They waited for the patrol to pass, then came out of hiding and scanned the open ground again. Winnie and Seelie crept back to the edge, still looking for a way across.

  Seelie pointed and Winnie saw an opening, maybe an alleyway between buildings on the other side. There was some rubble across the opening, but not too much to scramble over. Guard posts lined either side, each about twenty or thirty feet away.

  Not much of a gap, but it was the only one they could see in this section of the defensive line. If they could make it there unseen, then she and Seelie could slip through. The challenge was getting there.

  It would be difficult hiding while crossing that space, even with Winnie’s masking spell in place. She’d either have to move slowly so her mask could cover her, or opt to run at full speed during a moment of distraction.

  Both plans had their problems.

  If Winnie opted for the slow approach and a patrol came along, they would surely spot her. Even if she inverted the flows so the magic was invisible to detection, her mask wasn’t perfect. They’d see her if they got close enough.

  Running offered its own challenges. The human eye was drawn to movement. Even if distracted, some guard could catch movement from the corner of his eye and look Winnie’s way.

  She was trying to imagine the best possible distraction when the first explosions ripped through the distance, far to the east.

  The night sky was suddenly alive with a massive fireball.

  Winnie watched in wonder as a tiny mushroom cloud bloomed in the distance, illuminated by the red glow of fire beneath and inside it.

  She looked down at the recently passed patrol, now standing with their goggles off, staring skyward.

  Winnie tapped Seelie on her back and pointed across the gap.

  She didn’t know what those explosions were, but this was their chance.

  Winnie crouched down and ran over the uneven terrain, praying she didn’t trip and fall in the darkness.

  Before she knew it, she was scrambling up and over the rubble at the mouth of the alley.

  She saw the startled soldier the second he spotted her.

  Winnie reacted without thinking.

  Her hand rose to her shoulder, drawing Excalibur.

  She swung the enchanted blade downward in a desperate slashing blow.

  The sword crashed into the man’s shoulder and slashed down across his chest. He fell backward with a gasping sigh as his entire chest was laid open by the blade. And then he was silent.

  Winnie choked back a surge of vomit at what she’d done, looking around for a second attacker. She’d killed Kane’s creatures up close with the blade, but never a person. Now she’d be seeing that man’s startled expression in her nightmares forever.

  Winnie pointed to the opposite end of the alley, then to Seelie. The fairy nodded, flying off towards the end of the tiny street. Winnie held the blade and followed, ready with sword and magic to counter anyone stupid enough to try stopping them.

  At the far end of the alleyway, Seelie paused then waved Winnie forward. She darted across the street to a narrow gap between two buildings on the other side then disappeared into the shadows.

  Winnie could still hear distant explosions, but the soldiers were no longer distracted. They were preparing to take action. Vehicles were roaring to life nearby.

  Winnie reached the end of the alley and looked both ways. Soldiers were running around in either direction, but none were coming her way.

  Winnie ran across the street to the gap, turning sideways to fit inside.

  A truck zoomed by a moment after she wormed into the other side.

  “Winnie,” Seelie whispered from behind her. “This passage opens into a backyard and what appears to be several blocks of abandoned residences, all heading in towards the center of the city.”

  “Good, let’s go. We can take advantage of the chaos here to get farther inside the city before they start patrolling again.”

  More explosions to the east. Winnie caught glimpses of the fires lighting the horizon as she ran from house to house.

  That had to be her Dusters.

  Part of her wanted to join the fight, but surely they were there to help her.

  Winnie felt a pang of guilt. She’d forced them into this reckless attack by running off on her own. She forced the emotion down then locked it away.

  No time for that now. Not with a job to do.

  Winnie had to reach Kane. The sooner the better.

  With a last glance at the red glow lighting the eastern horizon, Winnie ducked low and ran deeper into the city.

  Chapter 26

  “Keep firing!” Maria shouted. “We have to pour it on them! Pull as many of the enemy forces here as we can. Then the B-Team can slip through and find Winnie.”

  The lieutenant nodded then dashed off to the lines to relay the order.

  “I can help,” Elaine said. “Let me pull the elites together for a spell we’ve been working on.”

  “What’s it do?” Maria asked.

  “It’s a force multiplier, I guess you’d say. It will make our forces seem a LOT larger than they are.”

  “That will certainly attract more of the enemy here to counter us. But we’ll also be even more outnumbered.”

  Elaine gave Maria a grim smile. “Don’t worry. The elites and I have more than one trick up our sleeves. I promise we can hold them off.”

  “I hope you’re right.” Maria turned back to the battle, scanning the lines with her binoculars.

  They’d caught Kane’s troops and Red Legs flat-footed. The enemy was reeling in an uncoordinated reaction to an unexpected attack, and one they likely thought they’d never have to face.

  It was Maria’s job to keep them off balance as long as possible. Once the enemy regained their composure, the opposing forces would fight back with interest and the Dusters would be forced back on the defensive.

  More explosions erupted across the enemy lines as the Dusters’ magically enhanced mortars fired again. Maria wished for another one of the bunker buster bombs they’d used to initiate the attack.

