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Parisa faltered and her window wavered, a preternatural form of stumbling. Greaves was attacking? The South Rim was at the Grand Canyon. He was bringing an army to Arizona to attack Endelle’s forces? She wasn’t sure, but she thought her situation may have just gotten worse.
Oh, whatever.
And here she was with one of their best warriors locked up behind an impenetrable field.
Parisa moved her window close to Madame Endelle.
Hey, boss lady, she sent. She wasn’t about to try for subtlety. Parisa here. Are you registering this telepathy?
Endelle turned to face her off her left shoulder. She stared straight into Parisa’s window and in that moment the Supreme High Administrator opened her own voyeur’s window and met her face to face. It was the weirdest sensation, like two lap-tops facing each other.
Well, what do you know. She’d done it.
Endelle turned to the warriors. “I’ve got Parisa in my voyeur window. Hang tight, men.”
Parisa heard the shouting and whoops of excitement behind Endelle, but Her Supremeness called out, “Shut the f**k up! Let me talk to her.” She turned back to Parisa, Okay, so where the hell are you, ascender?
Trapped in some kind of temple beneath an energy field. Antony is with me trapped under a separate field.
I’m going to pan back. Don’t f**king move.
Endelle did just as she said. Parisa watched her window move away from her.
It’s pitch black, the Supreme High Administrator shouted, which of course was like knives through Parisa’s head, but hey, she’d made contact. Endelle could shout all she wanted. I can’t see a f**king thing.
No shit, Parisa responded. Can you get a fix on me, on Antony? Can you fold us the hell out of here?
Endelle closed her eyes but after a moment opened them. No can do.
Can you tell me how to get out of these fields then?
Endelle shook her head. Not my power. Let me bring Alison in. “Kerrick,” she called out. “Get Alison over here, on the double.”
“You got it.”
Parisa panned back and watched Kerrick whip his phone to his ear. She looked from one warrior to the next. They looked wrecked, stunned, and a little confused probably because she’d made contact and because, oh, yeah, Greaves was planning what sounded like a major offensive at the Grand Canyon. She also recognized Colonel Seriffe, head of the Militia Warriors.
Thorne drew a little closer. “What the hell is going on, Endelle?”
“Parisa and Medichi are trapped somewhere beneath energy fields, the kind Alison created in the arena battle. So, yeah, they’re alive.” More shouting went up, quieter, but Endelle scowled at her warriors. “Celebrate later. We’re in trouble here. Energy fields. Got it?”
The boys settled down.
Parisa saw a shimmering beside Endelle, then Alison came into view. A few seconds of explanation and Endelle put her hand on Alison’s forehead, which allowed the powerful ascender to see Parisa, window-to-window. She made eye contact with Parisa.
An energy field? Alison sent.
Yep. I’m flat on the floor. I can’t even lift my arms up. How do I get out of this? I haven’t tried to work with energy fields before but I thought maybe since I could throw a hand-blast and dematerialize …
Right, Alison sent. She took a deep breath. The first time I erected a field, I just thought the thought. And you’re right, it’s not unlike folding or throwing a hand-blast, just another aspect of power.
This wasn’t very helpful. Alison looked behind her. Parisa panned back to see what Alison was seeing. The warriors were talking.
Oh, dear God, Alison murmured inside Parisa’s head.
What? What’s going on?
Have you heard this stuff about Greaves and his army?
Yes, that he’s gathering his troops at the Grand Canyon.
He’s challenged Endelle to a battle. Thorne just said that Stannett checked in earlier and said unless there was some kind of miracle, she’d lose today.
Parisa’s heart sank. She needed her own miracle to stay alive and to keep Antony alive, but she needed to let Endelle and Alison go right now so that they could work on this much bigger issue. She searched through her mind and had a thought. Alison, I know you need to leave, but is there a chance you could download your “field” abilities straight into my head? I can take it. I know I can because I’ve had Endelle in my head and Antony as well. Will you do that for me?
Alison turned back to look at her.
Endelle butted in. Of course she’ll do it but hurry the f**k up. Get yourself out of that hellhole and would you please f**king complete the breh-hedden?
Alison didn’t miss a beat. Ignore her, Parisa. Just take your situation one step at a time, okay? Are you ready?
Yes. Do it.
The images of the arena battle from seven months ago began to flow through Parisa’s mind. She knew enough about taking someone else’s memories to keep her shields down. She saw the battle with Leto in an instant replay: the cutting off of his arm, the reversal of the time-pocket, Leto’s counterattack, then Alison erecting the energy field, effectively trapping the warrior on the black mats of the battle zone.
It was over in seconds.
Parisa blinked into the pitch black for one, two, three seconds. She smiled. Thanks, Alison. I think I’ve got it. Tell the warriors I’ll do my best to bring Antony home.
You go, girl.
Parisa closed her voyeur’s window.
You go, girl. Was there a sweeter, more sisterly thing Alison could have said?
Parisa closed her eyes and let Alison’s memories flow once more, feeling exactly how Alison had built the field. But could it be done in reverse and with someone else’s energy creation?
She turned her hand palm up and held her hand against the field. Removing a field meant taking the energy in, not releasing it. But it was Rith’s energy. Could you take someone else’s energy into your body?
She almost thought the thought, but held back. Maybe some sort of “ground” would help. She planted the fingertips of her left hand onto the terra-cotta bricks next to her just in case the energy needed someplace else to go.
She thought the thought and as though she’d opened a valve, the energy started flowing into her hand in a terrible numbing sensation. Just as she’d expected, it traveled up her arm, across her shoulder, her chest, to her opposite shoulder, down her left arm, and began to flow through her fingertips and into the bricks.
It took only a matter of seconds but by the time she was done she was panting and her chest hurt. Too much energy, too soon after being brought back to life with those f**king defibrillator paddles.
