It was a quick trip to Something Sweet. Once there, Leia ordered us dessert and brought it to our table. Muffin lounged at my feet as I made quick work of the purple topped eclair. I exchanged the bare minimum of idle chit chat – too focused on eating fast to do more than that.
“Honey, she’s looking anxious. See how she keeps looking at the door?” asked Mr. Hamm.
“But I didn’t tell her the news. Marty, I know we’ve only known each other a short time, but I feel like we could be the best of friends.”
Mr. Hamm choked on his water. When he didn’t stop, I leaned over and whacked on his back until he stopped coughing.
“We are pregnant. You’re the only other person who knows besides our parents. I’m only a few weeks along, but we’re due in the Spring. It’s been so hard not to tell people. We’ve been trying for years. It’s the blessing of The True One.”
“That is happy news.”
She needed away from the Institute. They would use her baby. Would Leia using the incense hurt a baby? Once I got the Jamisons and Emma Lynn back, I’d send someone to help Leia and keep her away from the cult.
“I’m glad you could join us,” said Mr. Hamm.
He clapped me on the back, whether it was meant as a warning or a true sign of affection, I didn’t know. I didn’t particularly care.
On my way outside, I noticed people gathering in the street. Not my problem. If they wanted to be dumb enough to stand in the street, they deserved to be hit by a vehicle.
“Marty,” a man called out.
I didn’t recognize the voice, but it came from the direction of the people. Great. Guess I was going to see what was up with the crowd.
As I got closer, I saw that the group was gathered around the Jamisons. Why were they here hours early? They were waiting where Jarl and I had agreed to meet them. Jarl claimed to need a few hours to get them, but now they were here. Something isn’t right. The hairs on my arms was raised and Muffin was agitated.
Now, time was up and I hadn’t prepared. Dang it. I had no back up – not Xavier and his vamps, not Sterling, and definitely not Lochlan. I’d even take Miles for backup at this point. He had agreed too easily to my demands. I didn’t trust him for caving so easily.
The Jamisons looked tense and when they saw me a look of absolute horror crossed their faces. They stood with their arms crossed. Rather than look relieved when they saw me, their looks became what I could only describe as petrified. Mr. Jamison tried to say something, but no sound came out.
I didn’t see any obvious injuries on them, so they weren’t hurt and while Muffin was scary, I smiled and that should have put them at ease, or at the very least make them less scared.
Come on, you two have seen me before. I’m not that scary, especially with disrupters on. I pushed up my sleeves, so they could see that I wore them, so they’d know that I wasn’t able to hurt them. Mr. Jamison was speaking, but either he was too quiet or I was still too far away to hear whatever he was saying.
At least this would be over for them. Jarl made a blood oath that he would return them to me and that when they were safe that Emma Lynn would also be returned. Only a fool makes a blood oath. In my experience, making one never turned out well.
As I hit the ten foot mark, a blast rocked the ground, throwing me back. We’re under attack! I needed to get to the Jamisons.
I fell to my knees. Clouds of ash and debris blocked out my vision and my ears were ringing from the blast. Where were the Jamisons? I coughed until I threw up. I was hunched over, I managed to wheeze in what little air there was. People screamed and all around was chaos.
A spray of blood marked the spot where the Jamisons had stood. As I looked closer, I made out bits and pieces of them and a blackened ring. They’d used my magic. My magic! I felt it again. Not the residual from its used as the bomb, but from it coursing freely through me. My disrupters were gone.
What was I going to tell Emma Lynn? I’d promised her that I would get her parents back. Noise was slowly coming to me. The Jamisons were beyond my help, but the screaming people weren’t. I ran to the nearest building. It was BAM, or what was left of it. All of the glass windows were blown out and blood splattered the walls. A quick scan showed the restaurant only contained the dead.
On my way out the door, I heard a noise. I paused and then someone called from the kitchen. Rushing back to the kitchen, I found one of the chefs trapped underneath the grill. His head bled and his eyes were glossy. After much swearing and sweating, I finally got the grill off him. I lugged him to the street, where I hoped he’d been found soon. A crew of healers and the enforcers should be inbound.
Other people rushed out from the few undamaged areas. I went to the nearest destroyed building and pulled three more people out. There were very few survivors, but many dead and wounded.
I’d just finished bringing a survivor
