Siege of Shadows (Effigies #2)(103)

Off to the side somewhere, the Scottish boy was busy fiddling with that stick he’d pulled out of his bag while his partners shot blue electricity from their Sect weapons. But one phantom slipped through the perimeter just as I heard a weapon jam with a series of frustrated clicks. Spinning around, I saw the boy a few feet away eyeing his weapon in terror, desperately trying to shake it awake. As a phantom lurched toward him, I was already running for him.

“Derrek!” Abril yelled, but she was too busy fighting off her own phantom to go to him.

Derrek screamed and dropped his weapon, falling back and covering his head with his arm. I threw a wave of flame at it, but it brushed it off with a shake of its shelled head. It raised its needle-sharp leg and brought it down on Derrek’s head so fast I barely had time to think. On instinct alone, I slipped underneath it, blocking its attack with my arm and crying out in pain as the thin point pierced through my flesh.

My blood dripped down the needle onto the forehead of a terrified Derrek, who lay flat on his back looking up with wide, blue eyes at the two of us monsters, Effigy and phantom, struggling over the fate of his life. Grabbing the leg with my other arm, I sent a tunnel of fire scorching up its length until the torso was aflame. Then, with a heave, I pushed it over and hit the ground even before it did, grasping my bloodied arm.

“Are you okay?” Derrek sounded Eastern European somehow. He had that harsh lilt to his voice, but it felt mixed with many things, as if he’d been moved around too much before his voice could settle anywhere. When he pulled down his scarf, I could see his thick pink lips and his rounded cheeks. He took his cap off, revealing the pincer-straight black hair covering his ears. “You . . . you saved me.” He looked at me in utter awe.

“I need a bandage,” I told him, but there wouldn’t be any time for first aid, not when there were more phantoms coming.

“It’s done!”

The Scottish man. He was finished setting up his trinket: a tripod that glowed from the metal feet to the glowing tip that reached just above his head. A few swift clicks and it was operational.

“Take this, you little fuckers,” he swore. The moment he turned it on, a wave of blue light flashed out in a circle, evaporating the phantoms in the area as far as I could see.

We were safe, but it didn’t seem like there’d be any time to rest. The Scottish man pulled down his scarf and pushed off his hood with a flick of his head. His brown eyes matched the dark chestnut hair curling over his forehead in ringlets. His jaw was square and straight, his jawline defined as he surveyed the mountains.

“All right, everyone move your arses. This isn’t going to hold forever.” He looked at me and grinned. “That is, unless you Effigies come with APD systems built into those indestructible little bodies.”

“Not indestructible,” I said, holding up my bloodied arm.

“And not little.” Chae Rin approached him slowly, looking him up and down. He didn’t seem to mind. Seeing a disheveled Chae Rin approach him menacingly only made his grin turn wicked. “Who are you?”

“Traffickers.” It was Belle who’d answered, though her gaze was on the weapons they held. “Sect grade. You’ve stolen these.” She looked at the three of them. “Is this what you trade in?”

“Sharp eyes,” said the Scottish boy.

Traffickers. They usually weren’t any of the Sect’s business—we battled monsters, not humans, as sick as those humans may be. But they were criminals nonetheless, setting up hubs for their networks through Dead Zones, smuggling and transporting anything from drugs to people—but I didn’t see either.

“We’re not bad guys, you know,” the man said, putting up his hands as a sign of peace.

“You shot at us,” Chae Rin said.

“By accident!” he insisted. “We were shooting at the phantoms. Come on, seriously, we’re not bad people. Believe me, we’re not your run-of-the-mill group of villains and criminals, and we’re not out here hurting anyone. Never would. Our wares—”

“Sect wares,” Belle interrupted.

“—this antiphantom technology,” he tried again, “is going to places and people that need it. And we’re not a threat to you, obviously. I didn’t get in this to fight any damn Effigies.” He straightened his back. “But since we did just save one another’s lives, let’s all of us calm down and clear things up on the way, yeah? Derrek, Abril. You okay?”

“Yeah, Lucas.” Derrek stood up. “This girl saved me. But she’s bleeding bad.”

“Ah, she can handle it. Don’t you Effigies heal fast?” Lucas laughed.

“Yeah, but as you can see, despite that, I’m still bleeding.” I doubled over. “Actually, I think I’m going to faint.”

“Sorry ’bout that.” Lucas picked up the tripod. “But I’m sure you’ll be fine. You gals can take care of yourselves.” He turned from us, waving Abril over before giving us a quick farewell salute. “Well, we’ll be off now.”

He took several steps before pausing and looking back. “Don’t suppose you’re just going to let us go, are you?”

“We have to go with you,” Belle said. “Not only for medical attention. There’s somewhere we’re heading and we can’t get through these mountains alone.”