As we crept along, I felt a tingle vibrate down my spine. It felt oddly like a perimeter spell being triggered. Except I hadn't set any. Mom had, along with--
A howl reverberated through the warehouse.
"A werewolf?" Will spun on me. "Did you bring a werewolf--"
I slammed him face-first to the floor. "No, it's not a werewolf," I whispered in his ear. "Now zip it."
A werewolf would have been nice, especially if it was one of the two lurking outside. But the howl w
as coming from the trigger hallucination Mom had set up at the rear entrances. An apparition of a hellhound.
"Stay here," I whispered.
I crawled forward with my light spark. Both guys followed. I considered locking them in binding spells, but that would zap too much of my limited power.
I didn't need to go far anyway. We were closer to the back than I'd thought, and within a few feet I could make out the very dim outline of shapes moving in the near dark. I looked around, then ducked behind the closest piece of whatever and extinguished my spark. The guys stayed close.
The "whatever" that we'd taken refuge behind seemed to be broken crates. I leaned out and tried to get a better look at the intruders. If they were from the Cabal, they'd be in uniforms. Intra-Cabal regulations. Each had to wear a distinguishable uniform so they could be identified by another Cabal if they bumped into each other on a mission. Presumably, it was to keep them from killing each other, but I suspect the Cabals agreed to it only so they wouldn't accidentally slaughter their own men.
These guys were shapeless black wraiths against a dark gray landscape.
I needed light.
I calculated angles and trajectories and potential outcomes. Then I launched a small light ball in the invaders' path, but drew it toward me instead of whipping it away. They saw it. And I saw them.
I pulled back behind the crates.
"It's a Cabal."
"The Cortezes?" Jake whispered. "They came after you, right?"
I nodded.
"What?" Will said. "No, it can't--"
"Can't what?" I said. "Can't be the Cortezes?"
"I just mean, you might be making a mistake. It might not even be a Cabal."
"I know the uniforms. Those are the Cortezes."
Will struggled to keep his breathing steady. Sweat trickled down his face, glistening in the dim light of my spark.
"It's okay," I said. "I can handle this. It's a mistake--they didn't know I was here. I just need to tell them it's me and you'll be safe--"
Will leaped up to run. I grabbed the back of his shirt and slammed him to the concrete floor. Then I straddled his back and pressed my palm against his shoulder--the one that had been shot. He started to yelp, but I stifled it.
"Keep your mouth shut or I press again," I whispered. "The Cortezes will come running. You really don't want them to come running, do you?"
"They won't hurt us, right?" Jake said. "We're with you."
"You're okay. Will? He's not so okay, considering he's the one who set you up."
"What?" Jake said.
"He cut a deal with the Nasts. That's who he thought was out there. That's why he wanted you running for the cars instead of into the warehouse. To make it easier for them to pick you off. Then he came in here after us so he could keep an eye on us. That's why he got so worried when he found out I was a Nast. They might not be so willing to pay the big bucks if they find out one of the dead is Thomas Nast's granddaughter."
"So you knew?" Jake said.