Last Dragon Standing (Heartstrikers #5)(63)
“You can’t blame this on me!” Marci cried. “I wanted to let the magic out slowly, remember? Algonquin’s the one who broke the seal and dumped it, and even she only did so by accident. If anyone’s to blame, it’s the Leviathan! He’s the one who cracked the seal in the first place, and I bet all those roots he’s put down are what’s driving everything into a frenzy.” She crossed her arms stubbornly over her chest. “I’m no spirit, but having a Nameless End shove his tentacles into your face sounds pretty panic-worthy.”
“Actually, I believe Sir Myron is right,” Shiro said, wringing the water from his robes. “This is more extreme than usual, but Mortal Spirits have always been dreadful. That’s why we were willing to sacrifice all magic to stop them, but now they’re back and bigger than ever.” He looked out at the chaos. “Perhaps this is simply the new way of things.”
“I don’t think you can lay all the blame on the Spirits of Man this time,” Raven cawed. “Humans have a flair for the dramatic that’s truly terrifying when distilled into its purest form, but even Mortal Spirits can’t cause this much chaos by themselves. Look again, and you’ll see there are plenty of Spirits of the Land and Animals in the mix as well.” He fluffed his feathers. “Today’s madness is equal opportunity, it seems.”
“Because the Leviathan is driving them to it,” Marci said.
Raven shrugged. “Leviathan, Algonquin’s betrayal, bumping elbows with crazed, newly raised Mortal Spirits. We’re spoiled for choice on reasons to panic, which is why everyone seems to be doing it. This mess is a team effort.”
“That’s fitting,” Marci said, hopping down off the broken seal. “Because it’s going to take a team effort to get us out.”
Myron gaped at her. “You can’t be serious. You still want to go ahead with the banishment plan?”
“What other choice do we have?” she asked, pointing at the black roots that filled the water. “The world is ending, Myron. That’s not hyperbole. Our reality will literally cease to exist if we don’t do something.”
“I know, but…” He dragged his hands through his graying hair. “I can’t work miracles. When I told you earlier that I could fix the seal, I was counting on having access to all the spellwork covering the rest of the mountain, but I’ve got nothing to work now! Shiro had to risk his life swimming down to get me a leaf just so we wouldn’t all be washed away.” He pointed at the broken seal under his feet. “What am I supposed to patch this thing with? My hopes and dreams?”
“If that’s what it takes,” Marci said, smiling at him. “You’re one of the greatest modern mages, Myron. You built a barrier against the raging Sea of Magic using nothing but labyrinths and a leaf. If anyone can make this work, you can.”
Myron rolled his eyes. “I appreciate the pep talk, but I’m not just being melodramatic. I really can’t do this without the rest of the Heart of the World. If we have to wait for Shiro to dive for every material I need, we’ll be here all year.”
“Then ask your spirit for help,” Marci said, turning to the DFZ, who’d been oddly quiet this whole time. “Can you get him what he needs?”
“I don’t know,” the city spirit replied, her orange eyes glowing in the dark of her hood as she considered it. “I’ve never tried swimming before, but I should be able to handle the currents. Even when it’s rough, the Sea of Magic is my world, and I’m pretty strong.”
Myron whirled on her. “You mean you could have been helping me this whole time?” he cried. “Why didn’t you?”
“Because you never asked me!” the DFZ yelled back, sounding so offended, Marci couldn’t help but laugh.
“What did you expect?” she asked, trying her best not to let either of them see just how amused she was. “You tied yourself to the spirit of the Detroit Free Zone, Myron. That’s not a place known for volunteering. If you want something in the city, you have to do it yourself or pay someone else to.”
The city spirit’s orange eyes flashed. “I like being paid.”
Myron looked horrified. “You expect me to pay my own spirit? That’s ridiculous!”
“Hey, I got here through a swirling vortex of dead cats,” Marci said with a shrug. “Mortal Spirits are as ridiculous as the human desires that create them. Sometimes you’ve just gotta roll with it. That said, if you two are going to work together, you might want to try understanding how the DFZ does things instead of just giving her orders.”
Myron scoffed. “Are you a relationship counselor now?”
“Nope,” Marci said. “Just someone who’s already had to learn this lesson and wants to spare you the trouble. Not that I don’t enjoy watching you suffer, but repetition is inefficient, and we’re crunched enough for time as it is.” She grinned at the city spirit. “I don’t care what it takes. Promise her ownership of the entire DFZ if you have to, but I want that circle up and ready to receive on time. The dragons and General Jackson’s troops are probably in the air by now, and I don’t want them in danger one second longer than necessary because you’re bad at communicating.”
“I’m not bad at communicating!” Myron cried. “I’m a professor! I’ve written fourteen books! I—” He cut off with a clench of his jaw. “You know, never mind. I’ve made a career out of doing the impossible. I’ll do it again now. You’d do better to focus on holding up your end of this bargain, and speaking of.” He folded his arms over his chest. “How do you intend to get enough magic to drop a hammer banish? I let you brush me off before because I didn’t want a bunch of dragons asking questions, but now that it’s just us, I need to know. You said you had a plan. What is it?”