Chapter 40

CHAPTER 40

ORIX

A n orb takes us to an outpost two miles out from the location pinpointed by Willowman's spell, and as soon as the sun sets, we take to the air.

With the dissonance bracelet off, Derek will hopefully be able to reconnect with Cameron soon, but it will take some time. Meanwhile, the tracking spell highlighted a one-mile radius where Cameron might be. It's the best we can do because something is interfering with Willowman's spell. Some kind of ward, according to Willowman. He'll be able to discern more once we get closer.

He clings to me now, not a fan of being airborne, and I make sure to maintain a firm grip to reassure him that I won't drop him.

The night is clear and filled with stars, a beautiful night for a flight if not for this dire reason.

Sharniza, Touron, and the twins fly either side of me in arrow formation with Curi carrying Levi close behind. No claim that this was an elite and fully trained guardian mission would have swayed them from coming with me. This is personal to us. More guardians follow, and even more are incoming—guardians enlisted by both Ulrickson and Lionel who've been entrusted to bring in the halfbloods.

Derek will bring Ivor and the graynites with him.

We'll have a small army here soon.

The plan is simple. Converge and attack. Free Serath and the other infernal graynites, then take down the voice that's anchoring them.

If Yarrow knows we're here and realizes that we can stop the faction, then he'll help us. I know he will. The faction's blackmail won't work once he realizes that we know everything.

A mountain range grows closer. We've scouted this area before, several years ago. There's nothing here. Just a vast stretch of land. "Are you sure about the location?" There's nothing beyond those mountains but barren land.

"I'm sure!" Willowman cries. "Keep going. We're in the one-mile radius now."

We rise to crest the mountain where the air thins and my lungs work harder, wings wide as I coast. Just as I recall, there is nothing but barren land beyond.

"I feel power. An illusion," Willowman yells over the wind. "Take us down!"

We land on a deep ledge on the mountainside. I tuck in my wings to avoid being snatched into the air by the powerful gusts that beat at my frame and maintain a grip on Willowman.

The others land close by.

"What is it?" Levi shouts. "Why did we stop?"

"There's a ward of some kind," Willowman calls back. "The magic is similar to the barrier around the graynite camp."

"Ivor's camp?"

"Yes. It feels the same," Willowman says. "We won't be able to get through."

My pulse kicks up because he's wrong. There is a way through. "The council perfected a machine that can punch a hole through that kind of magic."

"Then we need that machine," Willowman says.

"I'll intercept Lionel," Sharniza says, taking off before I can reply.

"They're down there," Willowman says. "Beyond the ward. Beyond the illusion. Serath and Cameron are down there."

"You're saying what we see is fake?" Touron asks.

"Yes," Willowman says. "And as soon as we put a hole in it, the whole thing should fall, and we can storm in."

We've already waited several hours, and my gut tells me we are running out of time. The faction has everything they need to open the rift. It could happen at any moment; heck, it could be in progress as we stand here waiting.

"She'll be fine," Curi says, more to soothe himself than anyone else. "Derek would know if she wasn't now that his bracelet is off. We're going to get to them in time."

I don't have the heart to point out that Derek's connection to Cameron is still muted, that he can't know anything for sure. So I choose to have faith. To believe that we'll get into the facility on time and stop the faction once and for all.