Archenemies (Renegades #2)(126)

Ace Anarchy had exhausted himself.

The villain hissed and crumpled forward again, curling his fingers through the eye sockets of a skull. “Damn you,” he groaned. “Damn you and your Renegades and your Council. They did this to me. They turned me into this.”

Adrian allowed his arm to sink, though the tattoo continued to burn. “You did this to yourself.”

Ace chuckled. “You’re a fool.”

“What did you mean, when you said I know your niece?”

Ace became calm, his expression almost gloating. “I believe you know her as Nightmare.” His mouth stretched wide. “Among other things.”

Adrian’s jaw twitched. “Then I’m sorry for your loss.”

“No, I don’t think you are.”

Adrian lifted his palm toward the villain and fired.

The concussion beam struck Ace Anarchy in the chest. He fell backward, his legs turning at an odd angle as he collapsed onto the sea of bones, one hand still gripping the skull.

Adrian stared at his fallen body, worried that the blow might have killed him. It had always been intended to stun, more than injure, but Ace Anarchy was frailer than most of the opponents Adrian faced. Silent and still now, it was easy to see just how frail.

But when Adrian stepped closer, he saw that the villain was breathing, if shallowly.

He spun toward the sarcophagus. “Oscar? Ruby?”

“We’re okay,” came the muffled reply. “Is he dead?”

“No—but unconscious. Hold on.”

He transformed into his armor again, though even with the Sentinel’s strength it took every ounce of willpower he had to lift the tomb off his friends. They were curled into each other, skin plastered with dust, Ruby’s fingers speckled with jewels. Though neither said anything, they seemed hesitant to separate, even when they were free.

Oscar stood up slowly and leaned against the side of the sarcophagus, his breaths coming in short gasps. Reaching down, he laced his fingers through Ruby’s and pulled her up beside him. “You all right?”

She gaped at Oscar, dumbfounded, and nodded. “Yeah. Fine.”

Oscar nodded back at her.

Their eyes were shining, their bodies leaning toward each other, and if Adrian had ever seen the makings of a kiss before, he was certain he was seeing one now.

He cleared his throat loudly, and the two jumped apart, though their fingers stayed entwined.

“Ace,” he said, slowly, clearly, “Anarchy.”

“Right,” said Oscar, running a hand through his dusty hair. “Right.” Picking up his cane, he stumbled toward Ace and nudged his foot. “What do we do now?”

“We have to the alert the Council,” said Ruby.

Adrian considered the destruction wrought from their fight. “You’re right. They’ll have him taken to Cragmoor. And we still don’t know why Danna can’t transform. If he had one of her butterflies trapped somehow—”

“Wait,” said Ruby. “Do you have your marker?”

Adrian frowned, then removed his gauntlet and handed the marker to her. “Why?”

“I have an idea.” Ruby crouched beside Ace Anarchy and started to write something across the skull in his hand. In crisp block letters that weren’t at all like her normal loopy handwriting, she spelled out a message.

CONSIDER THIS A PEACE OFFERING.





—THE SENTINEL


“There,” she said, capping the marker and handing it back to Adrian with a satisfied smile. “We’ll tell them Danna led us here, and this is what we found. The Renegades need to know that you—that the Sentinel isn’t a villain, and you—he—you…” She shut her eyes, gathering her thoughts. “You should get some credit for Ace Anarchy’s capture. Maybe it will help your case. When you do tell them the truth.”

Adrian smiled at her, though he knew she couldn’t see it. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“There’s no reception down here,” said Oscar. “Let’s head back to the surface and let the Council know.”

Ruby secured Ace Anarchy’s wrists with her wire, ensuring it would take even a telekinetic a while to undo the knot, just in case he woke up before the Council arrived, though Adrian doubted he would.

They were halfway up the stairwell when their wristbands simultaneously blared with alarm, making them all jump.

“What the—” Oscar held his arm away from himself, suspicious. “There’s no way they could have heard about this already.”

Ruby pulled up the message first. Her face paled. “No. It’s not Ace. It’s…” She hesitated.

“What?” said Adrian, hating the way she looked at him in the darkness.

“It’s a message from Max. He says that Nightmare is alive and she’s there, at headquarters.”

Adrian’s heart leaped. “They caught her!”

“No. Adrian. Max says she has Ace’s helmet, and he … he’s going to try to stop her.”

Adrian gaped at her.

Max?

Max was going to try to stop her?

He shoved past them both, squeezing his way through the narrow passage. “I’m going. Message my dads—about Ace, and Nightmare. They’ll send someone.”