Duncan shrugs, then pushes up the sleeves of his too-big brown blazer. “If you try to delete a massive power source, the server crashes. The energy has to go somewhere or it just explodes in your face. Total wipeout.”
“So I’m not 'killing' her dark energy?” I ask, but I think I already know the answer.
“No. You’re displacing it, kicking it out of its house. So you need somewhere for the energy to go. In the game, you prepare a ‘sink’—a vessel to contain the extracted power so it doesn't just re-infect the nearest person.”
“Then what’s going to be our ‘sink’?”
After a beat, Alexis responds. “Amirene told us to send it into the void, that’s the ultimate sink. But the archives I need to understand what the Void is, and where, are missing.”
“I thought you were all-knowing, big bird.” Donovan glares at Alexis like all this is his fault. “Can’t you find a book to tell you?”
“What do you think I just said? What I need is no longer in the library. Gods, I’m trying. I’m trying and I’m fucking failing.”
He runs his hands through his hair and looks more distraught than I’ve ever seen him. Max walks over to his cousin, and pulls him into a hug. “You’ll figure it out. You always do.”
I hope Max is right. But if not? “Worse comes to worse, I’ll just absorb it myself.”
I’m not surprised by the new chorus of disapproval that meets that idea. “Look, guys, this is happening. All I need is the time and space to have flesh on flesh contact with Janine for a while. So what is the excuse to have me touch her revolting flesh?”
“That’s easy,” Cosmo says, sliding his hands into his pockets. “I’ll tell her that you’re acting a little strange. Maybe I see a shadowbehind your eyes or some such bullshit. She’ll want to check you over herself, no doubt about it.”
“That could work,” I say, thinking it over.
“I hate this plan,” Donovan groans. “Hate with a capital Hay.”
Willow reaches out and squeezes my hand. "I'll support whatever you decide, Theo.”
—I do not support this…I will be here, away from you…unable to help…don’t do this, Nymph—
“I have to, Lu. What choice do we have? I’m on the chopping block in a week anyway. I’d rather die trying to stop them, than die enabling more dark energy flow into those bastards.”
Donovan comes over and picks me up into his arms. “No. More. Talk. Of. Dying.” He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “Seriously, Tee. I can’t take it. You know I’m going to gallop you out of there if things go sideways.”
Leaning my head against his chest, I let a little Lumina calm him. “I know you think this is insane, and potential suicide mission, but you’ve got to believe in me. Believe in Amirene. She told me to follow my instinct, right? Well that is exactly what I’m doing.”
“I agree,” Cosmo says. I turn, surprised, and look at my previous tormentor. “We have no idea how powerful Theodora really is. I think when her true power is unleashed she’ll be unstoppable.”
He looks at me steadily, and all I see in his eyes is a true belief in what he’s saying.
“Thank you for the support, Cosmo. I appreciate it.”
He takes a step closer. “I vow to always support you, Theodora.” His voice is low and packed full with sincerity. “I understand my word means nothing to you, but I promise I will doeverythingwithin my power to help you, to protect you. And I’m forever sorry about the way I treated you before. Fuck, Theodora. I know I’m the ultimate asshole," he says, his voice low and raw. “My behavior has been unforgivable, so there is no reason to forgiveme. But, I just want you to know I realize what an elitist prick I am. I’m not the same person I was last year. Or even last month.”
There is a truthfulness in his words that is impossible to ignore.
I give him a nod and suddenly feel overwhelmed with a new sensation.
Calm.
“Put me down, Dono.”
Once out of Donovan’s arms, I step toward Cosmo and hold out my hand. An amused, bittersweet smile forms on his face as he reaches out.
As our palms meet, a chill runs through my body. High-speed flashes of every moment he spent tormenting me strobe in my brain. I can almost feel the phantom weight of the sigil he’d burned into my neck.
So much pain. He put me through too much.
My instincts scream at me to pull away, to hide my hand in my pockets where it's safe. But I don't
