Reaping Angels

  “N-no, I’m not.”

  “Lie,” Madman said.

  Zeus held a thunderbolt in his hand. “Easy way or hard way, Chameleon, it’s your choice.”

  Cinder snapped her thumb and forefinger, and five small flames blossomed on her fingertips. “Either way, we’ll get what we want,” she said leaning in until her flames licked his face.

  Chameleon screamed as the fire burned his cheek. “I’ll talk, I’ll talk!”

  Cinder drew her hand away, but didn’t extinguish the flames.

  As Chameleon began to mutter an answer, Madman left the group, heading back for the captain’s chair. I followed him.

  He began to navigate the boat, his eyes unfocused. I’d seen him this way before, knew what it meant.

  “Tell him that castration comes next!” Madman suddenly shouted to Zeus and Cinder, earning a head nod from the former and a wicked smile from the latter. Madman whistled. “Now we’re in business.”

  I placed my hand over Madman’s, trying to heal his addled mind. I felt him shudder under my touch.

  “Thanks,” he said, his eyes still unfocused.

  “I should be saying that to you. Why did you all come?”

  “To help you take out the Cruel Countess. You couldn’t do it without us.”

  My lips parted. “You … saw me die?” It was odd to think that a version of me had already gone after my sister—gone after her and failed.

  Madman nodded. “Now we’ll all just probably die. Much better odds.”

  “You all came to help me.” I couldn’t quite catch my breath. I’d always thought of my teammates as friends, but never had they proven their friendship like this.

  He smiled. “Always, Angel.”

  It took twenty minutes and some back and forth between X’s boat and Dolly, but eventually we found the Cruel Countess’s lair. I’d taken over steering while Madman sat in one of the boat’s seats, clutching his head.

  “Now what?” Rocket asked.

  “… knows we’re here knows we’re here knows we’re here,” Madman mumbled.

  His head snapped up. “Moses.” His eyes searched the deck, alighting on Zephyr. He nodded. “Moses.”

  I raised an eyebrow, not sure where he was going with this. And then it clicked. “Zephyr!” I waved her over.

  “What’s up?” she said, coming to the back of the boat.

  “Madman wants you to part the sea.” If we could get past the water, we could have free access to the Cruel Countess’s fortress.

  Zephyr’s eyes widened and looked over at Madman. He was moaning, clutching his head. “I don’t know if I have that kind of power.”

  “Twice.” Madman lowered his hands. “In and out. In and out. In and—”

  Now it was Zephyr’s turn to rub her head. “You want me to do this twice? This is going to kill me.”

  “Maybe, six fifty-two. You die, she dies, we all die some of the time.”

  I headed over to Madman and touched his hand again. He drew in a ragged breath. “I need a drink,” he said, lucid once more.

  I squeezed his hand. “If we make it out of this alive, margaritas are on me.”

  Madman’s eyes focused on mine. “The Cruel Countess knows we’re here. She wants you, Angel, and only you can take her out. We might survive, but she has a telepathist as well. It’s a mental chess battle.”

  I frowned.

  His gaze moved to Zephyr. “Six thirteen. Aim true. You may have your doubts, but you’ll know what to do.”

  “Aim?” she said.

  I checked my phone.

  6:10 a.m.

  I stuck two fingers in my mouth and whistled loudly. Rocket, Cinder, and Zeus paused their interrogation to glance over.

  “Listen up guys: this water is going to part in three minutes. We should be directly over the Cruel Countess’s lair. Get ready. We’re about to go in!”

  Whoops came from the other side of the boat. I checked my weapons while Zephyr’s eyes closed and her breaths evened out.

  The ocean rippled, as though a large, invisible stone had been skipped along it.

  Madman moaned from his seat. “In and out, in and out—a cave.” He began laughing. “A cave.”

  “We’re going to get you those margaritas real soon, Madman,” I promised.

  Sea spray sprinkled over my skin, bringing my attention back to the ocean. Zephyr’s wind carved into the water, making a donut around the boat. She stretched her hands in front of her.

