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Paul snorted "You hly pissed off Varsity?"

"He’s right," said the slightly taller of the twins "We’ll get a lecture supreet back," Michaelto ure that out"

I held up a hand "First things first Where are we going?"

"There’s a sanctuary," Michael said, hitching a thue for this part of Chicago It’s also where they store their vessels"

"Vessels?" I asked

"The people--huer Reapers siphon energy from" So a sanctuary was a roo away because o of their ifts

"My God," I lanced behind me in the direction of the tunnel we’d coood idea, rescuethe fabric of Scout’s ot an idea

"The Reapers probably think we’ll co blue eyes staring back "That we’ll storet her back"

"Probably," Jason agreed, then tilted his head, curiosity in his expression

"Well, if that’s what they expect, then we should do the thing they aren’t expecting We flank them--create a distraction Pull them out and away from Scout And when they’re distracted, we send in a teaain"

There was silence for a moment, and I had to work not to shuffle my feet

"That’s actually not bad, Parker," Jason said "I’ood lunch today"

"So who does what?" Paul asked

"I can read the building," Michael said "I can read it, figure out where she is" I guessed thatto use his powers

"In that case, how about Jaet out" Jason looked at Paul "You, uys up for a little snow and ice?"

The twins looked at each other and broke into precocious grins "Absolutely," said the taller one, her aqua eyes shining "Snow and ice are right up erially "Then let’s talk details"

Like the enclave, the Reaper sanctuary was housed underground in the cavelike innards of a former power substation, still connected to the tunnels beneath the city We’d use two entrances--the main door, where Jill, Paul, and Jason would create their distraction--and the back door, where Jamie, Michael, and I would sneak in, hopefully undetected, find Scout, and get out again I was solely support staff--Michael and Jamie would handle any Reapers, while I’d help take care of Scout and get her safely froain, hopefully with one additional--and healthy--nose-ringed Adept in tow

The plans and our cues established, we prepared to split up

"Are you all right with this?"

I looked over at Jason,at the concern in his eyes, and nodded "Turning on lights isn’t ure out a way to contribute" Assu I could learn to control it in the next ten or fifteen minutes, I silently added

He tilted his head at hts?"

I s wasn’t a fake" I raised ht," Michael said "Everybody ready?"

"Ready," Jason said, then leaned down and whispered, his lips at my cheek, "You take care, Lily Parker And I’ll see you in a little while"

Goose buht," he said, his voice echoing through the tunnels "Let’s do this" He nodded at Paul and Jill, and they started on their way, h the tunnel to the left

Michael, Jalance, nodded our readiness, and headed to the left

The asn’t short, but the tunnels allowed us to o to find the place where Reapers conducted so A few turns and corridors, and then the tunnel opened onto a platfor up to a rusty e of the tunnel--Michael signaling quiet with a raised fist--and stared at the platforic-bearing teenagers

"Let’s go," Michael whispered after a moment, and we crept toward the stairs--Michael in front,to beice for Jason’s distraction, I assumed Jamie was the tith fire powers I still wasn’t sure what a reader or fire witch could do, but I hoped that whatever it was could help us find Scout

We took the steps to the door, but Michael, in the lead, didn’t open it Instead, he pressed his palm to it, then closed his eyes After a moment of silence, he shook his head

"Pain and loss," he said "All through the building, through the steel, the brick, the city above The pain leaks, fills the city All because they won’t make the sacrifice"

Another few seconds of silence passed I stared at him, rapt, as he communed with the architecture Suddenly, he yanked his hand back as if the door had gone white-hot He rubbed the center of his pallanced back at us "She’s in there"

Jamie smiled softly at Michael "We’ll find her"

At Michael’s nod that he was ready to move, we tried the door, found it unlocked It opened into a hallway that led deeper into the building The hallas e for Reapers

"It’s too quiet," Ja to stay that way