But deep inside me is an instinctual need to test my theory.
“Dad,” I whisper.
He pulls his attention from the discussion. “Yes?”
I explain my idea. Dad pales, which is quite the feat considering his skin is the color of alabaster.
“Too dangerous…yet…” He touches the hilt of his pulse gun.
Ah, he’s tempted. After a few moments, Dad waves Beau over.
“Does her arm still hurt?” Beau asks. “Should I fetch the medic?”
“She’s fine.” My dad fills him in on my theory, but Beau’s shaking his head no before Dad can finish.
“We can evacuate all the techs, you can bring your full team down here, and the trained techs will stand guard on the surface,” Dad tries. “This is the first time anything has happened with the Warriors; we need to investigate every possibility.”
“I can be ready to turn off one of the symbols if things go sideways,” I say.
Beau hesitates. “We need to consult with Dr. Daniels.”
My mother doesn’t need as much convincing. She’s willing to try. Of course, I didn’t remind them that each touch will cause me a great deal of pain. The techs are sent topside. Niall and Elese join us below and are briefed.
“This is highly dangerous,” Niall says. “We need to bring in the astrophysicists to study this first, and then consult with them and my father before testing anything.”
He’s right. That’s the smart thing to do. Sure that they’ll agree, I glance at my parents. My mother’s cheeks are flushed with excitement, and she’s tense with determination. I wonder if that’s what I look like when I’m being stubborn.
“By the time we study and consult with everyone, this phenomenon might disappear,” she says. “This will just be a quick test. If nothing happens, then we’ll rule out one theory.”
Deep down, I suspect this isn’t temporary, but I keep it to myself. Yes, I’m excited and don’t want to wait either.
“Come on, Radcliff, where’s your sense of adventure?” Elese asks, which is the wrong thing to say.
He stiffens. “If we do this, I want it noted that I advised against it.”
Everyone glances at Beau. It’s his decision.
“Noted. We’ll do this,” he says. “Everyone aim your weapon at the middle of the gap. If the magician appears, stun him. Lawrence, if you sense anything amiss, you turn it off. I want your hand a centimeter above the last Warrior.”
My parents, Niall, Beau, and Elese all spread out, surrounding the center but standing between the Warriors. I brace for the pain as I reach for the next Warrior. It’s just as bad, but I keep from wincing as another green light shines. However, the next one doesn’t add any new pain. Bonus! I wake the other four in quick succession. Then stand right next to that last Warrior, ready to touch it again. I have my pulse gun in my other hand. My heart bounces in my chest. Did I just kill everyone?
We wait in a tense silence. There are no sounds. No additional lights. No sudden appearance of the magician or his boots. Nothing.
Five minutes later, still nothing.
Ten minutes, and nothing.
“How long are we going to wait?” Beau asks.
“A few more minutes,” Mom says.
I’m torn between disappointment and relief. Besides, just because I have a gut feeling doesn’t mean— A small black oval hovers over the center of the gap. It expands. My lungs stop working.
“Does anyone else see a black shape?” I ask with a squeak.
“Yes. Is it a HoLF?” Beau asks.
“No.”
The blackness grows until it’s about as tall and wide as a Warrior. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end. Niall is opposite of me and, behind him, a wave of green light rises, washing out the white floodlights.
“The Warriors,” Mom gasps. “They’re all glowing!”
“Lawrence?” Beau asks in a tight growl.
“Still no sign of hostiles.” But I sense a state of readiness from the Warriors. Focusing on the blackness, I strain to see inside its depths. The temperature drops and the air thickens, growing heavy. Both signals of shadow-blobs. Yet, I don’t spot any.
The edges of the blackness pulse as if something inside it is straining to break through. Another wave of green light crests. It’s almost as if the Warriors are pushing against the shadow-blobs. Maybe fighting them or protecting us. After a few more waves, the blackness stills. The edges sharpen into a rectangle.
The blackness dilutes and it’s like peering through a window. And I spot— I slam my hand down on the Warrior. All the green lights from the Warriors