  Zeus, Cinder, and Rocket came to the back of the boat. Chameleon remained secured at the front, his hair clearly singed.

  I furrowed my brows. “Who hogtied the supervillain?” I asked.

  Zeus looked him over. “I didn’t go to cowboy camp for nothing.”

  My hair whipped about as Zephyr’s wind hit us and the boat dipped. I grabbed the handrail. A shadow passed over us, causing me to glance up.

  Holy shit.

  A column of water twenty feet high encircled us, and it kept rising. I stared up at it as it twisted around us. Next to me Zephyr’s outstretched hands shook and her eyes fluttered.

  The light dimmed the farther we descended, and the water darkened. Next to me, the ends of Cinder’s hair caught fire, casting some dim light on the boat. Shadows danced around us, a strange play of firelight and water.

  I caught her eye and she winked, flashing me a sultry smile. “Heard about you and the Executioner,” she said. “Supervillains are fun, aren’t they?”

  I licked my dry lips, not sure how to respond to that.

  She laughed at my expression.

  Our conversation was—thankfully—interrupted as the boat hit the ocean floor.

  “Now what?” Rocket asked, looking around at our barren surroundings.

  I hopped over the edge and into ankle-deep water. “Now we move.”

  “Hate to break it to you Zephyr,” Rocket said, “but I think you dropped us into the wrong location.”

  If Zephyr had indeed lowered us anywhere but on top of the Cruel Countess’s lair, then we’d have to surface and try again.

  The others hopped off alongside me. The rocky surface beneath my feet seemed like a far cry from the white sand I’d imagined.

  “Cave,” Madman reminded us.

  Cave … ? I didn’t see any gaping entrances.

  “Guys,” I could barely hear Zephyr’s shout over the roar of the water, “I can’t hold this for much longer.” As if to prove her point, the churning column of water wavered, then tightened in on us. “I’m going to have to bring the boat back up.”

  “We’re looking!” Cinder shouted, pissy because seawater kept snuffing out her flaming locks, “but it’s really fucking dark, and your aim might’ve been shit.”

  I rounded the boat. Here the ground dipped. I nearly slipped when the ground dropped off and the water deepened. I toed the edge.

  An underwater cave entrance? It sounded absurd, even in my head.

  I glanced over at Madman, who was still onboard. His lost gaze found mine and he gave me two thumbs up.

  Good enough for me.

  I whistled again. “Over here!” I shouted. I lowered myself to the ledge, my legs swallowed up by the water. The cyclone circling us twisted tighter and tighter.

  “Guys!” Zephyr yelled.

  My teammates—all save for Madman and Zephyr—rounded the boat, splashing water with them. The three of them seemed particularly miffed about being surrounded by so much water. Little wonder—this much liquid could cripple flight, snuff out flame, and overpower electricity.

  I heard Zephyr’s scream over the wind.

  Uh oh.

  “Hurry!” I shouted as the water I sat in rose to my chest.

  They closed the distance between us, Cinder slipping as she overshot the lip I sat on.

  “I think the cave’s beneath us,” I said.

  “You think?” Rocket yelled. “You mean this is just a guess?”

  “We’re going to have to dive under!” I shouted over
him to the others.

  I heard Cinder swear under her breath. The others nodded.

  The water continued to rise as the wind died.

  “Dive!” I ducked under the water, shoving my body under the lip I sat on.

  Please be the cave. Please don’t drown.

  I desperately hoped I read Madman correctly. Otherwise I’d sentenced the four of us to our deaths.

  Behind me, a light flickered on. I glanced back to see a glowing Zeus, flanked by Rocket and Cinder. He used his electricity to glow in the dark. The light illuminated the contours of the cave. When I faced forward again, I could see the water’s surface. I swam to it.

  Six fifty-two.

  6:52

  That was what Madman said. Zephyr would come for us again.

  My head broke the surface, and I drew in a lungful of air. Three other heads came up behind me.

