a half-bad idea, but I'd be willing to bet Max has a few more tricks up his sleeves."
"What about guns?" Katie said. "What if the place is surrounded by armed vampires?"
"Thomas has provided us with upgraded Nightingale armor," I said. "It'll stop the bullets."
"I'm gonna look ridiculous in that black unitard," Shelton said with a grumble.
"You can wear it under your clothes," Elyssa said, rolling her eyes. "It's skin tight and nobody will notice."
He groaned. Looked at Meghan. "How long does geek-boy's sister have before—uh—you know?"
Her lips tightened. "Not long. Hours at most, the last time I checked."
"And she's the same crazy vamp who helped kidnap your father?" Shelton said, shaking his head.
"I seem to recall a certain Arcane who tried to kidnap him, too, Shelton. Just before Felicia and her gang showed up."
"Man, you're never gonna let me live that one down, are you?" Shelton shoved the fedora back on his head, and stood up. "Guess I need to go put my bulletproof undies on."
I looked around the room. "Look, it's not the best plan in the world. We don't have any recon on the place, or certainty that Maximus and Barclay will be there. If anyone wants out, I won't blame you."
Ryland grinned. "Why would I want out? This is gonna be fun."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Stacey said.
A chorus of agreement went up from the others.
Elyssa took my hand and held it tight. "Guess we'd better get moving so you can be back in time for your sci-fi marathon."
I couldn't help but laugh.
It was go time.
Chapter 36
We piled into SUVs outside.
"I am pumped!" Ash said.
Nyte bumped his fist and said, "Dude, we're gonna show them what OP is."
Ash grinned. "Totally IMBA."
"What does that even mean?" Elyssa asked, climbing into the passenger seat.
"Gamer stuff," I said, wondering if I'd ever get to play a video game again. "OP stands for 'over powered', and IMBA is 'imbalanced'."
"And you're using this terminology in real life?" Katie said, sliding in next to Ash. "Kind of nerdy." She caught my eye in the rear-view mirror as I adjusted it, and winked. "Then again, I guess I'm surrounded by nerds."
Ash suddenly looked self-conscious as the cute blonde sidled up next to him. "Uh, yeah."
Adam and Meghan climbed in the third-row bench seat, closing the side door behind them.
"Ready," Adam said.
The door opened again, revealing Cinder. "May I ride with you, Justin? I believe my presence may cause discomfort to the others."
Adam slid over. "Come on in."
"Let's kick some ass!" Ash said pumping a fist in the air as Cinder took a seat.
"Woot!" Nyte shouted back, as the two performed a complicated series of fist bumps and handshakes.
I turned on the engine. Shifted into gear.
"Oh, wait," Ash said, a sheepish look on his face.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Can I run in and use the bathroom real quick?"
A few minutes later, we were finally ready to go.
The drive to Edgewood seemed to take forever, though it was only a few miles. We arrived about fifteen minutes before midnight. What used to be a school loomed large in the hipster neighborhood, its Gothic architecture practically shouting, "Vampires R Us." It lurked across the street from a popular bar and just down the road from a number of other popular restaurants.
As usual, crowds of late-night revelers wandered about, some in drunken hazes, while smelly bums and street artists competed for the spare change of passers-by. If anything went wrong, at least the Custodians might be able to convince any eyewitnesses it had been an alcohol or drug-induced hallucination.
The moment I stepped out of the van, déjà vu punched me. Fear gripped my chest. I felt claustrophobic. The memory of straps tightened around my body, of being held helpless to the depravities of Maximus and his ilk replayed in my mind. Never again. A hand touched mine. I jerked. Saw Elyssa's concerned gaze. Only then did I realize how hard my heart beat in my chest. How tight my lungs felt despite my rapid breaths. Her concern softened to understanding, and yet she said nothing. Instead, she smiled.
The weight in my chest lightened, and a deep breath cleared the fear and apprehension.
I smiled back.
My senses tingled. There were vampires nearby, of course, but they weren't the only ones. It didn't take long to spot random people who looked out of place in the buzzing night life, their faces too serious and too sober to be anything but Templars.
"Looks like my father isn't taking any chances," Elyssa