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Yulz thrashed in the net as the arcane bindings weakened. Cursing, I dragged my attention from Dekkak then unanchored the bindings and speed-chanted the dismissal. With a flash of blinding light and a ripping crack, Yulz was gone.
A circle of magenta and orange light the size of a manhole appeared on the ground before Dekkak. I twitched in shock. It was a rift. A perfectly circular rift that was expanding by the second. Sh
e wasn’t flying to get Elinor like I’d assumed she would do. She was taking a shortcut through an arcane sinkhole.
I yanked my phone off my belt, found the number I needed and hit the call button.
A cool female voice answered. “DIRT HQ. How may I—”
“This is A.C. Kara Gillian,” I interrupted, then rattled off my security code. “A rift is about to open in Beaulac, Louisiana. Best estimate is near the Post Office on Harper street. All non-essential personnel in a one mile radius need to be evacuated, on my authority, and yes, I’m aware that radius includes Fed Central. This is a confirmed event. Do not waste time sending this up and down channels.”
“Yes, ma’am,” she replied, completely unruffled. In the background I heard lightning fast typing. “Your security code has been accepted. I’m transmitting the order for an evacuation of all non-essential personnel within a one-mile radius of the Harper Street Post Office in Beaulac, Louisiana, including the Federal Joint Agency Command Center. Do you also wish to order a patient evacuation from the medical facility there?”
“No, there’s not enough time,” I said, concentrating on keeping my voice even. “They’ll be safer and more secure where they are.” I mentally crossed fingers and toes that everyone else would feel the same way.
“Of course, ma’am. Are you able to provide an estimated time frame and/or intensity of the predicted rift?”
I cast a worried glance at Dekkak and the widening sinkhole-rift. The original version of my plan had Dekkak flying to Fed Central, giving me a cushion of at least twenty minutes for people to evacuate. “Time frame is very soon. Within the next couple of minutes.” How many people would be able to get out in such a short amount of time? “Estimated rift size is less than fifty feet with moderate intensity.” I held off specifying that was the diameter, since I had no idea what it would be like at the other end.
“Thank you, ma’am. I’m forwarding that now. Do you have any further information?”
I rubbed my eyes. “No, that’s all I could get.”
Dekkak bellowed and dove into the sinkhole-rift with Slugthing and the swarm right behind her.
“Yes, ma’am. Is there anything else I can do for you at this time?”
Find a way for me to protect everyone? “No, you’ve been very helpful.”
I half expected her to wish me a nice day, but she merely thanked me again and disconnected.
Gut twisting, I shoved the phone back into its holder. People were going to get hurt or killed, and it would be on my head. I could stand here and justify it until the cows came home, but it wouldn’t change a thing.
“I need to see the DIRT crisis feed,” I said. My voice sounded weird and hoarse to my ears. “I need to know what’s going on.” I need the casualty reports.
“I’ll get the tablet,” Tandon said and sprinted for the house.
Medic Nils Engen ran up and expertly bound my cut palm in a pressure wrap of gauze, instructing me to keep my fingers closed over the bandage until I could get stitches.
As soon as Engen finished, Pellini put a hand on my arm. I let out a shaky breath. “I know what you’re going to say,” I said. “You’ll tell me it had to be done, that we exhausted all other options. Maybe even something about how this will save far more lives in the long run.”
“Yeah, but my version would’ve been a lot more eloquent and heartwarming,” Pellini said then surprised me by pulling me into a hug.
“I’m going to start crying,” I choked out even as I clung to him. “I can’t start crying during a summoning and with all these demons watching.”
“Would you please shut the fuck up,” he murmured then held me close while I bawled. Thankfully, my uncontrollable sobbing subsided within half a minute—like lancing a boil and getting that first big spurt of pus, leaving the rest free to drain more gradually. I went still and let him hold me, let him be tough for me in this brief moment.
Because it was about to get a lot worse. I pulled away from him then stepped to the center of the nexus. “I need everyone to listen to me,” I said, voice quavering. Damn it. I took a deep breath. “Only a few people here know just how vital this summoning was, or why we all risked our lives in a bid to rescue one woman. Yet even without knowing the details, every single one of you performed so far above and beyond the call of duty it defies measurement.” I paused, tightening my hands to keep the trembling at bay. “I can tell you now that if we’d failed to get Elinor away from the one who held her, Earth would face certain obliteration.” Fuck. Fuck. Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck. “Dekkak is getting her right now. For a price. I’m paying part of it . . . but for the rest, she wants a hostage: one human to return with her to the demon realm until I fulfill my part of the bargain.” I held up a hand as everyone drew breath to speak. “I have her vow that the hostage will be treated as a guest and won’t be subject to the kind of treatment Seretis endures. But . . . that’s all I know, and that still leaves a lot of room for a less than pleasant stay.” I swallowed. “However, if I don’t uphold my end of the bargain, Dekkak will effectively own the hostage. Needless to say, I absolutely will not order anyone to do this.”
“I volunteer,” Bryce said instantly, chin up and expression fierce. “I’ll go be Dekkak’s hostage.”
My shoulders slumped. Of course Bryce would volunteer. That was the kind of guy he was. “No,” I said, wincing as he tensed. “I’m sorry, Bryce, but you’re needed here.” He drew breath to protest, and I added, “Seretis needs you here.”
“Goddammit, Kara,” he growled. “You don’t get to decide what’s best for him. I should be there—” He broke off, staggering from Suarez’s friendly slap on the back.
Suarez grabbed his shoulder to steady him. “Beggin’ your pardon, sir, but you’re kinda full of shit.” As Bryce goggled at him, Suarez gave him a nice, affable smile. “Your buddy Sary-tess needs you safe and sound so he don’t have t’worry ’bout you. And this place needs you to stay here ’cause you take care of everything and everyone. And Miss Kara needs you so she don’t have to fret ’bout security.” He paused. An instant later Bryce’s face went white as Suarez’s hand tightened on his shoulder. “But most of all, Miss Jill needs you.” His face remained congenial, but his eyes held reproach. “Which means you can’t be runnin’ off havin’ all the fun.” He released his grip then turned to me. “I volunteer, Miss Kara. I ain’t got no family to miss me other than everyone here, and it’d be an honor to represent y’all in the demon world.”
It took me a few seconds to find my voice. “Are you absolutely sure?”
