Page 11 of Ruthless Fae
Vinya’s hand started a spell before we reached the edge of the barrier, and by the time we got there, her hands had turned a bright yellow. Wasting no time, she jammed her fingers into the fabric of the magical dome and pulled in opposite directions as if tearing open a hanging curtain.
She bared her teeth, face twisted with the effort. Slowly, very slowly, the shimmering fabric of the dome tore in a jagged line that traveled downward until it hit the ground. When she stepped back, a hole yawned open.
“Hurry!” She gestured with her hand.
Charlie and I ran through the tear and turned back toward Vinya. She stood under her own cloaking spell now, separate from Charlie’s, and I saw nothing but the torn barrier and the vegetation beyond.
“If we’re not back in thirty minutes, you go,” Charlie said. It was what we had agreed, but it bore reminding.
“Beback,” Vinya replied in a commanding voice.
We turned and ran toward the building. Charlie matched my pace easily, though I itched to fly faster. We stopped at the north side of the facility. The smooth, solid wall rose at least four stories and had no windows or doors through which we could force our entry, but Charlie had said we didn’t need any.
Confidently, she worked on a spell, her fingers tracing lines through the air, and soon, the wall melted away, leaving around a hole with a smoldering edge large enough for us to fit through.
“Impressive,” I said.
We rushed through the hole, carefully avoiding the edge, and found ourselves right where I thought we would: the staff cafeteria area where a birthday celebration had been underway the last time I was here. The space was dark and empty, just the reason we’d chosen it.
Our goal was to find as much information as possible on the Habermanns’ experiments, and the warlock in charge of the protective dome. I didn’t know how we would find either of those, but we had to try something.
Carefully and quietly, Charlie and I ran across the large empty room and through the doors and jogged down an empty corridor. Hearing voices, we pressed against the wall while a couple of guards passed who neither heard nor saw us. I’d done this before, but it was still unnerving every time my invisibility was tested. Luckily, the glamour seemed to be working.
Our best bet lay in Alexander’s experiment area on the main floor, so we headed in that direction. I had been there when they tried to take genetic samples from me and a second time when Alexander threatened to inject Sinasre with poison if I didn’t divulge the Seelie Queen’s location.
We traversed several halls without saying a word, understanding each other’s gestures and glances as if we’d been doing this kind of thing together for a long time.
Once in the experiment area, we separated. I went invisible as I came away from Charlie’s cloaking spell, and threw doors open on the left side while Charlie checked the ones on the right. There were many rooms set up with metal tables equipped with restraining straps. Shiny instruments rested on polished surfaces, ready for use. Oversized syringes and vials of murky liquids occupied shelves on the walls. Hastily, I picked up a vial of every kind and stuffed them in the pockets of my utility belt.
When I exited the last room on my side, Charlie approached. I couldn’t see her, but she allowed sounds to come through her cloaking spell for my benefit.
Finally, I faced the final room at the end of the wide hall. I opened one of its large double doors and held it as Charlie slipped in. Inside, it was much like the other rooms except on a bigger scale. Larger metal tables, massive overhead lamps, different types of machinery I had no name for. I wasn’t sure, but this seemed like the room where they’d tried to take my blood for their experiments, where I first saw Bor and realized Vaughn’s claim about captive children were true.
“It’s like a big operating room,” Charlie said, disappointment coming through in her voice.
I walked further in, my frustration mounting. Would this second attempt also be a failure? I shook my head which helped me notice a door tucked away in the back of the room. There was something familiar about it, something that sent an icy shiver up my back. I approached cautiously, Charlie following behind. As we walked past a large column that had been blocking the view, I spotted an oversized electronic device next to the metal door.
A retina scanner, Vaughn had called it.
My stomach tied in knots as images of floor-to-ceiling tanks filled with murky liquid flashed before my eyes.
“There,” I said, pointing with a finger, even though Charlie couldn’t see it. “That’s where they create their monsters.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Makes sense. I feel a very strong magical field coming from somewhere around here. Maybe it’s the power source that’s creating the dome. We should check inside.” Charlie stared hard at the door as we both seemed to brace for the worst.
“Can you get past that device?” I finally asked.
“Piece of cake,” she said, which, by the tone of her voice, probably meant no problem.
I thought it would take a minute or two for her spell to work, but it was instant. The heavy metal door swung open, an eerie blue glow spilling out.
We’d made it.
We were about to step inside when the doors behind us burst open. Heart hammering out of control, I whirled to face the threat. To my surprise, a lone figure strolled in.
