Of course, maybe he already had. Thorn, Omen, and the others had torn through quite a few last night.
We had to crash their party before they got the chance to find out about our latest plans. The Company had eyes and ears in too many places—nothing we did seemed to stay secret for long. The only times we’d really turned the tables on them was when we’d acted on our information right away.
I just wished this plan didn’t depend so much on my powers kicking in when they should. Or on keeping those powers secret even from our new allies.
Omen had pulled me aside after we’d finished settling our strategy, in which he’d claimed responsibility for setting a few things alight once we were at the Bane property.
“You know which parts you were meant to handle,” he’d said in a dark undertone. “Stick to the original plan on that count—I’ll be with Thorn focusing on cutting down as many of the guards as we can. But don’t let Rex or his lackeys see you at it if you can help it. Easier for us to keep you as our ace up our sleeve if word doesn’t get out too widely.”
I already didn’t love the way Rex tended to eye me as if speculating how he’d carve me up into steaks given the opportunity. Keeping any additional attention off me sounded just dandy.
I would hold my own tonight—I’d be more an asset than a liability, even if some of the help I offered went under most of our allies’ radar. If we lost anyone else tonight because of my actions or my mortal limitations…
My jaw tightened. No, I wasn’t even going to think that far. It wouldn’t happen. I wouldn’t let it.
To begin with, our main trick would be creating small enough diversions that the shadowkind could pick off one or two guards at a time without them realizing they were under attack. We’d rather no one clued in that an assault was underway until we’d reduced their numbers already. If we could make it all the way to wherever the Company was keeping its imprisoned shadowkind, even better—but I didn’t expect our luck would stretch that far.
The shadowkind could pull off a hell of a lot of their own, but they were going to need me to open those silver-and-iron cages, and I couldn’t waltz in through the shadows unseen. Without Snap to taste the locks, I wasn’t even sure how long it’d take me to break into whatever cages the captives were currently being held in. We might have to rely on Ruse charming an employee who happened to know the entry codes or Rex’s techie guy to find the details in the computer system.
So, yeah, the more of our opposition we picked off ahead of time, the better for all of us. Particularly, for me making it out of this alive and without taking anyone else down with me.
A light flickered on and off around the back of the Bane property. I tensed on my perch. That was my cue. I was supposed to wait ten seconds.
As I counted, I sang under my breath to bolster my nerve. “We’ll laugh and flare, woo-oah, giving them a scare.”
Holy mother of margaritas, did I wish I had Snap’s upbeat presence by my side now. If these assholes had caught him in their nets and hurt him in any way… I’d happily join the shadowkind in the bloodier part of this rampage.
That thought sent a little spurt of adrenaline through me, just enough to kick my pulse up a notch—and to fuel my inner flames. With the narrowing of my eyes, I flung the energy out toward the electrical wire that cut across the sky from a nearby post.
Sparks leapt from the cable. Then a lick of fire spurted up, sizzling over the rubbery coating.
Shouts volleyed across the lawn. Some of the security force had noticed. My heart thumped even faster as I aimed my attention at the post itself. Another flame flickered into being where the cables hooked onto it.
Just a little electrical issue threatening to cut off the entire property’s power. Wouldn’t want to have to explain to the big man how they’d let that happen.
Someone was talking into a phone in urgent tones, and a few of the guards approached the front gate. That was right—just walk on out past the wall like it’s an ordinary night, just a little hassle with the utilities…
The gate’s metal bars clanged shut behind them, and my perked ears caught the faintest grunt as a couple of the shadowkind must have toppled that bunch. I didn’t have time to waste on wondering how the skirmish was playing out or how horribly my allies might be eviscerating the Company dudes right now. My gaze darted across the grounds to the trees closest to the utility post.
A little smoldering here, a little flare of heat there. At least, that’s what I wanted to happen. The branches stayed dark and unburnt as ever.
Come on, come on. I gritted my teeth and thought again of Snap—of Snap on one of those metal tables where the Company did their experiments, pinned with silver and iron bindings so he was in too much distress to be able to shed his physical form, his body pierced with scalpels and needles and whatever other horrors these people inflected on their prisoners—
Flames darted across a few twigs at the top of the trees, as if they’d leapt from somewhere along the burning cable. I willed them higher until another round of shouts rang out.
A few more guards headed out through the gate to their doom, and a handful more hustled into the stand of trees near the northern wall by me, where monsters lurked in the darkness.
The distraction part of the plan wasn’t all on me. A motor growled, and footsteps thumped around the back of the yard too, where Ruse would have activated the ride-on lawnmower. On the far side of the mansion, a few of the gang members would be standing on the other side of the wall hooting with laughter and smashing bottles against the stones like drunken hooligans.
How many of the guards had we drawn away between all our efforts? I edged farther along my oak branch, readying myself to spring onto the top of the wall and then down when I got a signal that the coast was clear.
Hardly any guards were in sight now. The two I could see striding across the lawn to check on their colleagues toppled abruptly under the impact of two burly shadowkind who burst from the shadows. Silver and iron might protect these people from shadowkind voodoo, but it couldn’t do anything to stop those fists from smashing their skulls in.
A molten orange glow streaked across the grass toward the building’s side door—Omen, making himself visible in hellhound form just long enough for me to see him. We were heading inside. Time for the hard part.
I threw myself onto the wall and then landed with a thump on the grass just inside the property. A voice started to bellow in alarm, but the sound was cut off with a bloody gurgle. Fickle fates willing, no one up at the house had taken note of that first sound the guard had barely managed to get out.
The grass whispered under my sneakers as I darted across the lawn. The side door swung open, its lock released, just as I reached it. Quieting my rasping breath, I ducked into the hall on the other side.
Thorn solidified completely just long enough to give me a nod and an encouraging squeeze of my arm. We’ll be right there with you, he’d said when we’d discussed this phase of the mission, and the same sentiment was etched all over his face.
Here I was, the most essential piece in the plan and also the most breakable.
The shadowkind intruders had already gotten to work on clearing my way. I darted past a body slumped against the wall, her gut gouged open beneath her metal vest, and pushed through the doorway ahead of me.