Archenemies (Renegades #2)(79)

“Floor thirty-nine.” Adrian gestured at the highlighted button.

Max glowered at him. “And what’s on floor thirty-nine?”

Adrian’s secretive smile returned, unbidden, and Max scoffed in annoyance.

The elevator reached the floor and the doors parted. Adrian gestured for Max to go first and the kid crept out uncertainly, but paused on the landing.

“Hey … Dad?”

Hugh stood a few dozen paces in front of the elevator. “Hello, Max.”

Max glanced back at Adrian, eyes round with panic, but Adrian was already grinning. “I told you they would understand.” He poked Max between the shoulder blades, urging him into the vast open space.

The thirty-ninth floor was one of the many floors of headquarters that were vacant, waiting to be filled with cubicles or VR rooms or an expanded call center or medical rooms or laboratories … whatever they needed as the organization grew. But for now, it was just a plain concrete floor, exposed ceiling pipes, and row after row of support columns spanning from one end of the building to the other.

Empty but for Hugh Everhart, Adrian, and Max.

“I’m … not in trouble?” Max said, hesitantly approaching their father. “For leaving the quarantine?”

“No, you’re not in trouble.” Hugh’s face got stern. “We can’t go around making a habit of it, but it was easy enough to secure a space for one night. This is, after all, a special occasion.”

“It is?” said Max.

Hugh nodded. His focus turned to the wall behind Max and Adrian and there was a hint of concern, but also hope. “Assuming it worked?”

Max turned around and Simon flickered out of invisibility. Max gasped, then smacked Adrian on the arm. “You should have told me.”

Simon was standing beside the elevator, the Vitality Charm around his neck. He would have been close enough to touch Max’s shoulder as they’d walked by.

“I … don’t feel any different,” said Simon. He was tense, which wasn’t like him.

For a long second, no one moved. Simon was standing only five or six paces away from Max, close enough that he should have felt the effects of Max’s power immediately. He would feel weak, first, and then the draining away of his abilities. When it had happened to Adrian, he had felt it most in his hands. His fingers had gone numb, threatening to never be able to bring his drawings to life again. He wasn’t sure what the Dread Warden would feel. Vulnerable? Exposed?

“Anything?” said Hugh.

Simon shook his head. “I feel normal.” He vanished, his whole body disappearing like a light being turned off.

Max grabbed Adrian’s forearm and squeezed. The suit hissed around the cuffs.

Simon appeared a second later, a couple of steps closer and beaming. He reached for the medallion around his neck. “It’s working.” He laughed. “Adrian, this is incredible. Max, I—”

Before he could finish, Max launched himself forward, wrapping his arms around Simon’s waist.

Simon’s face crumpled with the unexpected embrace, and he bent forward, locking his arms around Max’s shoulder.

“Does this mean I can kick your butt at cards too, now?” Max said into Simon’s shirt.

Simon chuckled. “You’ll be disappointed to know that I am a much better card player than he is.”

Hugh cleared his throat, dragging Adrian’s attention toward him. He jerked his head to the side, indicating for Adrian to follow him. “Let’s give them a minute.”

Adrian’s cheeks were beginning to hurt from his grin, but he couldn’t smother it as they made their way across the dusty floor.

“Simon’s right,” Hugh said, keeping his voice low to avoid an echo. “The Vitality Charm is amazing, and I’m mortified to know it’s been sitting in our vault all this time and neither of us knew about it. Max’s life could have been so different…” His voice trembled, but he covered it up with another clearing of his throat.

“Better late than never,” said Adrian. “I’m glad I found it when I did.”

“Me too. And we’re going to assign some people to look more closely at the objects we have in the collection, see what other things of value might have been missed.”

“You should talk to Nova about it,” said Adrian. “She’s been really invested in her artifacts work lately.”

“I will,” said Hugh. “It will be fascinating for us all to hear what else we might have been neglecting down there.”

Once they reached the far wall of windows, Adrian checked the distance between them and Max and unlatched the face shield. Hugh tensed as he watched Adrian pull off the hood, but Adrian flashed him a grin. “We’re far enough away.”

When Adrian showed no sign of having his powers drained, Hugh conceded with a nod. “Listen, Adrian, there’s something I thought you should know. Sooner than later.”

Adrian’s eyebrow shot upward. “Oh?”

“There’s been a breakthrough in the Hawthorn case.”

Adrian stood straighter. “What? When?”

“Early yesterday morning. After … that unfortunate fatality.”

“The girl that overdosed?”

“Yes. We told Hawthorn’s allies that if we’re able to trace the drugs she bought to the ones that were stolen, they could be charged with aiding in involuntary manslaughter. One of them started talking. Gave us a few leads on where Hawthorn might be hiding out.”