A second later she was standing on a bridge looking across the Thames to Westminster. Big Ben struck the hour, and she counted twelve resonant bongs. The sun seemed stalled in the sky directly above her and, somehow, she knew that it was the longest day of the year.
A wind came up and a dark cloud crossed the sun followed by another and another, until the sky was boiling with black storm clouds swallowing the light. She stepped closer, walking over the strangely empty bridge until she reached the Houses of Parliament. There was only one person there—her father. His hands were stretched out as if he was reaching toward the clouds, or perhaps controlling them. The wind blew hot and dry around them, lifting old pieces of litter and flinging them against the buildings.
Emma froze, sudden fear trickling icily down her back. And then Gordon turned and looked right at her. He frowned and stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. “Emma?”
Her heart beat faster. Her palms grew damp as adrenaline coursed through her. Somehow, though she didn’t understand how it could be possible, he was seeing her through the vision.
“Emma.” Gordon’s voice was clearer. “What the fuck are you doing?”
He knew she was there! Emma stepped back. She had to escape, but she didn’t know how. She turned to run and caught her foot on a paving stone and started to fall. She flung her hands out, desperate to save herself, as the clouds billowed across the earth and swallowed it completely.
“Emma!” Zach’s voice called her, jolting her back into her body.
She blinked and returned to the room. A tight prickle behind her left eye stabbed painfully, and she felt utterly drained, as if something had been pulled out of her. But she’d done it. She’d had a vision.
Zach sank to his haunches in front of her, his face tight with fear and anger as he pulled her freezing hands into his and gripped them tightly. “What happened, Emma, love?”
She swallowed, trying to clear the taste of iron from her mouth. “Gordon is going to be in the Houses of Parliament on the summer solstice. Whatever his plan is, that day is crucial,” Emma explained.
“That’s next week,” Riley whispered.
“There’s more,” Emma confessed, her throat tight. “I think he saw me.”
“Is that possible?” Ethan asked.
“Yes,” Elizabeth replied seriously. “Someone with as much experience as Gordon can feel if they’re being watched. Especially if he’s warded himself. And I saw it too, he definitely knows Emma found him.”
“Okay.” Zach rocked back on his heels. His eyes were wide and dark with concern. “Okay,” he muttered again. “That’s fine. We don’t have to panic. We just have to go somewhere he can’t find you. Kay and David can stop Gordon. We can go straight to Heathrow and pick a plane going anywhere far away.”
“No.” Emma laced her fingers through Zach’s. “You can’t abandon your friends and nor can I. And I’m not going anywhere without you.”
“Everyone will understand,” Zach countered, his voice grim. “You need to stay safe.”
“Nothing is safe, Zach. My father is going to be in Westminster next week! We know he’s in a position to meet with the Prime Minister. He can use blood Shadows to control the most senior people in the country. And I promise you he won’t stop there. He’s been hidden, supported by the Council, warding himself with blood Shadows all this time. We have a chance to find him and stop him.” She looked into Zach’s eyes, trying to make him see. “I can help you.”
Zach shook his head roughly. “This is not your responsibility.”
He was right. But he was also wrong. Elizabeth had tried forcing a vision. David and the Guardians had tried to find Gordon. All of them had failed. But Zach had come to findher, and now she knew what she had to do. She’d had that vision for a reason. “Maybe not. But I’m the only one who can do it. My father will look for me now. We can use that.”
Another thought occurred to her. “Riley has Gordon’s phone number. I could call him. Maybe I can find out where he’s staying or even learn more about what he plans. He won’t answer for anyone else, but for me….” Gordon would answer. She knew it. However little he thought of her, there was no way he would leave his own daughter out in the world embarrassing him. Especially not after seeing her in the vision.
“She’s right, Zach,” Kay agreed from the doorway.
Zach turned to glare at Kay, his grip on Emma’s hands so tight it hurt. “Stay out of this.”
Emma leaned forward. “I know this isn’t ideal. But I can—”
Zach’s face was dark with suppressed emotion. “You can’t.”
“I know I’m not a Guardian like you and Kay, but—”
“God, Emma.” Zach pushed himself to stand, dropping her hands so that he could fold his arms over his chest. “It’s not about being a Guardian.” His frown was deep and stark. “You just don’t have the experience. Yesterday, I drew a Shadow sword and James held a pair of shuriken, but you stood between us without even noticing.”
What?“You drew a sword?”
Zach waved her question away. “That’s not the point. The point is that you’ve never been part of this world, and it’s dangerous.”
You’ve never been part of this world.
