“You’re afraid for him.” She leaned in very close to Arthur. “And you should be,” she said, as she pushed up her sleeve. “Because perhaps you can withstand pain that would shatter a lesser man—but can your paranormal?”
The streets were eerily quiet as Mrs. Brodigan turned the car on Surf Avenue, only the soft murmur of the ocean in the distance. Rory leaned out of the car to stare as she parked. He’d heard stories of Coney Island, had dreamed of the ocean and summer crowds, the sun hot on his shoulders. Now, in the cold and dark, it was empty, the bright roofs of the carnival booths and food stands muted in the dark, the Wonder Wheel and the new Thunderbolt roller coaster rising like giant wood skeletons above the shorter rides and booths.
Jade glanced at the ring box on the back seat between them, her face conflicted. “It feels crazy to leave a weapon in the car, but considering what it is—”
“I don’t wanna touch it either,” he said immediately. “Let’s give it to Mrs. B.”
Mrs. Brodigan turned to look at them in the back seat. “But don’t you want its magic?”
“I want my sanity more,” Jade admitted.
“I don’t suppose I can argue with that.” Mrs. Brodigan accepted the box from Jade as Rory climbed out of the back seat.
“You’ll wait here?” He put a hand on the driver’s door, by the side mirror. “You’ll be safe?”
Mrs. Brodigan’s eyes softened. “Are you worried about me?”
“Mrs. B.”
She patted his hand. “I’ll be careful if you will.” She leaned out the window. “That goes for you too, dear,” she said to Jade, who’d stepped down from the back seat. “And for the young man who’s apparently hovering around here on something called the astral plane.”
Jade inclined her head in acknowledgment. Rory followed her silent steps through the gate and into the park, trying his hardest to keep his tennis shoes from sounding on the pavement as she led him to huddle behind the closest booth. His skin was covered in goose bumps as the wind sent the booth awnings flapping. The rides seemed unnaturally still, casting eerie shadows across the park.
Zhang shimmered into view beside them a moment later. “They have Ace at the Wonder Wheel.” His expression was troubled. “And they heard our car arrive.”
Rory’s eyes widened. “Ace—”
Jade grabbed his hand. “I know you’re worried, but you must stay back,” she whispered. “You must let Zhang and I handle the rescue. Ellis and Gwen will have a plan—”
A scream was wrenched from Rory’s chest as agony shot through him. He staggered and toppled forward, palms scraping the pavement as he fell. His face contorted as he cried out again in pain, blood burning, like someone had reached right into his core and wrung his soul like a wet rag—
“Rory!”
Jade lunged for him, but Rory was pushing up to his feet, stumbling forward in a half run to the looming Wonder Wheel. This was Arthur’s pain, they had Arthur, they werehurtingArthur—
The pain vanished just as a bigger body slammed into Rory. He went flying across the concrete, smacking the wooden counter of a shooting gallery before crashing to the ground. Before he could stand, there was a boot on his chest and a gun in his face.
A mobster in a suit sneered at him. “Stay down, freak.”
“Get off—” Rory’s words were lost to the shattering of glass and explosion like a bottle rocket. He twisted his head just in time to see a plume of purple smoke erupt at Jade’s and Zhang’s feet.
The smoke billowed unnaturally around them, thicker than fog, not drifting free into the air but wrapping around them like a cobra. Jade clutched at her throat as coughs began to rack her body.
A figure stepped out of the shadows. “Say goodbye, astral walker.”
The soldier in the double-breasted coat. Ellis.
Zhang’s eyes were wide as his astral image began to dissolve along the edge like paint splashed with water.
“Zhang!” Jade rasped, one hand still on her throat, but she reached for him. But her hand passed through only air, and then Zhang was gone. She whirled to look at Ellis. “What have you done?”
“We found a stash of potions in Ace’s jacket. Gwen was real impressed.” Ellis pointed to the smoke still cloaking Jade. “Purple one dispels magic. Useful blue one knocked Ace right out for the trip. And of course, we got something special for later.” He pulled out a small vial full of bright orange liquid, flashing it. “Wouldn’t mind having you tell me where you two got them.”
“Go ahead and ask,” Jade said sweetly, as her eyes blazed. “See how far you get.”
Ellis smiled. “Lucky for us, we don’t need you and Ace to talk. We got your little civilian for that.” He looked at two armed gangsters and jerked his head toward Jade. “Lead cuffs are for her. And don’t fuck around,” he snapped. “She was a spy in the war and she’s telekinetic. The moment her magic returns, she can use her thoughts to strangle you with your own necktie.”
The gangsters exchanged a look.
