Bright Blaze of Magic
Page 49
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“Felix!” she yelled in a high, squeaky voice.
The pixie clamped her hands over her mouth, realizing her mistake, but it was already too late.
Startled by the pixie’s outburst, the guard whipped around, his hand dropping to his weapon. His eyes locked with mine and his surprised shock hit me like a jolt of electricity in my chest. He opened his mouth to shout a warning, but I was quicker.
I surged forward and slammed my fist into the guard’s face. I didn’t hit him all that hard, but he staggered back and his head snapped against the wall. He dropped to the floor unconscious. A lucky break for us. As soon as I was sure that he wasn’t going to get back up anytime soon, I sheathed my sword and sprinted over to the closest cage, with Felix right behind me.
I yanked my chopstick lock picks out of my hair, bent down, and slid the tools into the lock. So much adrenaline was pumping through my body that my fingers trembled and the picks slipped out of the lock. I swallowed down a curse, then made myself draw in a long, deep breath and slowly let it out. My fingers steadied and I went to work on the lock in earnest.
Snick.
It popped open. One down, two to go. I left Felix to unhook the lock from the cage and open the door, even as I raced over to the second cell, where Angelo and Reginald were already standing by the door waiting for me. Ten seconds later, Felix was by my side with the first of the freed guards and pixies zipping through the air behind him.
“What are you doing here, son?” Angelo hissed. “It’s too dangerous!”
Felix gave his dad a grim smile. “Believe me, I know. But no way was I leaving you or any of the other Sinclairs in here a second longer than necessary.”
“Where are Mo and Claudia?” I asked, still working on the lock.
“In the office,” Reginald said, worry making his English accent even more pronounced than usual. “Victor has been . . . talking with them ever since he brought us here last night.”
“You mean torturing them,” I spat out the words.
Reginald winced and nodded.
I redoubled my efforts on the lock, and a moment later, it too snicked open. While Felix opened that door, I raced over to the third and final cage where Deah and Seleste were. A few seconds later, I had it and the cage door open as well. I shoved the lock picks into my coat pocket.
“Darling!” Seleste said, striding through the open door and beaming at me. “I knew you’d rescue us!”
Deah limped up beside her mom and smiled at me. “I knew it too.”
I grinned back at her. “Sterlings stick together, right?”
Her smile widened. “Always.”
All the Sinclair guards, workers, and pixies came pouring out of the cells and gathered in a tight knot in the center of the warehouse. As soon as the guards were free, their eyes lit up with anger and they turned and glared at the front of the building, as if they were wishing that the Draconi guards would come back inside so they could show them what a real fight looked like.
“Now what?” Angelo asked.
“You, Felix, and Reginald stay here and keep watch. If Devon gets in trouble outside, you guys go out and help him. Meanwhile, let the guards help the injured folks and pixies out the back of the warehouse,” I said. “I’ll go get Mo and Claudia and come right back.”
“But—” Felix started.
“Just do it!” I hissed, already turning and sprinting deeper into the warehouse.
CHAPTER TWENTY
I left the cages behind and headed down a long hallway that led to the office that I’d spotted before. I rounded a corner and found a door set into the wall. There was no time to be sneaky, so I put my shoulder down, twisted the knob, and barreled in, surprising the two guards who were inside.
The Draconi guards whirled around, not expecting someone to come bursting into the office, but I was already moving forward, swinging my sword. I took the first guard completely by surprise, slicing my sword across his stomach, then whipping back around and stabbing him in the chest. He crumpled to the floor.
I turned toward the other guard, but he moved away before I could attack him the same way I had his friend. I swung at him, but the guard ducked my blow, whirled back around, and slammed his fist into my face. He had a strength Talent, and blood filled my mouth from the hard blow, but the pain was worth it because that cold burn of magic exploded in my veins.
The guard came at me again, but I avoided his fist, then put my shoulder down and barreled into him the same way I had the door. With my extra surge of strength, I shoved him all the way across the office and slammed him into the wall. His head snapped back and he dropped to the ground unconscious.
I whipped around, wondering if any other Draconis might be lurking in the warehouse and come to investigate the noise, but none did so I turned toward the two people in the back of the office.
Mo and Claudia.
They were both tied down to chairs, with heavy ropes looped around their wrists and ankles. They wore the same black suits they’d had on at the White Orchid restaurant last night.
And they’d both been tortured.
Someone had badly beaten the two of them, maybe even more than one person, judging from the blood and bruises that covered their bodies. I hurried over and stopped in front of Mo, who had remained absolutely still through my fight with the two guards. For a moment, I thought he might be dead, but he slowly lifted his head and focused on me.
Up close, the damage to his face was even worse than I’d thought. Both of his eyes were blackened, his nose was broken, and his lips were swollen and split from where someone had punched him repeatedly. Every part of him looked like it just hurt, and my stomach roiled with a combination of grief, guilt, disgust, and rage. But his dark eyes were still sly and bright, and his gaze was steady on mine as I dropped down beside him.
“What did they do to you?” I whispered, tears filling my eyes.
Mo looked at me through his blackened eyes, and his face creased into a grin. “Nothing too bad, kid. Just some cuts and bruises. Why, I know pixies who can punch harder than Blake Draconi. Don’t worry. Pour a little stitch-sting on my face and I’ll be as right as rain. Promise.”
He laughed, but it quickly turned into a choking cough and blood bubbled up out of his lips, dripped down his face, and spattered onto his black suit jacket, soaking into what was already there. The sight and sound tore at my heart, but I pushed my feelings aside and used my sword to slice through the ropes that bound him. Then I put my shoulder under Mo’s and helped him to his feet.
