“I’ll take care of it when the rest are treated. We need to—” She broke off, managed a shaky “Dad,” and ran to Simon.
He caught her, his grip on her as tight as hers on him. “I’m okay. But you—” He pulled her back. “You need a medic.”
“When everyone’s treated. It’s nothing. You’re pale. Let me see.”
She yanked up his shirt before he could object, studied the healing wound in his right side. Laid her hand over it. “It’s clean, and healing. You’re pale from the blood loss. You should rest until—”
“I’m good enough, and your mom agreed.”
She studied his face, saw a little pain. “After how big an argument?”
“I won. Word’s already traveling back at how you ended this, and I want to hear all about it later, from you. I’m going to tell you now your mom, Travis, everyone on medical and support are okay.”
Her blood went cold. “What does that mean? What happened?”
“A handful of deserters got through the lines. They figured they’d take one of the mobile units and escape. They didn’t, but there was a skirmish. Your mom, Travis, Rachel, Hannah, Jonah, some of the others? Kicked some serious ass.”
“Was she hurt?”
“Not only not hurt, but she, and the rest of them, protected the wounded, the mobiles, and ended up with seven prisoners. Take your victory, baby.”
“The Dark Uncanny killed Lupa. He— I couldn’t stop him in time.”
Simon lowered his brow to hers. “I’m sorry. I’m damn sorry. Flynn?”
“He and Starr will take him home. We’ll take our dead home. We’ll cremate the enemy dead. There are too many to bury, and we’ll take ours home.”
She looked around, saw Taibhse perched on the pole above the flag. She sent her mind to Faol Ban, found him where she’d asked him to be, helping guard the wounded. And Laoch returning to her from taking the last injured to medical.
All of hers, she thought, alive and well. But others …
“Their blood sanctifies the ground.”
With his hand still gripping hers, Simon felt the rise of her power, saw others who worked to clear, to gather the dead stop. Her voice rang, lifted, carried to every ear.
“In this place where once dark ruled with cruelty and bigotry for a false and twisted god, I will bring a white stone, pure and polished. On this stone I will carve the names of all who died in the name of light and right, for the sake of the innocent. They will be mourned. They will be honored. They will be remembered.”
Sighing, she turned back to Simon. “Can you help gather the names?”
“Of course.”
She stood in the smoke, and remembering her own vision, swept up her arms to clear the air of the stink of it.
“I need to bring Chuck in to check out the tech, and I need a report from Thomas, one from Mallick. Troy and some of the others can add layers of magickal security to keep out enemies. We need an inventory of weapons, of supplies, equipment, medicines.”
“What you need is a temporary HQ. Take theirs for now. Colin’s already on the weapon inventory. I saw him on my way in.”
Just do the next thing, she told herself. Do the next thing, and when that was done, do the next.
“If they can spare Jonah or Hannah back at the mobiles, I’d like one of them taking charge of doing the inventory of medical equipment and supplies.”
“I’ll send a runner. We’ll get teams on the rest of the inventory. Baby, do your dad a favor and let one of the medics treat you.”
“I can do it. I’ll set up in the HQ. I could use Chuck.”
“I’ll have him brought in. Fallon? You’ve done what no one has been able to do in the decade or more since White and his PWs took this place.”
“We did,” she corrected.
“You’re right. And you were right about fighting for it. We won’t forget the dead, but don’t you forget that. You were right.”
He gestured to where a team had already begun dismantling the scaffold. “Put your stone there. Put it there where the bastards held their fucking public executions.”
“Yes.” Thank God for him, she thought. Thank God for the man who could see and feel and know. “Yes, I’ll put it there.”
As she started across the base, Tonia fell into step beside her. “Thanks for the save.”
“Anytime.”
“He was stronger than I anticipated—my mistake. Goddamn Petra.”
“His death won’t mean anything to her. She’ll just find another. She already