She repeated the process twice more, rendering each weapon harmless. Leto ran toward her and took one of the shotguns from her. He then moved back to Alison’s uninhabited body and stood guard.

All the while, Leto battled the wrecker, who had also released his grayle power, so that two plumes of mist, one dark and smoky, the other gray and almost green-tinged, flowed in strange whirls above the warriors, moving in a strange counter-dance.

Thorne stood off to the side, shotgun in hand, looking for an opportunity, his eyes intent on the battle.

Vela watched mesmerized as both warriors battled in an incomprehensible blur of levitation and folding.

Fiona returned to stand close to Alison and, like watching a sliding door part swiftly, the women disconnected and became themselves. Both remained silent as the final battle progressed.

Vela’s heart swelled at the sight of Samuel keeping pace with the Third Warrior.

“Look at him move,” Alison whispered. “My God.”

“I know.” Fiona breathed raggedly, her arms now crossed over her chest.

Then she felt it, another vibration through the grid. “More wreckers.”

“Shit,” Leto muttered. “At least we have the weapons.” A distant explosion sounded.

They had to get this job done and get out of there. They were running out of time.

She had to do something. She focused on Samuel, and without giving it too much thought, she entered Samuel’s mind which whirred with movement, just as he moved.

She relaxed and sent him her power, a soft stream of energy.

What followed was a kind of explosive response in Samuel as he whirled in the air, just as the wrecker whirled, but did a lateral whipping movement, took his opponent out at the knees.

Thorne moved in, and took his head.

The battle was over.

Vela called out. “We’ve got to get to get Duncan. Now!” The men started running in her direction. She gathered her darkening ability, swept up the group and carried them swiftly, not backward, but onward, straight to Duncan’s cell. The darkening allowed her to see inside, where two workers were cutting an unconscious warrior down.

“Men, use those damn weapons and let’s get Duncan now. Here.” She patted the wall. Another distant explosion sounded. “We’ve got about twenty seconds.” Samuel approached the wall, lifted his weapon and fired, which sent him backward on his ass, but the wall disintegrated. Thorne and Leto launched inside, pushed the slaves away, grabbed Duncan then hauled him back into the darkening. He was still bound by ropes and bled from one end of his body to the next.

Just as an explosion took out the wall opposite, Vela sped the group down tunnel after tunnel, faster and faster. She could feel Duncan’s life force ebb. The warrior was almost gone. Forget the execution, he’d been beaten and sliced to the absolute rim of death.

She heard explosions following her, but she also knew what she could do.

The next moment, she brought her team through their initial entry point and planted her hands on the wall to create the seal. Damn, shotguns exploded beyond the wall. She felt a terrible vibration. “I can’t hold it,” she called out.

Merl stepped in and planted his hands on the wall. His Third Earth mist rose and power flooded the room like nothing she’d ever known. Together, they sealed up the wall.

Then silence.

“Are we safe?” Endelle asked.

“Jesus H. Christ. Are we safe?” Vela turned to her. “Yes.” She eased away from the wall.

Endelle looked at Duncan’s unconscious form and called out sharply.

“Jeannie.”

“Yes, Madame Endelle.”

“Get Horace over here to the palace.

No, faster than that. I want him at my position.”

“Done.” Five seconds later, Horace appeared next to Endelle. He dropped beside Duncan, but addressed Fiona. “I’m going to need you.” The woman didn’t skip a beat. Vela watched as she repeated her drawing-in process, so that Horace’s power took her over and she went to work on Duncan.

The moment Fiona put her hand on Duncan’s chest, he jerked once, then drew breath.

Tears sprang to Vela’s eyes.

They’d caught him just in time.

Duncan had almost died.

Samuel slid an arm around her waist.

He was sweaty from battle, and the leather harness had stiff edges, but it was the best feel in the world as he drew her against him.

You did good , his words a thrill through her mind.

She’d never been in a battle before and for a first one, yes she’d done good.

Her heart swelled as she wiped away tears that kept falling.

Duncan began to heal, faster than anything she’d seen before, but after a minute, Fiona sat back and separated from Horace.

She looked exhausted.

“I’ve got it now,” Horace said. “Go home and get some rest.” He smiled tenderly at her.

Fiona nodded. The couple hadn’t made a formal announcement, but rumor had it she was pregnant. She turned to Madame Endelle. “Permission to leave?”

