Sam
In all her years of working for Grand Central, Sam has never had a reason to go inside the Winged Towers. She’s only ever seen them from the outside. It is the view that most get—a glimpse during a drive, a photo while on a sightseeing expedition, a vista from a helicopter tour. A pair of buildings stylized with touches of art deco ornamentation that harken back to a more luxurious time in Angel City’s past, the towers are lined with gilded rectangles, geometry integrating into the stones from the first to the seventieth floors. On either side of both towers’ entrances is a story-tall plaque of a gold winged lion, jaws open, each facing the glass doors. And on the roof, high above it all, are scalloped ridges reminiscent of the Sydney Opera House, wings straining toward the sky.
Today that sky is painted in streaks of jet, promising the kind of storm that Angel City sees only once a year. By the time Sam arrives in front of the south tower, the downpour has already started in earnest, palm trees bending against the cityscape in the lashing rain.
As Sam emerges from her car and ducks under the umbrella being held out for her by a guard, she spots Will standing under the overhang of the main entrance. He notices her too. His eyes dart away, but he waves his hand at her, gesturing her forward.
“No one at the front entrance,” Will says as she joins him. He nods toward where barricades block a side street as a construction crew fixes the streetlight. “Lumines will be entering from the back. Diamond wants us in the lobby, so Hades has men in the upper floors.” He glances at her. “You’ve taken sand already?”
“Yes,” she replies, looking out at the ominous landscape. A fresh breeze cuts through her coat, whipping her hair back. Her head hurts. She smells the storm on the air, can practically count every drop of rain. She tookmultiple doses of sand this morning, more than she’s ever taken at the same time, and the world seems so sharp to her that she hardly wants to look at it.
He nods. “You’ll need it today.”
Sam’s mind whirls as she follows Will inside. They make their way past the lobby to the main floor, where the space opens into a yawning, cavernous mouth lined with glossy stone, the pillars adorned with art deco lines. She studies the space as they go, trying to imagine how the day will go down. If negotiations with Lumines are successful, they’ll arrange to exchange prisoners tomorrow. By then, Ari needs to be gone, and Edward needs to have the police in position to arrest Diamond at the estate. But a million things could go wrong first. They might move the date of the exchange. Diamond might want it held somewhere else. Ari might be unwell. Will might kill him before the negotiations.
Sam remembers the warmth of Ari’s kiss and shudders. What will happen if she can’t get him freed in time?
She tries not to think about what needs to be done. She hasn’t reached out to Edward since their meeting at the theater, and he hasn’t called her either. They are both operating in the dark today, each hoping the other will follow through, that they will give each other some signal of everything being in position.
But she has no idea when that will come, or what it will look like. There is no guarantee that the police will respond, or whether that response will be adequate. How could it be, without Edward understanding what alchemy is, what they’re up against? All she can do is hope that the young detective heard the weight in her voice; that at the very least, he will take her warning seriously. Had he successfully obtained an arrest warrant for Diamond and Will? Can they act fast enough? And what if Diamond gets wind of the plan before that? Even if she’s taken by surprise, Grand Central will be ready to retaliate with a dark magic that Edward’s team cannot possibly prepare for.
They reach the lobby of the tower, where several other Grand Central crewmen are waiting. One of them looks up as they approach.
“Ah, there he is,” the man says to Will. “I thought Diamond was with you.”
“She’s on her way,” Will replies. “When you see her, let me know.”
“Yes, sir.”
Sam and Will walk past them, then head down a hallway to a lounge,where they settle into a pair of seats. As they go, Sam mentally counts the number of crewmen she just saw inside the building. She knows Sebastian has stationed more in the upper floors, that keeping the main lobby sparse is necessary to keep Lumines from being on edge, but even so, the number here seems low. It sets her on edge, and she tries to shake the feeling that she’s missing something.
“Why is Diamond late?” she asks casually.
“Her meeting ran long,” Will answers. He leans back in the seat, one leg crossed over the other, and starts undoing the winged lion cuff links at his wrists. Sam watches his fingers, long and elegant, as they work.
“You’re anxious,” Will says without looking up at her.
“I’m thinking about the exchange tomorrow,” she replies.
“Worried for your friend?” he asks.
She narrows her eyes, determined to hide the way her heart skipped at his words. “Worried for us.”
“You shouldn’t be.” He finishes undoing his cuff links and rests an elbow on the armrest. “But perhaps we’re talking about different concerns.”
Sam crosses one leg over the other too. “What do you mean?” she asks.
“You tell me.” He studies her calmly. Then he leans forward so that his elbows rest on his knees. His leg is near enough now that he brushes against her, and her senses vibrate once more with the feeling of something being wrong.
“I just want everything to go according to plan, is all,” she says with an annoyed sigh.
“You act differently when you’re thinking about him,” he says. “Did you know that?”
Sam’s heart speeds up at his familiar, searing stare, and she switches the order of her crossed legs to disguise her momentary shiver. “I don’t,” she answers steadily.
“Mm,” he says thoughtfully. “I don’t believe you.”
She can’t tell if the edge in his voice is jealousy or suspicion. Perhaps both. Or perhaps it’s a trap, an invitation for her to say more than she should. It’s difficult for her to tell, with Will, and it puts her in a defensive position that makes her uncomfortable.