The pixie clamped her hands over her mouth, realizing her mistake, but it was already too late.
Startled by the pixie’s outburst, the guard whipped around, his hand dropping to his weapon. His eyes locked with mine and his surprised shock hit me like a jolt of electricity in my chest. He opened his mouth to shout a warning, but I was quicker.
I surged forward and slammed my fist into the guard’s face. I didn’t hit him all that hard, but he staggered back and his head snapped against the wall. He dropped to the floor unconscious. A lucky break for us. As soon as I was sure that he wasn’t going to get back up anytime soon, I sheathed my sword and sprinted over to the closest cage, with Felix right behind me.
I yanked my chopstick lock picks out of my hair, bent down, and slid the tools into the lock. So much adrenaline was pumping through my body that my fingers trembled and the picks slipped out of the lock. I swallowed down a curse, then made myself draw in a long, deep breath and slowly let it out. My fingers steadied and I went to work on the lock in earnest.
Snick.
It popped open. One down, two to go. I left Felix to unhook the lock from the cage and open the door, even as I raced over to the second cell, where Angelo and Reginald were already standing by the door waiting for me. Ten seconds later, Felix was by my side with the first of the freed guards and pixies zipping through the air behind him.
“What are you doing here, son?” Angelo hissed. “It’s too dangerous!”
Felix gave his dad a grim smile. “Believe me, I know. But no way was I leaving you or any of the other Sinclairs in here a second longer than necessary.”
“Where are Mo and Claudia?” I asked, still working on the lock.
“In the office,” Reginald said, worry making his English accent even more pronounced than usual. “Victor has been . . . talking with them ever since he brought us here last night.”
“You mean torturing them,” I spat out the words.
Reginald winced and nodded.
I redoubled my efforts on the lock, and a moment later, it too snicked open. While Felix opened that door, I raced over to the third and final cage where Deah and Seleste were. A few seconds later, I had it and the cage door open as well. I shoved the lock picks into my coat pocket.
“Darling!” Seleste said, striding through the open door and beaming at me. “I knew you’d rescue us!”
Deah limped up beside her mom and smiled at me. “I knew it too.”
I grinned back at her. “Sterlings stick together, right?”
Her smile widened. “Always.”
All the Sinclair guards, workers, and pixies came pouring out of the cells and gathered in a tight knot in the center of the warehouse. As soon as the guards were free, their eyes lit up with anger and they turned and glared at the front of the building, as if they were wishing that the Draconi guards would come back inside so they could show them what a real fight looked like.
“Now what?” Angelo asked.
“You, Felix, and Reginald stay here and keep watch. If Devon gets in trouble outside, you guys go out and help him. Meanwhile, let the guards help the injured folks and pixies out the back of the warehouse,” I said. “I’ll go get Mo and Claudia and come right back.”
“But—” Felix started.
“Just do it!” I hissed, already turning and sprinting deeper into the warehouse.
CHAPTER TWENTY
I left the cages behind and headed down a long hallway that led to the office that I’d spotted before. I rounded a corner and found a door set into the wall. There was no time to be sneaky, so I put my shoulder down, twisted the knob, and barreled in, surprising the two guards who were inside.
The Draconi guards whirled around, not expecting someone to come bursting into the office, but I was already moving forward, swinging my sword. I took the first guard completely by surprise, slicing my sword across his stomach, then whipping back around and stabbing him in the chest. He crumpled to the floor.
I turned toward the other guard, but he moved away before I could attack him the same way I had his friend. I swung at him, but the guard ducked my blow, whirled back around, and slammed his fist into my face. He had a strength Talent, and blood filled my mouth from the hard blow, but the pain was worth it because that cold burn of magic exploded in my veins.
The guard came at me again, but I avoided his fist, then put my shoulder down and barreled into him the same way I had the door. With my extra surge of strength, I shoved him all the way across the office and slammed him into the wall. His head snapped back and he dropped to the ground unconscious.
I whipped around, wondering if any other Draconis might be lurking in the warehouse and come to investigate the noise, but none did so I turned toward the two people in the back of the office.
Mo and Claudia.
They were both tied down to chairs, with heavy ropes looped around their wrists and ankles. They wore the same black suits they’d had on at the White Orchid restaurant last night.
And they’d both been tortured.
Someone had badly beaten the two of them, maybe even more than one person, judging from the blood and bruises that covered their bodies. I hurried over and stopped in front of Mo, who had remained absolutely still through my fight with the two guards. For a moment, I thought he might be dead, but he slowly lifted his head and focused on me.
Up close, the damage to his face was even worse than I’d thought. Both of his eyes were blackened, his nose was broken, and his lips were swollen and split from where someone had punched him repeatedly. Every part of him looked like it just hurt, and my stomach roiled with a combination of grief, guilt, disgust, and rage. But his dark eyes were still sly and bright, and his gaze was steady on mine as I dropped down beside him.
“What did they do to you?” I whispered, tears filling my eyes.
Mo looked at me through his blackened eyes, and his face creased into a grin. “Nothing too bad, kid. Just some cuts and bruises. Why, I know pixies who can punch harder than Blake Draconi. Don’t worry. Pour a little stitch-sting on my face and I’ll be as right as rain. Promise.”
He laughed, but it quickly turned into a choking cough and blood bubbled up out of his lips, dripped down his face, and spattered onto his black suit jacket, soaking into what was already there. The sight and sound tore at my heart, but I pushed my feelings aside and used my sword to slice through the ropes that bound him. Then I put my shoulder under Mo’s and helped him to his feet.
