Infinity Son(25)

She scoops up her dagger by its pearl handle and eyes the bloody blade that is bubbling in red acid. “You ruined my father’s blade,” Maribelle tells Stanton, as if he threw it at himself. She helps me to my feet as Iris approaches.

Iris sways and rights herself. “Get him in the car.”

“Ace idea, Captain. What would we do without your brilliant commands?”

“Now’s not the time—get out of the way!”

Iris shoves us, and we fly a foot into the air, slam down, and roll against the curb. I pay no mind to the scrapes and aches when I see Iris is bent over as acid eats away at her shoulder—she took the hit for us. Stanton pounces, scoring punches and kicks on Iris. She tries fighting back with her good arm, but his reflexes are swift.

“Get to the car,” Maribelle says as she runs over to fight Stanton.

Atlas assists Brighton into the back of the Jeep with our luggage before flying over to us. Gusts of wind carry Stanton into the air as Atlas pins him against the wall, shouting for everyone to escape. I stay to help Iris.

“I said get to the car,” Maribelle snaps.

“I’m here to save you, Emil,” Iris groans.

“You did, you did.”

We get to the car, and Brighton and I sit in the far back behind Maribelle and Iris. Maribelle reaches over and slams on the horn. Atlas releases his hold on Stanton, letting him crash to the ground, and glides over and jumps straight into the driver’s seat. I can’t believe we’re moments away from escape.

“Hang tight, Iris. We’ll get you to Eva,” Atlas says as he starts the car. “What the . . .”

A girl with big eyes and dark silver hair and moon-white skin is rising out of the ground. She’s barefoot, drenched in sweat, and wearing a heavy sweater that trails above her knees, nearly concealing her black shorts.

“Move out of the way,” Atlas shouts out the window. The girl doesn’t budge. “Fine.” He steps out of the car, and wind picks up around her. Trash swirls through her. She’s untouchable.

“It’s her,” Maribelle whispers. “It’s her! It’s her!”

“Who?” Brighton asks.

“The celestial from the Blackout, the one from the surveillance tape.” Maribelle grabs Iris’s knee. “The one who must know what really happened to our parents!” She goes for the door, but Iris binds her with her unaffected arm. Even though it doesn’t look as if Iris is placing a lot of effort into restraining Maribelle, she can’t escape. “What are you doing? Let me go!”

“Drive!” Iris shouts.

“Don’t you dare, Atlas!”

Atlas is torn, then looks out the window before kicking into gear and speeding off. “Stanton is recovering, Mari, I’m sorry.”

The girl doesn’t move out of the way, and she phases through the car as if she’s nothing but wind.

“Please, please, this might be our only chance to see what she knows!” Maribelle’s eyes fill with more and more tears the farther we get from the block. “She could clear our parents’ names!”

Iris groans in pain. “I know you have no problem watching me die, but we have two rescues who’ve survived not one but two fights against specters today. It’s imperative that we get them to Nova.”

“What’s Nova?” Brighton asks.

“Our headquarters,” Iris says. “We have a lot to catch you up on, Emil.”





Thirteen


Nova


EMIL

The world passes by in blurs as we drive to Nova. My nausea is next level with Atlas driving like enforcers are tailing us. If Iris wasn’t so obviously doing her best to not howl in agony, I would’ve begged to pull over to force myself to throw up. I need this painful stretch of a day to be over already. But even as we get closer to Nova, I have a feeling the Spell Walkers are pushing me deeper into the chaos, not protecting me from it.

Maribelle is wrapping up a call with Wesley Young as we enter Brooklyn, going in on him for not making it to the mission to retrieve me on time. She instructs him to pick up Ma from the hospital and get back quickly before hanging up to make another call. She lets someone at the haven know that Iris was wounded by Stanton’s basilisk acid and will be in serious need of healing. If someone as powerful as Iris is fading in and out like this with her spell-proof skin, I would’ve been a goner. It’s hard to stomach a stranger getting hurt for me.

We pull into the parking lot of a lively gas station in Bed-Stuy. Just as I’m starting to feel nervous someone will recognize me, a massive flash swallows us whole. I shout and shield my eyes, bracing for an explosion.

“It was only an illusion,” Atlas says.

I open my eyes, and the gas station behind us is now abandoned and run-down with shattered doors, as if it’s been looted. “So it’s safe?”

“To the best of our available abilities,” Atlas says.

“One day we’ll find a solution where we don’t have to worry about sellouts,” Maribelle says.

Iris groans as she presses her jacket against her wound. “Don’t restart this fight when my shoulder is literally melting, Maribelle.”

“I’m not going to let you forget how three of our people died because you swore a superintendent would rather do the right thing than be rich,” Maribelle says. “That wouldn’t have happened if I was in charge.”