Page 142 of Twist of Fate

Wind swept into the stairwell, cold and sharp with the scent of smoke. The rooftop spread beyond the threshold, crowded with ventilation housings, industrial piping, and equipment Connal could not identify.

One structure stood near the center of the roof. Metal cabinets and angled panels surrounded a raised platform crowded with antennae. Thick cables ran from it to a separate bank of equipment humming beneath bright security lights.

“The receiver?” Connal asked, gesturing with his head.

Luke nodded.

A second structure waited near the far edge of the building, unmistakably magical. Black supports formed an arch taller than any man, filled with restless green-black power. The darkness inside it moved like smoke trapped beneath glass, pulling toward a single object mounted at the base.

Connal’s wrist burned hotter.

The two structures were not connected. No cables ran between them, and the magic gathering around the arch did not touch the receiver. They were separate systems, and the forces surrounding them were divided as well.

A man in a torn, smoke-stained suit stood near the receiver, surrounded by three armed guards. A translucent barrier curved around them and the equipment, flashing each time magic struck its surface.

Across from them, masked warriors in black spread between the receiver and the gate. Connal recognized their clothing from the enemies they had fought below. Their leader stood closest to the arch, directing the others with precise movements.

Scorch marks scarred the rooftop between the two groups. The battle had already begun, but neither side had gained control.

On the opposite side of the roof, Asterius crouched behind a ventilation housing. Tyson had returned to his human form and knelt beside him. Asterius caught Connal’s gaze and pointed first toward the receiver, then toward the dark gate.

A warning: there were two threats here.

Luke leaned close enough to see through the opening. His expression hardened when he spotted the man inside the barrier.

“That’s Hale’s buyer. I didn’t think he’d survived the attack in the office.”

“The masked warriors?” Connal asked.

“They’re the ones who attacked him.” Luke watched the two groups through the opening. “They came through the windows before the buyer arrived, but the second he entered the office, they turned on him.”

“Then followed you below.”

“Some of them did. The others must have kept the buyer occupied while the basement team came after Hale and the system.”

A burst of magic struck the barrier surrounding the receiver. Light flashed across the rooftop, illuminating the buyer’s face as the impact drove him back a step. One of his guards returned fire, forcing the masked warriors to scatter behind the ventilation units.

Zer moved closer to the door. “The gate belongs to the masked ones.”

“Yes,” Connal said. The burning beneath his sigil intensified whenever the black-green power shifted. “And it carries the Queen’s touch.”

Luke’s gaze moved from the gate to the receiver. “This started with the drive.”

Connal looked at him.

“The attack at the drop,” Luke continued. “They knew what Hale was selling and tried to take the demonstration before it reached the buyer. If they’d succeeded, they could have disrupted the sale without exposing themselves.”

“But you escaped with it,” Keir said.

“So they escalated.” Luke’s expression hardened. “They attacked the meeting, killed Hale, checked the servers, and came up here to finish the job.”

“They seek to destroy the system,” Connal said.

“Every part of it. The buyer wants to own the tracker. The masked team needs it erased.” Luke glanced toward the leader standing beside the gate. “Hale got caught between two enemies.”

The masked leader touched two fingers to a dark stone at his throat. Green-black light pulsed beneath his hand, and his head tilted as though he were listening to a voice no one else could hear. A moment later, he inclined his head and signaled two of his warriors toward the receiver.

“He’s reporting to someone,” Luke said.