, offering his hand. He and Alice wanted to join us on this final mission. Even though they’re both terrified of their dad, they’re putting their trust in us that we’ll defeat him this time. Like Harvey had. I won’t let Charles get to them like he did to Harvey.
I’ll keep them safe, Harvey.
Reid, these two, and the others are the start of a family I never thought I’d have. I’ll protect them just as much as the other family I’ve built with the Guild.
Smiling at Sam, I take his hand and hike the cloth bag over my other shoulder.
“We aren’t hiding. Only you and Raegan are... at least until the anti-teleportation devices are in place,” Aiden explains again. I’ve got three in my bag, and Dane has the controller and the last one.
Alice places a trembling hand on Dane’s shoulder. He looks at her, and she glares daggers at him. “Yeah, I’m scared. What did you expect?” She forces herself to take a deep breath. “Let’s get this over with. Either I’m dead tonight or maybe I’ll sleep without nightmares.”
They disappear for everyone else but me and Sam.
Aiden’s gaze passes over the group. Silas, Evie, Fabian, Gabe, Zedd, and a handful of others. Cassandra and Cibrina are safe at Hype, ready for whoever returns first. “Let’s go.”
He leads the way, strolling across the boardwalk to the single main road and then following it. Past the little shops. Into the quaintneighborhood.
“Wait!” one of the Guild members shouts, running to grab Aiden and yank him back. The ground explodes where he’d been standing.
Bullets rain fire overhead. Aiden molds a shield to cover the front of the group. “Get behind me!”
Fabian takes the rear, his long tongue flicking out to catch the hot lead and swallowing it down. Silas covers above us with a shield of thick vines. Leaves and tattered greenery fall around us with every bullet. His jaw tightens as he struggles to consistently replenish the vines.
Evie brushes her hand along a length of vine, and it rapidly expands to cover more area. She follows that vine across the rest until we’re fully covered.
The Guild member who alerted us to the buried explosive is squatting with his hand on the ground. “The road is littered with bombs. We can’t go this way.”
I kneel. “Yes, we can.” My gift surges through my veins, eager to be used when I call on it. I send it into the ground and spread it under the road. The second it comes into contact with a bomb, it detonates. My gift branches out, setting them off in waves.
When my gift doesn’t find anymore, I reel it back in. “It’s clear,” I report, standing.
“Ah!” Silas curses. “Fire.”
The green barrier becomes an instant oven that fills with smoke. Flames eat away at the vines faster than he can replace them, and we find ourselves surrounded by agents.
“Ah, we found you!” Gabriel exclaims to the agents.
Zedd steps forward.
“Silas, Evie, Gabe, Fabian, stay with Zedd. The rest of you comewith us to the town hall,” Aiden directs.
“Block your ears,” Zedd tells us. We stuff the plugs into our ears. I help Sam with his to make sure they’re in all the way. He starts singing. His words are dulled by the plugs, but the melody is there. My eyes start to droop.
Dane shakes my shoulder. “Don’t try to listen. Come on.”