  They’d only managed to capture one of those during their earlier raid on the military stores. They weren’t that common and she’d been lucky to find the one.

  A bullet ricocheted off a stone wall, passing close to her head.

  She ducked, searching for the source of the shot. “Tris, how much longer until we have a shield over this position?”

  “I’m working on it. It’s a lot harder without a perimeter!” Tris was crouched with her techs. Most had their heads down, concentrating on their magic, trying to erect a shield around their forces.

  Morgan entered the courtyard, crouched, and ran to Maria’s exposed position.

  “Get out of here, Morgan. You shouldn’t be this close to the front line.”

  “I wanted to tell you that we’ve spread our available supplies to all the units. And we found some enhanced claymore mines in that last armory. Where do you want them?”

  That got Maria’s attention.

  “How many did you get?”

  “A pallet full. They were at the back of the warehouse. We almost left them behind, but someone on my logistics team made a final check and found them.”

  “That’s almost six hundred,” Maria said.

  Morgan nodded.

  Maria pulled out a map of the capital with their positions sketched in pencil. She stabbed the spot where the enemy had shown the greatest resistance; where the counterattacks were likely to originate. “Put a third of them here, another third on this side of our lines, and keep the rest here in reserve.”

  Morgan eyed the map, memorizing Maria’s positions.

  “Got it, I’ll make sure they get delivered. Do you have any orders for their use once I drop off the mines?”

  “Tell whoever is in command of those sectors to deploy them defensively, and to expect a counterattack.”

  “How soon?” Morgan asked.

  “As soon as the leadership wakes up enough to start coordinating their defenses again. So far we’re fighting the nightshift. But the rest of Kane’s forces are waking up and heading down here to see what’s shaking the earth. We get a senior commander on the scene and we can expect a major assault. They’ll want to push us back, and we have to be ready. The claymore mines are a godsend.”

  Morgan smiled. “I’m on it. They should be delivered and ready for deployment within the half-hour.”

  “Faster if you can,” Maria said. “They’re off balance right now, but that can’t last much longer.”

  Morgan sprinted back towards the supply cache and her logistics staff. Maria watched her go and then returned her attention to the fluid lines before her.

  She had held back a quick-reaction team: her best troops, ready to plug any holes in the line. The trick was to spot the break before it happened. Then reinforce it so there weren’t any breaches.

  Duster forces were holding their own, dealing a surprising amount of damage. Most of their opponents had been human, with only a few pockets of Fell beasts, easily flushed with a flurry of bullets.

  Maria was worried what would happen when the first of the chimeras appeared. Even the dragons had trouble killing them, and there weren’t any dragons with them now.

  If Winnie was here, she could have called them.

  But then, that was the point.

  Explosions and gunfire just kept getting louder. Surrounding them. Making Maria want to choke. She turned to the nearest tech. “I want a report. Now.”

  The techs turned to the miniature surveillance wall—multiple windows floating in midair to one side, showing muzzle flashes all along the lines and troops advancing on the Duster positions.

  Other surveillance windows showed overhead views of the surrounding area. Other enemy units converging on their position from three sides.

  Maria looked for Elaine. She found her and yelled, “How’s that surprise coming? Later might be too late.”

  “Cutting it loose now. Anywhere you want us to concentrate?”

  “Come here. Look at the troops approaching our flanks. Can you do something to stop that?”

  Elaine walked over and looked at the screens. A wicked smile crawled across her face. She pointed to a cluster of chimeras advancing near a crowd of charging soldiers. “Let’s start with them.”

  Elaine closed her eyes and whipped her arms around, raising them high above her head. Her brow furrowed. Then she shouted and pointed to the west, toward the advancing chimeras and government soldiers.

  It took a moment, then a round of gunfire rent the air. Explosions followed.

  Looking at the overhead view, Maria had to double check it was the right one. There, between the chimeras and government troops was a platoon of Dusters firing in opposite directions at the two enemy factions.

  “There aren’t supposed to be any of our troops out there. They’ll get slaughtered, crushed between the two enemies.”

  “Don’t worry, Maria.” Elaine’s smile widened. “They aren’t really there. Just keep watching.”

  The chimeras turned first, charging the illusion.

  The government followed with bullets.

  And now Maria was smiling, too.

  Elaine said, “Those chimeras aren’t going to like that very much, are they?”

  “No they’re not.” Maria pointed to the window.

  Bullets sailed through the illusion. They ripped into the chimeras, dropping two like a hiccup. The beasts reared up then charged the mirage, passing right through to the true source of pain.

  The troops realized their error too late—forced into battle against their former allies.

  Maria nodded, appraising Elaine with fresh, admiring eyes.

  “You’re a devious one when you want to be.”

  “I’m a mother with my daughter in danger out there. I’ll do anything in my power to help her survive.”

  “Can you do that again?”

  “All night long.” Elaine pointed to another of the flanking attacks and closed her eyes again, repeating the casting.

  The illusion appeared on-screen, this time with opposing troops opening fire on each other. Commanders called for reinforcements from either side, adding devastating fire to a confusing battle.

  Bullets rained and soldiers fell in procession.

