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Chance had closed his fist, and the landscape vanished. Then he had thrown up. When he finished retching, he’d shaken himself all over and stared at me. “You don’t know how lucky you are.”
Walker’s voice, from behind me, made a welcome interruption to the memory. “What are the rules?”
I sighed. Once, when I was needed in a hurry for a mission, Silver had taken me to the city via the Road. Like Ethan, before we set foot on it, he’d made me recite the cautions. Precise and careful, his Road had been a strange path through lush jungle and water gardens.
Every Road was unique, created from the contract and the personality of the mage. I would not have thought Silver someone who would create something lush and wild.
“Stay on the path. Remain in contact with you at all times. Touch nothing that isn’t the path, or on it,” I chanted, like a kid with a nursery rhyme.
“Something wicked,” he said with a grin.
I instantly knew he was quoting Macbeth, which was interesting because few people knew about such ancient texts. Well, two of us could play that game.
I smiled as the Road opened in front of us. “My thumbs are just fine.”
His expression showed that he was surprised. “Do Kalderon schools teach ancient literature?” Then he gestured for me to step forward.
“Don’t know. I know Ethan does.”
“Ethan?” he asked.
I smiled. “A man who is like an uncle to me. One who taught me a lot, but irritated me even more.” There was so much more to Ethan, but that was enough to say for now.
He nodded and gestured at the Road.
Of course, time to go. Sand scuffed under my boots as I crossed onto the Road. Walker’s version was a dramatic sweep of desert, broken by red-veined cliffs.
“Different,” I said.
He shrugged.
I wrapped my fingers around Walker’s belt, taking the opportunity to pet his back. He set a brisk pace. I had to jog to keep up. Despite the danger, I enjoyed the view.
“Is it possible…?” I let the thought trail off. Juvenile, yes, but fun to imagine.
“I’m sure it’s been tried,” he answered, an amused dryness coloring his voice. “Tempting to find out, but I’m on a schedule.”
I smiled up at him.
The exit wasn’t far—they never were—and we emerged on a hill. Gleaming buildings grasped for the sky, the glitter of metal and polished concrete dazzling the eye. The destination Walker chose left us on the outskirts of the Capitol, not even needing a portal to get in.
“You said a portal, you lied,” I said, amused and a little surprised. No one was supposed to be able to open a Road anywhere near the Capitol. The wards around the city were old and powerful; I’d never heard of someone managing to get through them. How had he done it? No wonder he wasn’t off limits.
“A little. Would you have believed me if I said I could come here directly?”
“Probably not,” I conceded. We must have tripped other alarms, though. Walker pulled a minireader from his pack as we proceeded, his serene expression holding no hint of worry or care. I, on the other hand, was not looking forward to the treatment we’d be getting.
A rising hum heralded Wardens skimming in a grav vehicle to challenge us. Walker held the minireader up as the grav blazed in, kicking up dirt and rocks. The lasers mounted on its roof were steady on us as the Wardens landed.
They poured out. A half circle of stunners and rifles pointed at us within seconds.
Neither of us moved; Wardens operated on a shoot twice and ask questions at the inquest basis. Especially at the borders of cities. Even more so with people who penetrated defenses they thought impenetrable.
“IDs!” barked the lead, in his all-covering white armor.
I turned and faced him directly. The onyx was all the ID I had, and more than I needed. The lead took scans from both minireader and gem. His squad’s firearms didn’t waver until the results came back. Then, he turned to Walker and did the same, even though his red gem would normally be enough to impress anyone. The fact that they scanned him at all just showed how dangerous what Walker had done was.
“You can go. Stay on the road.” The lead’s voice came angry and sharp. They didn’t rough us up, although I’d expected them to, based on previous encounters with the Wardens. They had long memories and no sense of humor.
