A concussive blast shattered stone and wood, sending vampires flying back against the cages. Adam sat up on his elbows and looked at me with pure astonishment.
Fausta yelled, "Frag out!" Tossed two metallic spheres at the vampires' position, and turned her face away. Blinding light flashed through the room. Spots danced in my eyes. I fell to my knees, gagging and heaving while my stomach groaned. I wondered if I'd eaten something spoiled, though this sensation felt much different from spicy Indian food surprise. Half-blinded, I pushed to my feet and saw Elyssa and Fausta pumping vampires full of the silvery lancer darts as the fallen bloodsuckers moaned and wallowed on the floor, severely weakened by the flash grenades.
Adam strode into the fray and found Amanda. He stood over her, feet planted to either side of her body, and pulled her partially upright by her pink T-shirt. "Where's Felicia?"
Amanda let out a weak snarl. "Go to hell, Arcane."
He punched her in the face, wincing as he did. Dropped his staff and jerked her shirt with two hands. "Tell me, you bitch."
She spat blood in his face.
Adam roared and slammed her head against the floor. His fists pummeled her face as an animalistic cry ripped free from his lungs. Elyssa and Fausta grabbed him by either arm and pulled him, kicking and flailing, off the bloodied vampire.
"Adam!" Shock filled Meghan's face. "What's wrong with you?"
Tears streamed down stricken man's face. He slumped in the grasp of the two Templars holding him. Elyssa gave Fausta a sad look and nodded. They let him go as Meghan rushed to his side.
"I failed her," Adam said, wiping at his face, hands clenched into white-knuckled fists. He stood, breathing heavily, obviously fighting the pain.
My heart almost broke looking at the man. I knew how he felt. I understood what he was going through. Felicia had died saving me. I walked toward Adam, my throat constricted with guilt. I remembered Maximus's text to me. Had he been lying, and already killed Felicia? Or might she still be alive somewhere? Maybe Amanda was just trying to push our buttons and had lied.
I didn't know if I should tell him and give him hope, or let him grieve. What would be worse, I wondered—having hope and finding her dead, or never knowing? I knew what my choice would be. I'd want to know. For me to keep this from him would be wrong, so very wrong. I'd been an idiot to keep it from him earlier.
"Adam, I—"
He turned on me. "You could have saved her," he said, voice quiet and broken.
His words stabbed my heart. I knew if he was angry now, he'd be even angrier when I showed him Maximus's texts. Pulling out my arcphone, I retrieved the messages and held it out to him. "I'm sorry. I should have showed this to you earlier. Amanda might be lying. Maybe Maximus locked her up somewhere and she's okay."
"Why the hell would you keep this from me?" Adam stared with disbelief at the phone before flinging it back at me.
I caught it before it bounced off my chest. "I was afraid you'd go over the edge, man. I didn't know whether it would matter or not."
He turned away, taking deep deliberate breaths. "We have to find her then." His voice broke. "Or find her body. I can't leave her here. I have to take her home."
"Wait a minute," Fausta said. "Maximus is gone?"
"Through the arch there." I pointed to the obsidian structure. "But when I freed the leyworm Dash had hooked up for its energy, it took the power with it."
"Where did he go?"
"Atlanta, I think."
Fausta cursed. She pulled out her phone and walked away, speaking in urgent tones.
Elyssa squeezed my shoulder. Kissed me on the cheek. "Are you okay?"
I nodded.
"This place is a mess," Bella said, leaning against her staff as she emerged from the tunnel. "And I'm pooped."
Healer Delgado knelt beside her, running a wand over her. "You've overextended yourself." She shook her head. "You'd better rest or you might burn out."
Bella nodded with a resigned sigh. "I know."
Michael appeared in the large hole which had been the original entrance before Amanda blasted it wide open.
"Where have you been?" Fausta said.
He took in the destruction without so much as batting an eyelash. "We've got another problem."
"Another one? Haven't the others subdued the remaining OPFORs?"
Michael nodded. "Some escaped into the tunnels beneath us. I saw them breaking the lock on a metal door. They got it open