  I caught sight of a rocky outcropping on one side of the cave, and beyond it, a door bolted into the wall. We swam to it, hefting ourselves out of the water.

  “Ugh, I hate getting wet,” Cinder said. Her body went up in flame. When she finally put it out, she was completely dry. Her flame-retardant suit managed to stay pristine through it all.

  “Well, there went my gun,” Rocket said, pulling out the dripping metal he’d tucked into his suit.

  Cinder leaned over and blew flame over the gun.

  Rocket yelped and dropped the weapon. “Seriously, Cinder?” he said as I touched him, healing whatever trace burns she might’ve given him.

  She rolled her eyes and picked up the gun. “Stop being a baby.” Her flame encircled the gun, evaporating the last of the water. “All better,” she said, handing it back.

  Ignoring their bickering, I headed to the door.

  Less than an hour. That was all the time I had to find X and my sister and save them.

  When I reached the door, I tried the handle. It swung open.

  What were the odds of that?

  I glanced behind me, where Cinder was still squabbling with Rocket and Zeus.

  Get your sister. Get X. The need pulsed through my veins.

  I stepped inside. As soon as I’d crossed the threshold, the door slammed shut.

  “What a pleasant surprise, Angel.” The Cruel Countess’s voice rang out. “You’re exactly the girl I wanted to see.”

  Aw fuck, another trap.

  Chapter 25

  Angel

  I glanced around the empty hallway, looking for the Cruel Countess, but the place was abandoned.

  “Come find me, Angel. A sibling reunion is in order.”

  I closed my eyes and swallowed. This monster has my sister.

  Behind me I could hear dull banging as my teammates pounded on the door. I tried the handle, but it wouldn’t budge.

  I stepped away and moved down the hall. Lockers lined either side—several smashed inward. One hung open, and scuba gear rested inside. I headed over to it and touched the oxygen tank.

  X had been here.

  My gaze swept the room, taking in the dented lockers, the puddle in the center of the hallway, and the bloody drops of water that trailed out of the room. I’d seen enough crime scenes to know X had been ambushed.

  I stepped away from the locker and followed the bloody trail down the corridor. It hooked right, and I stepped into another hallway, where the droplets continued on.

  This was one of the most macabre crumb trails I’d ever followed.

  I passed into a lab full of fancy medical equipment and messy readouts. Strange, sharp implements rested on trays, several of them caked with fresh blood. Caught in the liquid were several strands of platinum blonde hair.

  Ashley’s hair.

  I fisted my hands. I knew what this was—scare tactics. But the Cruel Countess had misjudged me. This didn’t frighten me. It didn’t make me desperate. It made me angry. Violence towards innocents was another one of my buttons, and the Cruel Countess just pushed it.

  I strode through the next open door with more resolve. The Cruel Countess was going down.

  The lab gave way to yet another corridor, this one fitted with several iron doors.

  The prison block.

  A viewing window had been set into each door, and I peered through the first one. Inside, a huge, muscular man cradled his arm, which ended in a bloody stump. Sweat dripped from what I could see of his face. The wound had to be infected.

  I tried the door handle. Locked.

  The man glanced up, and I recoiled from the window. The side of his face was a mass of blisters and scars, and where he should’ve had an eye, he now only had an empty socket.

  I peeked into the next door. Inside an emaciated woman rocked herself back and forth. Deep cuts criss-crossed her skin.

  Who were these people? Superheroes? Loved ones?

  No guards—or any other souls for that matter—watched the prisoners.

  I moved from cell to cell, each one locked, and each one housing a wounded prisoner. I held my breath before looking through each new window, readying myself for the moment I’d catch sight of my sister’s startling blonde hair or X’s brooding stare.

  I came to the end of the hallway. Neither was here.

  Far behind me, I heard a dull thump and the ground trembled. Then a much louder boom. I braced myself against the wall as the building shook again. My teammates were making short work of that door.

