26

I met the others at the launch pad near dawn, approaching by stealth, testing myself…and the weapon Greta had given me, albeit unwillingly.

“Jesus!” Felix jumped as my hand landed on his shoulder.

“Olivia!” Vanessa whirled next to him. “I didn’t hear you arrive.”

“Neither did I,” Hunter said, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. I tried out Olivia’s most innocent smile as they all looked at me.

“Are you all right?” Micah asked, brows drawn, studying me.

“Peachy,” I said, my blood still whirlpooling in my veins, power still screaming through my ears. I didn’t try to read anyone’s aura. I didn’t need to now. “Though you guys seem a bit wound up.”

“You look different.”

“Brushed my hair,” I said smartly.

“Not physically,” Felix said, beginning to circle me. “Different beneath that. Under the skin.” He ran a finger along my nape and I stiffened visibly. I was strung drum-tight. “Feel different too.” After a moment he let his hand fall and, though it was almost imperceptible, backed away.

“We were just discussing tactics,” Gregor said, oblivious. All of his energies were focused on healing, but the others felt it. They’d begun to circle the wagons, so to speak, and were standing shoulder-to-shoulder across from me, a half-moon to my lone star.

“I’ll be staying behind for obvious reasons,” he continued, managing a wry smile from where he sat in a wheelchair. “Chandra will remain as well.”

I glanced at Chandra, who didn’t meet my eye. She couldn’t go, I knew, because as long as I was alive she couldn’t be a real and active member of the Zodiac.

“I’m staying too, because if you—” Micah cut himself off, clearing his throat. “I mean when the rest of you return I may be needed in a medical capacity. We’ve deemed that more important than my offensive skills.”

He meant he expected most of us to come back wounded. If we came back at all.

“So here’s the plan,” Hunter said, stalking over to me, his movements once again reminding me of a cat. A very large, very patient cat. “Felix will flank your left side and Vanessa your right.”

“Provided I can get out of here, you mean.”

His mouth quirked as he pulled his arm from behind his back, holding out an answer to my challenge.

“What is it?” Felix said, inching forward.

“A helmet?” I asked, taking it. I flipped it over in my hand. It was pliable, made of distressed leather on the outside, but with a strange crisscrossing of wires woven tightly beneath. It was designed to cover the eyes—twin mirrors shot my reflection back at me—and arched across the temples and over the soft tissue behind the ears. A leather toggle secured it around the base of my skull, or beneath a low bun like the one I was wearing now.

“A mask?” Micah said.

“No,” I said. Not a mask, though it would probably be drawn that way in Zane’s comics. My eyes lifted. “It’s a shield.”

Hunter inclined his head. “Try it on.”

Securing it over the bridge of my nose first, I slid it along my skull and fastened it below the bun. I shook my head side to side.

“How does it feel?” Vanessa asked.

“Like it was made for me,” I answered, thinking Warren would approve. Not only would it shield my eyes from the lights within the chute, but it would conceal my identity for as long as I wore it.

Spotting a full-length mirror to the left of the launch pad, I stood in front of it and studied the reflection. It smiled. For the first time since taking over Olivia’s identity, I recognized myself. “It’s perfect.”

“Of course,” Hunter said with his usual arrogance. You can also use it to freely enter and leave the sanctuary in the future, just like the rest of us.”

“Good thinking,” Vanessa said.

I inclined my head, giving him his due credit, and because I was grateful. Now I could hide my Shadow side, at least in this one small way.

“I just don’t get it!” Felix exclaimed, and began circling me again. “It’s like there’s a wall around you. I can see you, but I sure didn’t hear you come in, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t scent you, even though you’re only two feet from me.”

“Doesn’t bode well for tracking down Shadow signs, does it?” Vanessa said.

Felix gave her a steely look.

Hunter stepped closer. He leaned in as he had in the dojo, crowding my space, taking up all the room. I unlaced the shield and lowered it from my eyes as he scratched his chin.

“Figure it out yet?” I asked in a low voice, gaze steady on his.

Vanessa gasped just as understanding dawned, widening Hunter’s hooded eyes. There was an uncomfortable shifting in the room, like wind lifting suddenly in a tree.

“Greta?” Hunter asked, face unreadable.

I smiled.

“Oh, my God! You possess the aureole again!” Micah said, up to speed now. “The needles?”

“You used her own weapon against her,” Hunter said, his voice considering. “Like you did with Butch. So you could walk the mortal world like a ghost. That’s why none of us sensed you.”

“God,” Felix breathed from behind me. He had backed away.

“You killed Greta?” Vanessa asked, her voice small. “In cold blood?”

“No. I was still pretty pissed when I did it.” Then I held out a hand to stave off any more comment. “The point is, I have the ability to walk around completely undetected for the next twelve hours.”

“All night,” Gregor said, and excitement lined his words.

“No, the point is she murdered someone who was half Light in order to gain power!” Vanessa pointed at me, and I was surprised to see her hand shaking.

“You’ve got it wrong, Vanessa,” I said, turning on her. She swallowed hard but didn’t back away. “What I did was take the power from someone who used to be half Light, and now I’m going to use that to battle the Shadow side. See the difference?”

She opened her mouth to argue, then let it snap shut again. After a moment, she nodded. “You’re right. It’s a powerful weapon.”

“Wish I’d thought of it,” Felix said, his voice wistful.

“If you’re all done chatting,” Hunter said, moving back to the launch pad, “perhaps we can get to the fighting now?”

“Isn’t there a way to test this first?” I asked, holding my shield out in front of me.

“No time,” Hunter said, flexing his fingers, rolling his neck. There was no hesitation in his voice, but I was gratified to see his movements actually appeared nervous. Even superhumans were human. “Fifteen minutes until the light splits.”

Felix clapped his hands together. “So let’s go kick some preternatural ass.”

“On my signal, cowboy,” Hunter said, earning a scowl. “Once you’re through the chute, move aside because I’ll be coming up fast. Vanessa, take the left flank. Olivia, you go up last.”

“But—”

“Last,” he repeated. “They won’t sense you so maybe they won’t see you. Besides, when was the last time you felt Warren stirring inside of you?”

I thought about it. It’d been a while.

“I don’t want that connection severed. He may be too weak without you.”

“Thanks for your concern,” I muttered, earning nothing more than an arched brow.

“Whatever you do, don’t hesitate. These bastards are fast.”

“Not as fast as we are,” Felix said, earning a high five from Vanessa. He rubbed his hands together, his boyish enthusiasm turned deadly.

“Wait,” I said, suddenly nervous. “What if I accidentally shoot one of you? I mean, what if I can’t tell the difference?”

“Can’t tell the difference between Shadow and Light?” Felix scoffed. “Impossible.”

Have you looked at me? I wanted to say. Have any of you really seen me?

“It’s too late to worry about now,” Hunter said, and motioned Felix forward to stand on a large X. Raising his left hand, Hunter placed his right on a chrome lever. “Felix, go.”

With a whoosh of air, he was gone. Hunter took his place and, without hesitation, or even a backward glance, shot from mid-crouch up the chute.