Taken

“You know, that might be the first honest thing you’ve ever said to me.” Following Crystal’s lead, I turned down another hallway; we were descending towards the lower regions of Fountain Reach. “While we’re on this truthful streak, why don’t you tell me why you signed up with Vitus?”

“Why should I?”

“Because you’re hoping to kill me before we leave, so where’s the harm?”

“That’s an interesting perspective.”

“Okay, let’s try another question. How long has Anne got before Vitus kills her?”

“That is the question, isn’t it?” Crystal said calmly. “Let’s just say that if I were you I wouldn’t wait around.”

A flash of anger went through me but I kept my voice level. “You’re very funny.”

Crystal suddenly came to a stop. We’d reached an intersection, corridors stretching away in all four directions into darkness. When Crystal spoke, her voice was suddenly high and frightened again. “No, please don’t hurt me! I’ll do whatever you say!”

I growled. “Stop that.” I was watching Crystal’s future actions closely and I could sense she was coiled, ready to strike. “I told you—”

The attack came from behind: a chaotic surge of fear and emotion and confusion that scrambled my thoughts. Crystal reacted instantly, ducking away from the knife as she struck at me with a wave of agony. But I’d had an instant’s warning and I was already moving, my instincts sending me diving to one side around the corner and out of line of sight while my conscious mind struggled to catch up. The backwash of Crystal’s spell sent pain up and down my nerves but a moment later I had my back pressed up against the wall.

“Lyle!” I heard Crystal gasp as I collected my thoughts. “You made it!”

Anger drove out the aftereffects of Lyle’s spell. “Lyle, you idiot!” I shouted around the corner. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Look, Alex,” Lyle called back. “Just put the knife down and we can talk about this.”

“Your psycho girlfriend is the one I need the knife to protect me from!” I shouted. “Along with all the apprentices she’s—”

Crystal moved in fast. I saw her coming, knew she was about to attack, and turned and ran. I might have been able to take Crystal one on one, but not with Lyle helping her. I sprinted down the hallway and ducked into a side passage a moment before Crystal made it around the corner. Crystal tried to chase me, but I was faster than she was and those heels didn’t do much to help her running speed. It didn’t take long before she gave up and went back towards Lyle, whom I could dimly hear calling in the distance.

I slowed to a jog, searching through the futures ahead as I mapped out a route to meet up with Variam and Luna. All the time I’d been interrogating Crystal she must have been talking telepathically with Lyle, convincing him that I was the bad guy and that she needed his help and directing him in to intercept us. And she’d done it while keeping up a second conversation with me and while reading my thoughts, all at the same time. I’d underestimated her.

I intercepted Variam and Luna at a landing leading off into a T junction. “Variam, Luna,” I called softly around the corner. “It’s me.”

“Alex?” Luna asked. She sounded relieved.

“Wait,” Variam said sharply. “Come out where we can see you.”

Luna was about to protest, but I stepped out with a shake of my head. “It’s all right.” I held my hands up for Variam to see; he was in the shadows around the corner, where he thought I couldn’t see him. “Okay?”

Variam studied me suspiciously for a moment, then nodded. “It’s him.”

Luna, Variam, and I gathered on the landing and I gave them a quick once-over. “You two okay?”

“We’re fine, we met up a couple of minutes ago,” Luna said. “Are you all right?”

I led Luna and Variam in the direction they’d come from and as I did I caught them up on my brief encounter with Lyle and Crystal. “Lyle’s working with her?” Luna said indignantly.

“Much as I’d love to blame this on him, probably not. I think Crystal’s using him as a patsy.”

“You’re keeping tabs on them, right?”

I nodded. “We’re about two minutes ahead of them. Crystal had to spin Lyle a story and it looks like it slowed them down.”

“Is Anne okay?” Variam asked.

“I think so.”

“What do you mean, you think so?”

“I think so.”

“Is she alive or hurt or in trouble or what?”

“Look, Variam, I’m navigating us a path, monitoring Crystal, watching for danger, and talking to you guys all at the same time. I’m a little—”

Fountain Reach shook. It was only a slight tremor but it was enough to make us stop in our tracks. Dust trickled from the ceiling and somewhere in my head I felt the ripple of a psychic scream, scraping along my nerves and making my hair stand on end.

“What was that?” Luna said.

“Trouble,” I said with a sinking heart. “Don’t slow down!”