“Granted. Jeannie, send Fiona home straight from here.”

“Of course, Madame Endelle.” Fiona simply vanished.

Alison crossed to Vela. “You did an amazing thing tonight and showed so much courage. Well done.”

“Thank you.”

“I wish I could stay, but I have a flying toddler at home who will be up at the crack of dawn.” Endelle once more barked at Jeannie and Alison disappeared.

Both Leto and Thorne stood on either side of Duncan, who was still unconscious. Horace, his hands moving from wound to wound and performing his healing magic, glanced up at Thorne.

“This will take some time and he should have rest. I’d like to move him to the hospital but not by fold. Some of these cuts are deep and grazed his organs. He would have died if you hadn’t gotten to him.” Vela’s throat tightened and Samuel rubbed his hand up and down her side and waist. We got him.

We did.

He saved me, Samuel added.

And now you returned the favor.

We saved him, all of us and my part was the damned least I could do.

By the time Horace had a still unconscious Duncan packed up in an ambulance for the drive to the hospital, Leto had returned to the Gateway to Third Earth.

Thorne took all three sawed off shotguns, intending to have his firearms expert work with them to see what shells were used and how the wreckers added their power to enhance the shot. Scowling, he muttered something about practicing with them at the Illinois Seers Palace, as he headed back in the direction of the Command Center.

Vela addressed Merl. “What would have happened if you hadn’t been here to finish seal up the Gateway?”

“Nothing good.”

“Sweet fucking Christ,” Endelle muttered.

“Is there anything I can do to strengthen my own power to seal up the breach?”

“I think so. You’re pretty amazing.” Vela glanced at him, stunned that not a single flirtatious lilt attached to his words, Even Samuel remained settled beside her.

She smiled. “Thank you for that.”

“Well, that settles something for me,” Endelle said. “For the time being, the two of you stay with Merl. And stay in contact.” She turned to Merl. “I’ll need you to work with Vela to get this skill up to par because I’m guessing we haven’t seen the last of the grid wreckers.”

“Probably not.”

“So, you okay with this, Third ascender?”

“Hell, yeah. Least I can do for the Supreme High Administrator of Second Earth.” His nostrils flared. “You know, I don’t have to go home right away.” Endelle chortled. “You’ve got balls, I’ll give you that. And I’m tempted because everything about you says you’ve got the right equipment and know how to use it.”

“Damn straight about that.” Vela stepped a little closer to Samuel. She could almost see the sparks flying from one ascender to the other.

The heat in this room, Samuel sent in what felt like the quietest telepathic voice he could manage, could melt a glacier.

I know what you mean.

But I thought Endelle had hooked up with Braulio? Samuel scowled like he somehow disapproved.

Vela squeezed his hand. That’s just it. He hasn’t been around for the last month and she has no way to contact him.

Gotta be a bitch.

Exactly.

Well, Braulio had better get his ass back here because that’s one determined vampire.

No kidding.

Finally, after a long half minute of staring at Merl, and maybe debating the offer, Endelle said, “Thanks, but I’m sort of in a relationship.” For a reason she couldn’t explain, Vela released a sigh of relief.

But Merl actually moved until just a spare few inches separated him from Endelle. “Well, you let me know if your boyfriend stops hiding out in another dimension. I’d love to spend some time taking care of you.” Vela broke a sweat and it wasn’t helping that Samuel now rubbed his thumb in circles over the palm of her hand. She’d never quite understood why the gesture was so damn sexual but it was working.

That, and his smoky, chocolate scent had started flowing in her direction.

Those flowers of yours are getting to me.

I want to be alone with you.

He released a soft growl.

Merl glanced at Samuel. “I’m going to stay here and check out Thorne’s operation, maybe see if I can help. Why don’t you two head back to my house. And just so you know, after I leave here, I’ll be heading out to a couple of clubs and I won’t be back until dawn.” Vela almost said something in response, but Samuel called out, “Sounds like a plan.” By then he had hold of her hand and urged her in the direction of the doorway. She took to the idea right away and started walking faster.

His smile expanded by the time they reached the landing platform, a very male, satisfied response to what he knew would soon happen between them.

By then, Vela wore her own smile, so she could hardly complain.

“I need a shower,” Samuel said, almost trembling with his need to get Vela underneath him.