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“Teddy, you know this isn’t a fireworks display, right? I’m going to be channeling lightning through my body. It’s not special effects.”
“Of course.” He still sounded a little unsure.
“Then just trust me when I tell you you don’t need to do any planning. It’s going to be a good show.”
He set his clipboard on his lap and scratched his auburn beard. “Respectfully, Ms. Corentine, you have your way of pleasing the gods, and I have mine. Mine involves getting ratings so high your temple won’t be able to handle the number of tithe calls they receive. My way will have you on the front page of every newspaper in the Western world tomorrow morning. We do things my way, because my way is what works.”
“Equal respect, Teddy, but whatever happens out there tonight, I’m the one who makes it happen.”
Fat chance I was going to let this kid take any credit for my work. I would have to endure agony in order to put on the kind of show I knew Seth wanted. And my pain might be Teddy’s gain, but I could do without the condescending pep talk.
We stared at each other as the helicopter bumped and jostled its way through the sky. I missed my car more with each passing minute. At least I’d been promised this would be a short trip.
“Why don’t you just agree to stay out of each other’s way?” Leo suggested. “Teddy, I’m sure you have a ton of stuff to handle that doesn’t involve Tallulah. And I’ll make sure she knows when it’s seven. Okay?”
Again, Teddy and I stared, but at last I blinked and heaved a big sigh. I was being a baby. “Yeah, fine.”
Teddy let out a little noise of relief through his nostrils, which the headphones still managed to pick up.
For someone who spent her whole life doing the bidding of others, I sure didn’t like being told what to do.
After a brief interlude of glorious silence, the helicopter set down at a landin
g pad, and we were ushered into a waiting car. A young woman who was practically a clone of the one we’d left behind in Vegas was waiting inside with a white paper bag and a souvenir Ramsay BRGR plastic cup with a straw in it, and the unmistakable sound of Led Zeppelin III was playing over the car’s stereo.
“How did you…?” I couldn’t fathom how they had managed to get everything I’d requested and still beat us here. I gratefully accepted the milkshake anyway.
I hadn’t had one in a couple years, but as soon as the creamy smoothness of peanut butter burst across my tongue I closed my eyes in a satisfied way. A little sigh escaped my lips, and I settled back into my seat.
The clock on the dashboard told me it was a few minutes after five. That gave me about two hours to find a good location at the Grand Canyon from where I could still be seen—they had to know it was me doing it and not just a random storm—and where all the bystanders would remain safe.
Perhaps Teddy might be useful after all.
“Do you think it would be possible to clear an area around me? Like give me five hundred feet?”
He didn’t miss a beat. “Of course.”
The woman who had brought my food handed Teddy a walkie-talkie and slipped a small white microphone over her ear. It made her look like a primly dressed pop star.
She pulled a plastic case out of her bag and unzipped it, showing a row of a dozen more identical headsets, and held them out like an offering. Sawyer didn’t even wait to be asked. She grabbed hers and put it on, adjusting the fit until she was happy with it.
Leo took one as well but didn’t immediately wear it.
To her credit, the woman withdrew the case, zipped it and stowed it away, clearly already aware I would say no.
I couldn’t have the distraction of a dozen voices buzzing in my ear. This time I wasn’t trying to be rude, it would just be impossible for me to do my job if I had to wear that thing.
Absently I took my phone out and started scrolling through my notifications. Nothing new from the temple, thank Seth. A few emails, but they could wait until later. And two text messages.
The first was from Cade: Can’t make it to the show, but I’ll find you when you’re back.
I felt a pang of regret that he would miss the display, but the second part of his message sent a weird shudder of excitement through me. I’ll find you when you’re back. It was a promise, a threat, an innuendo. It was everything and nothing all at once.
Yes, please, I typed back.
The other message made my heart skip another beat, this time not a good one. It was from a number I didn’t recognize, and all it said was:
See you tonight.
