Thirteen (Otherworld 13)

We could hear Giles ahead, feet pounding, breath coming hard. He was panicked and not being careful, his flashlight beam bobbing as he ran. We were careful. We ran as lightly as we could until we spotted him at what looked like the end of the tunnel.

I cast a cover spell. He turned and peered toward us. Maybe he'd heard us, maybe he hadn't, but a wave of his flashlight seemed to reassure him that he was alone, and he let out a sigh of relief before making his way up a ladder.

We crept close as he climbed. At the top, he pushed open the door and looked down again, but the cover spell still hid us. He climbed out. We went after him.

When we reached the top, I cracked the hatch open as little as possible and peered out to see . . .

Corn.

We were in a cornfield, the tall stalks all around us. I closed the hatch again and whispered the news to Adam. Then I gave Lucas one more update before I opened the hatch again and cast blur spells so Adam and I could crawl out.

We found Giles about twenty feet away, doubled over, catching his breath. Adam whispered a game plan.

Still under the blur spells, we split up. Adam circled around to the other side of Giles. The ground was damp and muffled our footsteps. I caught the occasional moving cornstalk marking Adam's progress, but Giles didn't seem to notice. I tracked the swaying corn until I knew Adam was in position. Then I crept forward.

I stopped about five feet from Giles. He looked up sharply, as if he could sense me there. I ended the spell. He saw me and turned to run just as Adam lunged.

Giles managed to twist out of Adam's way, but I jumped into his path. He looked from Adam to me.

"You can't kill me," he said. "I'm immortal. You know that."

"Immortal, yes. But you're not a vampire. I'm guessing you've got some zombie juice swimming in your veins. That means you're not invulnerable."

"Yes, I am."

"Have you tested that theory?" I watched his expression. "Jumped off buildings for fun?"

Giles hesitated, then pulled a vial from his pocket. "Do you know what this is?" he said.

"I can guess," I said.

"Good. So you know it's not something you want me to uncap." He paused. "How's Bryce?"

I stiffened.

"Not well, I take it. Would you like the antidote?"

I didn't answer.

"In the interest of fair play, I'll give it to you. A gift. I presume you have a radio?"

Again, I said nothing.

"Call Lucas Cortez. Tell him to go to my office. The safe is in the bottom desk drawer. The code is 1429. The year I fought alongside Joan of Arc."

I could tell by his expression he expected me to be impressed. Without reacting, I conveyed the information to Lucas. He was already in Giles's office and had found the safe. The code opened it.

"The antidote is in a pouch with instructions. They're written in code, but it's not a complex one. Benicio Cortez will have someone who can figure it out. Now I'm going to put this down." He bent and laid the vial on the ground. "And you are going to let me walk away."

He straightened up and started walking. I let him get about five feet before I locked him in a binding spell.

I walked over and patted down his pockets.

"Yep, backup vial," I said as I felt it through the fabric. "Let's take this off your hands before we escort you back inside."

As I reached for it, something hit me. It was like a micro version of the blow inside. I stumbled. The spell snapped. Giles jumped me. I went down. Adam lunged, but Giles was already on top of me, pinning me to the dirt, vial in one hand, the other wrapped in my hair.

Giles wrenched my head back. When I gasped, he pushed the vial to my lips. Adam grabbed Giles around the neck and I smelled burning flesh. I struggled to cast a binding spell, but Giles had the vial at my mouth, and I couldn't get the words out.