Page 49 (1/2)

I scratchedat the odd transformation One minute it looked like an alabaster arch, the next pure obsidian "What in the world is going on with the colors?"

MacLean looked just as confused "It’s like the blasted thing can’ta question, and heard nothing but static "I think it’s interfering withis what made your friends sick," the Scot said, "I don’t want to stand near the bloody thing a second longer than I have to"

The alh toto h I realized with a wry chuckle, it couldn’t beBefore I turned, I noticed a doorway on the opposite side of the room I tried to make a video with my phone, but oes?" I asked, pointing toward the mysterious exit I ran to it, and peered into a small roorooves, holding it shut It looked fored "I don’t know, and right now, I don’t bloody care I’ic hazard suit on"

I backed away froed after MacLean After we passed through the broken wall, he looked around the roohter during each pulse?" he said

They did indeed seeht froic could make people sick like that"

"Aye, I don’t know either You could stand in the ed "I don’t knoho to even ask about it"

"Maybe an arch operator?"

He snorted "Those bloody imbeciles kno to push buttons, and that’s about it"

"They orking on an arch for the Conroys They can’t be that stupid"

"Well, true But do you really want one of theazecould be used as a weapon, or to open a gateway to the angel realm? Then we’d be in a bloody ue with him there "We need to ueon, and headed back through the hole in the grate Once outside, MacLean snapped his staff to full length, and whipped up an illusion barrier, that matched the corridor wall, solid to the touch

He snapped the staff back down to the size of a small rod, and slid it into a pocket in his pants "That’ll do for the tio back down there and study it," I said "We have to find out why it , butvery well After a restart, it seemed to function normally once more, but by then, ere already topside "Let’s talk to Zagg"

MacLean looked up and down the hall, eyes darting nervously "What about the bloody Flark?"

"Do you really think he’ll try to kidnap you itnesses everywhere?"

"Even if he doesn’t, what if he follows me to my hideout?" Worry creased the corners of his eyes

"We need to figure out a perrowl "There’s got to be some way to burn his bacon"

MacLean chuckled "True, or there’d be a lot arded"Fine Let’s go talk to Zagg I’ bloody insane in the secret chambers behind the library walls"

"I even have a place for you to stay," I said, thinking of all the roo and Cinder in the historian’s office I saw Cinder fiddling with one of thelooked up e entered the roo what happened to you down there Some kind of static burst nearly blew up Cinder’s phone" He did a double-take at the big Scot "Hello, Professor MacLean Uured MacLean wouldn’t want ift "He’s faed into this bloody mess by one of the Conroy’s minions," MacLean said "Justin helpedhi," Cinder said, his voice devoid of inflection as usual "I suspected youconvinced me it was likely a malfunction"

"Thankfully, just a malfunction," I said "But the cause of it…" I whistled "I don’t even knohat to think" I was grateful for Cinder changing the subject, even if the golem hadn’t intended to

MacLean and I told the sounds of ara a rooetaway portal," Zagg suggested "After all, the Illuminati were very secretive"