  I hesitated before I left the prison block, glancing back over the line of cells. According to Madman, we had less than an hour before we had to leave this place. An impossibly short amount of time. Regardless, I wouldn’t leave these men and women behind. We’d either all make it, or I’d die trying.

  “I’ll be back for you,” I said to the room, uncaring whether or not the prisoners could hear me, before I resumed my search.

  On the other side of the row of cells, a hallway ended in a columned, open space. Several doors lined the inside wall across from me, one which was propped open.

  “Countess, I’m getting bored,” I said.

  Laughter trickled in from the other side of the door. “You won’t be in a minute.” I could hear the promise in her voice.

  I followed the bloody trail through the door and into an auditorium. Rows and rows of long, curved tables wrapped around the room, descending down to a central stage. Behind the stage was an entire wall of glass and, beyond it, the dark ocean.

  The room was entirely devoid of human life, yet my skin prickled. Unseen eyes watched me. I could feel myself moving deeper into some trap the Cruel Countess had set, but what choice did I have?

  Someone had propped open the door to the left of the stage, but the drops of blood never made it that far. Instead, they pooled on the center of the platform.

  Drip … drip.

  I descended the stairs and stepped onto the stage.

  “Just the woman we’ve been waiting for,” the Cruel Countess’s voice rang out. In the next instant, she appeared in front of me.

  I staggered back, surprised. Her eyes flicked behind me, and I glanced over my shoulder.

  Where before the rows and rows of seats were empty, now supervillains and regular criminals filled them. Some wore their iconic outfits, others sported guard uniforms, the Cruel Countess’s emblem embossed onto their breast pocket.

  “How … ?”

  “Mirage isn’t the only woman known for her illusions.”

  My shoulders tensed as I faced the Countess once more.

  “So happy you … dropped by,” she said. “That was quite an entrance you and your friends made. Too bad you were separated.” She made a moue of disappointment.

  I could practically hear the seconds, minutes ticking by. The Countess would waste them all chatting with me.

  “Where’s my sister?”

  “So you’re ready to talk business.” Her heels clicked as she sauntered towards me, her absurd gown dragging behind her. “To answer your question, your sister is here with me—as is one of my disloyal employees.” Her
eyes flashed to the crowd of onlookers—a warning to those who thought to cross her.

  The Cruel Countess lifted her hand, and Ashley and X appeared on either side of her. They floated in midair, both struggling to open their mouths and pull their arms away from where they were bound behind them.

  I took an involuntary step forward. Tears streamed down Ashley’s cheeks. An entire half of her face was swollen and bruised, and her blonde hair was matted to her brow and temples. Bruises stained the exposed skin of her arms.

  I fisted my hands as my jaw tightened, fury rising at her battered state.

  On the other side of the Cruel Countess, X struggled with angry jerks of his body to disentangle himself from the Countess’s hold. Open wounds criss-crossed his body, as though someone spent hours slicing him up with a knife.

  Drip … … drip … … drip … …

  Drops of blood sluggishly fell from his feet to the ground. A sheen of sweat beaded along his brow, and his agonized eyes begged me to leave. He’d tried to get me away from this place, tried to save me from the horror of it, but damn it, I was a superhero, not a princess to lock away in a tower.

  My eyes finally settled back on the Cruel Countess, and a corner of her mouth lifted in some sinister parody of a smirk.

  “I was just getting started on these two,” she said, reaching out. Ashley’s body lowered, and the Cruel Countess stroked her cheek. My sister shut her eyes, her body trembling. It was all I could do not to lunge for the Countess and wrap my arms around her neck. But if I did that, I’d have dozens of villains on me in an instant.

  “You’ve seen some of my more involved work,” she said. A flick of her eyes to the back of the auditorium. To the cells of prisoners.

  The Cruel Countess began to pace, clasping her hands behind her back. As she did so, she dragged Ashley and X along with her.

  “The way I see it,” the Cruel Countess said, turning on her heel. X and Ashley swiveled with her, Ashley looking sick and X looking pissed, “you want two things from me, and I only want one from you.”