“You mean the same way they shut down the nodes in Elysium?” Miles said. “Might be something there.”
“What would happen if we put one of those cantrips inside the transporter, then?” I jerked my head towards the machine. “Didn’t you say that thing’s like a giant battery? If we put the cantrip into the machine in Elysium, would we be able to cut off the link to Earth?”
His eyes widened. “Crap. You’re right. That might just work.”
“But Liv and the Death King are gone,” said Harper. “I don’t know where you’d find another of those cantrips… unless Devon has one.”
“She’s our resident cantrip expert,” I said. “We have to go back to the castle and find her.”
Miles nodded, and we ran down the stairs and out into the streets of Arcadia. From there, we ran to the node off the square, vanished in a flash of light, and reappeared outside the castle. I hit the ground running towards the gates—until Tay blocked my path. Her expression was bleak, yet her countenance was resolute.
“Not the time, Tay,” I warned. “Might’ve escaped your attention, but we’re dealing with a serious shit storm here.”
“I told you to leave,” she said. “Not go back to Elysium.”
“I’m trying to get into the castle, Tay. It’s my home, technically. Let me through.”
“Nowhere is safe, not even here,” she insisted. “Those cantrips… they’ll spread outside Elysium before long.”
Crap. What with the chaos in the citadels, I’d pushed the Family to the back of my mind, but they could spread the infected cantrips a lot quicker with a huge node which linked the city of Elysium to London on the other side.
“Then we have to shut off their transporter, and to do that, we need to get into the castle.” I tried to walk past her, but she barred my path again. Her eyes were wide, her movements stiff and reluctant… and then it hit me. “You’re still under Adair’s control, aren’t you?”
She nodded, biting her lip. “I can resist up to a point, but… I can’t let you into the castle.”
“Can’t let me in, or the others?” I stepped aside, seeing Harper’s shadowy form moving closer, followed by Miles. “You’re not disobeying orders if you stay here, are you?”
She shook her head lightly, and the pair of us moved to the left of the gates, leaving the path open for my allies to get inside. Adair’s powers might be unyielding, but there was always a gap if you thought hard enough. I had to trust the others would be able to find the right cantrip to stop that transporter, because Tay wasn’t budging an inch.
“I can speak to my brother,” I said to her. “I’ll convince him to let you go.”
“That won’t work,” she said. “He’ll order me to kill you just to watch us fight it out.”
Ugh. He would, too. Anything to stop me from standing in the Family’s way. But they were the ones who’d unleashed the cantrips on the city, and they alone knew how to stop them.
“All right.” I gave no warning before I leapt forward and tackled Tay around the middle. We crashed into a heap on the muddy ground, and her expression turned to shock before she fired magic at me. Electricity numbed my arms and I bit back a scream, fighting through the pain as I wrestled Tay’s hands behind her back. Once I had her secure, I sprang to my feet and shoved her in front of me towards the gates. Two liches moved to intercept me, but I didn’t stop walking.
“I’m taking her to the jail,” I told them. “She’s under Adair’s hypnosis. I’m gonna convince him to let her go.”
“Not alone.” One of the liches broke away and insisted on flanking us all the way to the jail, but even the persistent chill didn’t stop Tay from fighting me with every step.
Once we reached the jail, I wrestled Tay through the doors and shoved her into an empty cell. Then I slammed the door on her. “Sorry. I’ll let you out when I can.”
Adair watched me through the bars of his own cell. “Had a falling-out with your friend, did you?”
I caught my breath. “Release her from your control, Adair.”
He snorted. “No chance.”
“You’re only exerting control over her because the others want nothing to do with you,” I said. “I noticed they started their plan without you.”
He snickered. “Doesn’t matter. They’ll do their part and I’ll do mine.”
“Dammit, Adair!” I said. “What do the Family have to accomplish by supporting Hawker in his attempt to link Elysium and London of all places?”
“Sounds like he already succeeded,” he said. “The Order is obsolete. They deserve to fall, to pave the way for something new.”
“Innocent people died, Adair,” I said. “Those infected cantrips—where the fuck are they coming from?”
“The only way to get rid of them is to set me free,” he said. “I’m immune to their effects, like you are. Anyone else who touches one of those cantrips dies. No exceptions.”
“I’m not falling for that.”
Adair laughed under his breath. “Would you stake your friend’s life on it? Do you think the Death King will spare her when he gets back—if he gets back?”
“He’ll be back, but you’ll wish he’d killed you when I’m finished with you.” I was done with using Tay’s life as a bargaining chip. “As for Tay, she can do whatever she likes as long as you aren’t around.”
“Tay, use your magic,” he said. “Get her over here.”
A heartbeat passed. Then Tay was on her feet a moment later, electricity shooting from her hands and through the bars of her cell. Pain rattled my teeth in my skull, and my legs gave way. Dammit… I should have known Tay wouldn’t let herself be locked up again.
Tay leaned out of the cell door, and the coldness of a cantrip pressed into my hands.
“Guess what?” Adair said softly. “I lied. Those cantrips can kill
