Lilah Davenport.
It was twilight when Ridley became aware of Lumina City nearby, but whether it was the first night or the second, she couldn’t be sure. She’d lost all concept of time and place while in her fragmented form, speeding too quickly above the earth to make sense of anything. She hadn’t stopped for rest or food. She hadn’t felt the need for either.
As easily as the last time she’d done it, she swooped through Aura Tower’s main entrance, up an elevator shaft, and into the apartment below the penthouse. The Davenports’ front door was lined with arxium, but, as Ridley had pointed out to Archer, their floor was not. A conjuration that might possibly have been illegal—even in the days when magic was permitted—easily created a hole for her to access the penthouse.
No one was home. Invisible, Ridley made her way to Lilah’s bedroom, only wondering now what she would do if Lilah didn’t come home for hours. How long was she willing to wait? Without a clear answer in mind, she slipped into the walk-in closet and allowed herself to become visible. The sudden weight pulling down on her shoulders reminded her of the bag she’d completely forgotten about. Without removing it, she sat on the floor and practiced some of the deep, slow breathing Saoirse had taught her. When she was a little calmer, she pressed her hand over the place where her mother’s pendant lay beneath her clothing. Its presence made her feel a little less alone. I’ll find him, she told herself again. Everything’s going to be okay.
She thought of the last time she’d hidden inside this closet and how different things were now. She wasn’t here to steal, for one thing, and for another, her view of her own magic had changed. She used to limit herself as much as possible, afraid of the intense headaches that would inevitably come with too much magic use. It seemed silly now that she’d disabled the penthouse security system last time so she could walk around in human form without setting off alarms. It was silly that she’d run and hidden in this bedroom when Lilah returned home earlier than expected. Silly that she’d been afraid to use even a little more magic in case it cost her later when she had to sneak out. The entire operation would have been far less stressful if she’d been air the entire time.
An indistinct beep reached Ridley’s ears. The front door. Someone was home. She rose silently to her feet, listening intently, wondering if she was too far away to hear the soothing tones of the smart home system’s voice as it greeted—
“Good evening, Delilah.”
Adrenaline pushed Ridley’s heart rate higher. The computerized voice was muffled, but she’d definitely heard it. Next came the click, click of hard shoes against the tiled floor, growing louder, then disappearing as Lilah stepped onto the carpeted floor of her bedroom. The sight of her in her perfectly pressed Wallace Academy school uniform almost punched the air from Ridley’s chest. Wallace Academy, Lumina City’s most prestigious private school, was where Ridley herself had been a student until she’d fled the city after accidentally revealing her magic. She ached inside at the thought of everything she’d lost. The future she would never have. Unless …
Unless we change the world.
Lilah crossed the room, dumped her designer satchel on the floor, and perched on the edge of her bed as she scrolled through something on her commscreen.
Archer first, Ridley told herself. Then we can change the world together.
She slid the closet door open and stepped out. A quiet gasp escaped Lilah as her gaze shot up. Her body tensed briefly, but other than that, she concealed her surprise well. “Ridley,” she said. Without breaking eye contact, she lowered her commscreen to the bed. “What excellent timing you have.”
Ridley wasn’t sure what Lilah meant by that, but since she hadn’t had to wait long for her, and Mr. and Mrs. Davenport weren’t home, Ridley considered it good timing too. “I need help,” she said. “Archer needs help.” Now wasn’t the time to explain all the details of elementals and the Shadow Society. That could come later. First, she needed to secure Lilah’s assistance. “He’s been taken. You have to help me find him. Please.”
Confusion puckered Lilah’s features. Then her gaze turned pitying. “Oh, Ridley,” she said, her tone bordering on patronizing. “I almost feel sorry for you.”
“You—what?”
“I warned you not to throw yourself at my brother’s feet like every other pathetic girl who’s ever pined after him.”
“Um … I don’t you think you did, actually. You told me I was like every other girl who’s ever done that.”
“Right. Sorry. It was already too late for you. Now you’re the has-been while he moves on to the next girl.”
“Lilah, that is not what’s happening right now! He’s gone, and we need to find him.”
“Sure,” Lilah said, slow and sarcastic as she nodded.
“Lilah! This is not a joke. I know we stopped being friends a long time ago. I know I messed up your fancy celebrity party when I used magic—”
“Used magic? You didn’t just use magic, Ridley.”
Ridley’s words caught in her throat before she could get the rest of them out. What had Lilah seen that night? What had she been told? Did she know the magic Ridley had used came from within her own body? Had she seen Ridley vanish, taking Callie with her? Or did she think Ridley was just one more criminal who’d removed her AI2 and pulled magic from the environment?
Ridley’s pulse throbbed. Her fingers twitched. But she managed to hide the tremor in her voice when she said, “What I did that night doesn’t matter right now.”
“Of course it does. It’s the only thing that matters now. Because I—” Lilah’s voice faltered. She cleared her throat, and when she spoke again, her voice was smaller, quieter. “I thought I knew you, Ridley.”
Ridley stared at the girl who’d once been her best friend. Lilah’s fierce, dark gaze swam with something else now. Hurt? Betrayal? Gently, Ridley said, “I’m the same person I’ve always been.”
“Exactly.” Lilah shook her head, inhaling deeply through her nose. “I almost wish I didn’t have to do this.” Then she reached swiftly past the lamp on her nightstand and slammed her palm over a small white button on the wall. Ridley tensed, expecting an alarm to blare out. But in the silence that followed, all she heard was Lilah’s voice: “They’re going to catch you.”
7
Feeling oddly betrayed, Ridley turned and raced from Lilah’s room. Clearly she had never fully grasped just how much Lilah disliked her. Perhaps her hostility had intensified after she’d seen Ridley’s use of magic at one of her parties. The Davenports had always been big supporters of the anti-magic laws. Ridley told herself it wasn’t personal that Lilah hoped the cops would catch her. Still, that didn’t stop it from feeling as personal as if Lilah had physically attacked Ridley herself.
She dove around the corner into the open living space and became air before her human form could hit the floor. The siren wail she’d expected was still absent, but Lilah had clearly alerted someone. Aura Tower security, most likely. That button was probably her hotline to the building’s security control room. Emergency in the penthouse! she imagined someone yelling. Fair Delilah is in trouble! All knights to her rescue!