Page 303

YVESWICH, STATE OF KER

“Isn’tit past your bedtime, old man?” Malakai hissed into his headset. He stood with Aspen down the block the military base, watching for the guards who were doing their rounds.

They’d all left the House of Violet shortly after talking to the others who were in Angelthene. It was almost Witching Hour, but being trapped in a city of perpetual darkness rendered time meaningless. Malakai didn’t even have a sleep schedule anymore.

Not that he’d ever really had one to begin with.

Arthur, however, did. And Malakai was having a fantastic time pestering the old guy.

The speaker crackled. “You’d be lost without me, Mister Delaney,” Arthur said, “so I figured I could sacrifice a few hours of sleep.”

“Awwww, you shouldn’t have.”

Another crackle, and then Atlas hissed, “Can you guys focus? If you mess this up?—”

“At ease, Atlas,” Malakai drawled. “Don’t be a bitcher like Devlin.”

A burst of static. And then: “Hey, I heard that,” Travis protested, his fierce whisper causing the speakers to crackle.

Malakai wheezed a laugh.

As much as he hated that scrawny fucker for trying to date his sister, he had a hell of a good time picking fights with him. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad having him around a bit more.

He flicked off the mic on his headset and whispered exactly that to Asp.

She snickered, her catlike eyes shining all pretty in the muddy glow of a streetlight. “I told you he’d grow on you.”

He flicked his mic back on and said, “Hurry it up, Atlas. It’s cold as balls out here.”

“I’m trying to time it right, you ignoramus!” Tanner said. Malakai chuckled. “Trav, you ready?”

“Yup,” Devlin replied.

“The guards are passing in thirty seconds,” Malakai said, watching the guards from where he and Aspen were hidden.

Atlas said, “Spells will come down then, and that’s your shot. Don’t be seen.”

Devlin said, “I’ll do my best.”

“Why do they get the fun job?” Malakai hissed to Aspen.

“I’d rather be out here,” she said, her teeth chattering. “We have the easy job—they’re the ones doing all the heavy lifting.”

“We can literally hear you,” Jewels groused. “Maybe turn off your mic before talking shit?—”

“Now,” Atlas said. “Get in there now—go.”

Malakai kept an eye on the guards as his sister and Devlin darted over the chainlink fences and into the military base.

“Fuck me,” Malakai said with a smile as they landed lightly on their feet inside the base. “It worked.”

Travis stuck closeto Jewels as they crept through the military base on cat-soft feet.

According to Roark, there were no anima mundi missiles on site, which would’ve made their lives a whole hell of a lot easier. But there were missiles with the same framework, so all they had to do was steal one of those and bring it back to the House of Violet to charge it.

While Tanner was able to guide them through the building using the video feeds on the security cameras, it was Arthur who they had to call on video when they made it to the armory.

The place wasloaded.It was a good thing Jack wasn’t here, or he’d likely set off some bomb out of pure, unbridled curiosity. He’d had a dangerous fascination with fireworks a few years ago, and had nearly scorched Travis’s hair off in the back yard at Hell’s Gate. He had a battle scar to show for that.