Page 63 of Wrong Squad, Right Mess

That seemed to make the difference, with the woman standing up a little taller. She turned her gaze to the side, but when her lips moved, I couldn’t catch the words anymore. Was that her way of having a private conversation with the others?

I focused instead on the space around her, on trying to make sense of the world she stood in. It was bright, bathed in sunlight, and seemed like an exterior meeting space.

Stones and crystals created pillars behind them, and the ground appeared to be made of cobblestones, but the light that poured in suggested there was no roof above them. Just beyond where they stood, a few trees reached up high enough that I couldn’t see the tops, but the twisting trunks were obviously similar to the ones inside dungeons.

I recalled what Corsa had said, that the dungeons were mirrors of both our worlds. The monsters we fought seemed the same—always close to our animals but mixed with something else, grotesque mockeries of what I knew.

The woman folded her hands behind her, the action making her chest press out, the stance of someone used to telling others what to do. “Very well. You are right that we have hoped for such an occurrence for many years, for the chance to truly understand our foes. I find this an acceptable usage.”

Corsa nodded, though his expression said he’d never expected her to refuse. “They’re all of the highest rank, so I will warn you that they are quite dangerous.”

The woman narrowed her eyes, the purple on her skin glowing brighter and moving faster, like the tail of an agitated cat. “Believe me, you do not need to impress the dangers of your kind on us. While you have somehow managed to retain some semblance of sanity, I expect nothing but violence from those who come from your world.”

Her tone held a fair bit of animosity. It made me wonder what exactly had happened to her, to them all, that would cause that reaction. No one hated that deeply without reason—fair or not.

Then again, what was my feeling about monsters? About dungeons? Even the idea that these people were somehow at fault for all that death and violence made me hate them a bit as well.

She stepped through the space until she stood on our side, the other two following suit. She moved forward, walking with the sort of confidence reserved for warriors, for those who feared little. She stopped just before the barrier, making me wonder if she sensed the energy, as I did with corruption.

Her gaze shifted over each of us, slow, as though studying animals rather than people. When she reached me, however, when I didn’t shy away, meeting her gaze head-on, not flinching away in the least, pain seared through my temples.

The blast of energy felt like a power washer, striking me with enough force that I nearly took a step backward. Was she a mentalist? Maybe. I couldn’t tell. All I knew for sure was that she was powerful.

“Monster,” she whispered, mirroring my thoughts about her exactly.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Yun

The energy that teased my senses was different. It was like only having drunk fresh water my whole life, then taking a big gulp of saltwater. It clung to my throat, thick and strange and choking.

It drew me back toward the heart, toward the cabin. I’d ventured out, maybe a hundred feet at most, searching for anything useful. I had no idea where Corsa had placed their gear, where he kept anything, and I’d explored to try to find something that could help.

If I found a weapon of some sort, I could use it against him, right? Or perhaps just a large enough rock or fallen log I could use to hit a crystal? Maybe that would short out the barrier?

I hadn’t had better options, which had sent me here searching, at least until that rush of power distracted me.

It wasn’t hard, didn’t feel like when one of the tears opened. Instead, it was soft, almost coaxing. It drew me back, because no matter how strange or gentle the energy was, I had no idea what it might mean.

The men were trapped, and I was the only one able to protect them. It almost made me laugh, because I doubted I’d ever run toward danger at any other time. It just wasn’t in my nature, not after my trauma, but I’d done it again and again for them.

It wasn’t one-sided, though. The men had proven their own devotion—like when they’d followed me here. I still wasn’t happy about it, but I knew without a doubt that I wasn’t in this all alone.

I burst into the clearing before anyone noticed me.

And I did mean anyone. Corsa was standing there, giving me that sickening feeling again, but he wasn’t alone. Three people I didn’t recognize were there as well—two women and a man.

Were they espers?

No, if they were, they would have attacked Corsa already. I couldn’t imagine any Guild esper seeing a corrupted and doing nothing about it. Even those who’d targeted Carter, the ones working for command, wouldn’t just let a corrupted go without concern.

At the end of the day, even if espers fought amongst themselves, they had a shared enemy in the corrupted.

I didn’t rush into the center, choosing to watch instead, the small log I’d found in my hand. It wasn’t much, but it was all I had.

“How will you transport them?” Corsa asked. “They, especially as a group, are extremely dangerous. The barrier—”

“Is our technology, not yours. You do not need to explain to us how it works. You are nothing but creatures who have stolen energy from us. I assure you, we are more than capable of handling them. You are merely thieves of this power—it comes from us.”