  Elaine hadn’t stopped there. All along the enemy line, illusionary attacks popped up between Kane’s forces, causing them to turn and fire on their comrades before they knew what they were doing.

  A young messenger approached with a salute. “Reports are coming in from our front lines: Enemy fire is slackening.”

  “Tell everyone to conserve their ammunition. Fire only at confirmed targets. Only shoot back when fired upon. Got it?”

  “Hold fire unless fired upon.” The runner saluted, then turned and left.

  Elaine kept casting illusions wherever she spied an opening in the enemy forces. Soon, Maria heard explosions far in the distance where there weren’t any Dusters at all.

  Kane’s troops fired all they had at Elaine’s shadows, from here to there and all along the perimeter on this side of the city. They had less than five hundred rebels, but Kane’s commanders would imagine countless thousands assailing the city.

  “You’re amazing,” Maria said.

  Elaine lowered her arms. Sweat had soaked through her blouse. Hair plastered her head. “I can do more. Just give me a second to rest.”

  “Take as long as you need. Kane’s forces will be busy fighting ghosts for a while.”

  Chaos reigned on-screen. A mass of Fell beasts overran a government position, the battle quickly devolving to hand-to-claw combat. A government mortar barrage wiped out an entire platoon of Kane’s troops. An entire battalion ran right into it.

  Maria called for her comm officer. They would have enough time to bring reinforcements through a new series of portals at this rate. It was time to see who else could help.

  “Get me Yorke in New Amsterdam,” Maria said when the officer appeared.

  Maria waited as a window was opened. Then Cleaver Yorke appeared.

  “Cleaver,” she said.

  “Ms. DeSantos, what an unexpected pleasure … we’re trying to make sense of the news that the capital is under attack. It’s Kane’s news, of course, so who knows what to believe, but—”

  “It’s true. We’re—”

  Cleaver craned his neck trying to look past Maria for others. “I’m surprised Winnie didn’t think to include us. We’re only a few hours to the north.”

  “It happened fast. And we didn’t want word getting out before it was too late.”

  “Word about what?”

  “Word about Winnie running off to face Kane on her own,” Maria answered.

  “She what?” Cleaver shouted. “I hope you’ve caught up with her?”

  Maria shook her head. “She had too big of a head start. We do have a team trying to catch up with her, but I don’t know if they’ll reach her in time.” Maria fixed Cleaver with a firm stare. “We need help, to keep Kane’s forces off balance and looking our way while Winnie sneaks up. We’ve managed to hold off their initial counter-attack and I’ve bought us five or six hours. But how soon can you send us a prayer?”

  Cleaver pulled out his phone. “I’ll round up the crew and mobilize the New Amsterdam Volunteers. I’ve got two thousand armed volunteers ready to follow Winnie Durham anywhere. We can get there by daybreak if we’re moving within the hour.”

  “That’s good news, Cleaver. Can you also reach out to Sico? See if he can bring what’s left of the Philly Militia?”

  “Already on it. He’ll probably make it there faster than us. He’s been waiting for his chance. What about you? Need anything else?”

  “Bring all the weapons and ammo you can carry. This is it. It’s Kane or us, for good.”

  Cleaver shot her a savage grin then laughed aloud. “It’s about time.”

  Maria nodded then closed the window. She looked at the screens.

  Apparently, this was it: the beginning of the end.

  Chapter 27

  Danny and Victor crouched while Garraldi cast his spell, with Frannie and Bullock watching their backs from behind.

  “What’s taking so long?” Victor asked.

  “I only heard Cait talk about doing this once,” Garraldi said. “She learned the spell in the military. Even then she only used it once in basic chanter training.”

  Danny turned his attention from the darkness to look back at Garraldi. The big man was hunched over, moving his hands in intricate circles. They were counting on this spell to track Winnie once they got on her trail.

  More explosions roared in the distance. Danny wondered how the fighting was going. It had certainly distracted the government forces away from their posts on this side of the city. They’d penetrated the defensive perimeter with barely any trouble at all.

  Victor had led them this far using his connection to Winnie. She was somewhere on the western side of the city but that’s all they knew. Victor’s link wasn’t finely tuned enough to track her beyond a general direction. And thus, Garraldi’s spell.

  “I’ve almost got it,” he said. “Just a few more adjustments.”

  Garraldi pulled out a piece of clothing. Danny recognized it as one of Winnie’s tees. He’d retrieved it from their room for exactly this purpose. No one was sure if it would work, but it was the best that they had.

  Garraldi placed the white tank top on the ground and passed his hands over it three times. On the final pass, the shirt burst into flames.

  The sudden light blinded Danny’s vision. He cleared his eyes and the shirt was gone. “What’ve you done? That was the only shirt I brought.”

  “It’s how the spell works. I need to concentrate. Don’t bother me.”

  He leaned over and blew at the pile of ash lying where the shirt had been. The ashes floated in the air then turned to tiny golden pinpoints of light.

  They fell to the ground then dimmed to darkness again.

  “I think that does it,” Garraldi said. “Anyone in our group will now be able to see that faint trail of light, soon as any of us crosses her path.”