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"Crap," Elyssa said through her teeth

"If this things runs out, e be dead in the water?"

She shook her head "The engine runs on gasoline, but levitation and super boost rely on aether" She glanced at the GPS in the center of the dash "We need to find cover Look for a route with trees"

I flicked e of roads with trees, and ere close to the northern lakes "Take the next exit," I said "Then turn left"

She swung across the lane, rode the shoulder, and steered up the exit ra with two cars We crossed an overpass The road dipped and rose, crossing a lake

I directed her through severalout a state park entrance

We zoo permit booth and down a road covered by trees We followed the winding asphalt for a distance I heard the choppers thundering behind The thru silent," Elyssa said

Tension built in my chest "They could be anywhere"

She pulled off the road and into a picnic area shaded by trees Turned off the engine Crickets chirped A bird twittered nearby, and squirrels rustled in the leaves I heard a whoosh of air as so swooped past overhead

"They’re here," she whispered

"How do you charge the batteries on this thing?" I asked

"We have aether stations for it," she said "But an Arcane could do it, given enough tiot out, and she pointed to a chunk of glowing crystal "There"

I closed my eyes and flicked into incubus h tiny ley lines in the ground, and puffs of it floating in the air I extended a tendril and, with a deep breath, drew it in I touched the tendril to the crystal and willed it to push energy inside Nothing see leaves nearby The rustling see this way," someone whispered fro pulled at hter Faster! I willed it with all ht It didn’t seem to help In frustration, I pressed y flow through ht as a star I heard the console inside ding Elyssa ducked into the car

"It’s full," she said, eyes gloith pride "You’re a rock star, baby"

Two men in the black robes of the brotherhood appeared at the side of the road

Elyssa shut her door as pulses of light splashed against it I juine, and peeled out, charging straight at the roup appeared ahead She swung down a s on," Elyssa said as we hit the end of the road

The car dropped like a rock Just before we plunged into the lake, Elyssa flicked a switch The vehicle lurched upward and glided just over the water, spraying a plume behind us She hit the red button, and the car roared forward We shot beneath a bridge Following the bend of the lake, she threaded between two boats with startled fisherht, and shot up a boat ra A squirrel racing across the road froze in our path

"Ahh!" Elyssa shouted, hitting the levitation switch again

I looked behind us to see the frightened rodent dash back into the woods

"Stupid squirrels," Elyssa gru the levitation on, Elyssa activated ca with the surrounding terrain She pulled the steering wheel toward her chest like the control in an airplane; the car flew higher, narrowly clearing trees, and zooreen canopy of pine trees I looked back and saw the choppers hovering over the bridge, but notto drive, I took my brother Jack for a ride," Elyssa said "I was so proud ofinto the driveway at the ranch, a squirrel ran across hed "I just sat there and cried while Jack tried to console me"

I touched her arm "You’re a ninja with a soft heart," I said

She smiled "I’m such a dork sometimes I knew so many ways to hurt or even kill someone by the time I learned to drive, and yet, I cried over a squirrel"

"I love my beautiful dork," I said, and pecked her on the cheek

She giggled

We sped south toward the city with no signs of pursuit Thirty minutes later, Elyssa landed on an empty stretch of road near the Teed with another low battery warning