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She was about to bring the blade down on Casimir’s exposed neck when she realized that the shields around the Las Vegas arena had disappeared. Marguerite shrieked at her from the distance of the Superstitions.
She held the bloodied sword in her hand and Jean-Pierre’s mind flowed over hers. I can feel it as well. Marguerite is shouting for you, crying out for you, for us to stop the killing. What does it mean?
Fiona extended the thread of her telepathy swiftly through nether-space until she touched Marguerite’s mind.
I’m here. Jean-Pierre is with me.
You have less than two minutes, Marguerite cried. And Casimir must live. There is something he will do in the future that must be done. But right now Greaves intends for Casimir and for all the High Administrators in the theater to die. Explosives have been set throughout the building. I’ve seen all this in the future streams, so go, fold everyone out of the building.
At that moment Jean-Pierre separated from Fiona, pulling back, folding the sword from her hand.
He was off the table now and moved to stand over Casimir.
“Casimir, you must leave,” he said. “A very powerful Seer has prophesied that you must live, that you have a role in the future to play. We are trusting this Seer to be right, so leave. Go.”
Casimir stared up at him. “Greaves will be here soon. I summoned him.”
Fiona shook her head. “No, Casimir. He will not. His intention is for you to die, for all of us, in an explosion. We only have a minute to change all of this. So do as Jean-Pierre has said. Fold.”
Casimir frowned, his brow heavy over his dark eyes. He didn’t lift a hand or an arm. She didn’t think he could. But suddenly he was gone.
She turned to Jean-Pierre. “I think I know how we can do this.”
“I do not think I have the capacity to fold all these people out of here, all the performers, the animals. I am so sorry, but I know I do not.”
She smiled. “But I know someone who does.”
At that, he smiled as well. “Of course.”
With the shield around the building gone, she sent her telepathic thread streaking in the direction of the McDowell Mountains, to the white rotundas of Endelle’s palace.
She found Endelle in a split-self configuration, as the ruler of Second Earth hunted Greaves through the darkening.
Sorry to intrude, she sent. She could feel the disruption of the hunt and Endelle’s quick rage.
Fiona, what the f**k are you doing here and how the hell did you break through my security shields? Shit, I’m f**king dizzy. Don’t ever—
We have an emergency in Las Vegas. I need you here in about five seconds or half your High Administrators and their significant others will be vaporized at Dark Spectacle.
A very slight pause, then, Why the f**k didn’t you say so?
A moment later Endelle materialized right next to Fiona. She wore a long purple linen gown, which apparently she used while doing her darkening work. Of course the movement of air caused Jean-Pierre to crouch and draw his sword into his hand once more. At the sight of him, Endelle looked him up and down. “That’s a different take on a tux, just the pants. I like it.”
Fiona didn’t try to admonish Endelle. Instead, she just slid next to her mentally, shoulder-to-shoulder, hip-to-hip. Endelle’s vibration was so extraordinary, so powerful, that Fiona knew this would be the work of a second or two.
When she felt Endelle’s awareness of her, she explained about Marguerite’s warning and their current task. Take possession of me. Now.
Just like that?
Yes. Now. Do it so we can fold about twenty thousand people and a few hundred animals out of this place.
I don’t think I have that much power.
Fiona felt joy as she sent, But together, we do. Trust me.
As Fiona let all her restraint go, as she lowered her mental shields, as she gave herself to the possession of the toughest bitch on Second Earth, she felt obsidian flame lock into place.
Endelle, bless her, didn’t hesitate or question or argue. She simply took charge and the ride began. She grabbed Fiona’s hand and folded her to the large central platform in the center of the arena. Fiona lifted her free arm, Endelle lifted hers. Just as a rumbling began, as the explosion erupted, the gold rush of power flowed through her, combined with Endelle’s Third ability. Together they captured everyone, and all the animals, in the immediate vicinity. As one, they folded the crowd to the desert at the foot of the palace.
Hundreds of swans, geese, and ducks, disoriented by the sudden fold, took to the air, their trainers shortly afterward mounting their wings and taking off as well.
Fiona remained in her possessed state with Endelle, no longer afraid of joining her spirit to the power of another. She felt strangely free, the exact opposite of what she had expected. Instead of oppression, her heart felt light, her spirit buoyant as new possibilities opened themselves up to her. Could she make a difference in the war?
Everyone she knew asked that question. How can I make a difference in the war? How many times had she heard Jean-Pierre express this as the deepest wish of his heart? What if together they could make a difference? How tremendous would that be?
What next? Endelle sent.
I don’t know. Address the crowd? Fill them in?
What am I supposed to tell them?
Fiona took a moment to replay the Dark Spectacle event for Endelle, up to the point when Casimir put the entire audience in stasis. None of the High Administrators knows what really happened.
Okay. I get it now. Stasis … wow, that bastard has power. You should have killed him.
Marguerite was adamant and I trust her.
Fine. Whatever. I’ll take over from here.
Fiona separated from Endelle. The ruler of Second Earth looked down at her purple gown and clucked her tongue. She waved her hand and changed into a new ensemble.
“Oh, no,” Fiona murmured before she could catch herself.
Endelle grinned. “You no like?”
Fiona just stared at her, incredulous. She wore strange orange-feathered capri pants and a black leather bustier cut really low. Once more, she sported stilettos.
Fiona opened her mouth, then closed it.
There simply were no words.
But Endelle chucked her chin and whispered, “You need to have more fun.” Then she whirled into the air, levitating higher and higher until she could address the crowd in front of her.
Fiona was not surprised at the number of gasps that filled the air, and not because Endelle was levitating.
She began speaking of the event, of what had so recently been avoided. She had an excellent, strong voice as a public speaker and even used her arms expressively. There actually were times when she could function in her role. Sort of.
