Spellhacke- M. K. England Page 0,85

a total standstill, and before I can get it together, they turn away.

Finally, the professor and his husband break apart, but stay linked by the hands as we all head back inside. The professor looks around the front room, studying each photo as if seeing it for the first time, then turns to us.

“Thank you for what you did back there. It’s a shame we’ve had so little time together, but I’m sure you’ll want to be moving on after all that.”

I look to Remi to let them make the call about traveling, and they nod.

“Yeah. We don’t want to bring anything else down on you, and after what we’ve learned, I think we have some work to do. Right?” they say, looking around at the rest of us.

“Right. We have to do something about this,” I say, as solid and confident as I can. “We’ll never be able to live our lives otherwise. They’ll always be after us. We could never go home.”

“And they’re still hurting the planet, too,” Ania says. “How many people are hurt, or killed, or have their lives ruined by these constant disasters? We need to get into MMC and stop their drilling operation. If they don’t screw up and cause another spellplague, then it’ll be the earthquakes that kill us all, or the hurricanes, or the volcanoes. This world will tear itself apart.”

My eyebrows shoot up. “Wow. You aren’t normally the one for going in with guns blazing. Not that I disagree at all—just surprised. In a good way.”

She shrugs primly. “Well, there’s finally more at stake than just our pocketbooks and the chance to have some fun with my ware. Remember who my parents are? When people need help, all-out guns blazing is what we do.”

I laugh, and it sounds harsh and strange after all that’s happened. After everything that’s gone down among us all.

Ania continues. “Besides, there might be a cure for the spellplague out there. If there’s even a chance, we should take it. Let the world know and see what happens. You know I’m in. Jaesin?”

Jaesin’s brow furrows as he looks us over, concerned-dad face on, but he nods. “I’m in. We have to do something, right? Otherwise we just go into hiding forever.”

“And that sounds so boring,” Remi says, then smiles grimly. “I think you’re gonna need someone who’s already spellsick down there to do some dirty work right at the source of the plague. Plus, I love you, Ania, but I think this is gonna take some on-the-fly weaving under pressure.”

Ania holds up her hands. “Hey, I know my limits. I’m the math, you’re the poetry.”

“Wow, that’s kinda beautiful,” I say, drawing faint grins from all the others.

Our eyes meet, the four of us, and for the first time in days—maybe weeks—it feels like we’re on the same page.

The professor frowns, but nods. “Please be careful. Getting into one of MMC’s most heavily guarded facilities won’t be easy. The drill site is deep underground, and only the executive board has the codes to unlock the drill’s controls. I’ll bet anything it’s heavily guarded. Just . . . take care of yourselves. You know now how vicious MMC can be.”

My gaze drifts to the chat icon in the far corner of my vision. I bite my lip, an idea forming despite the wave of fierce protectiveness trying to kill it. I don’t want to involve Davon in this any more than I already have. This isn’t his mess. He’s already risked his neck enough for me.

But this is fate-of-the-world-level stuff here. There’s really no choice at all. Besides, he’d want to be asked. I owe him the chance to help.

I blow out a slow breath and resign myself to the inevitable.

“We have someone on the inside who can help us, actually,” I say.

Jaesin’s eyes narrow. “Are you sure? Will Davon really help us go against his employer?”

I pause, letting scenarios play out in my head. Will he? He loves his job, and he’s dedicated to doing his best work for them. He recently got promoted, and it meant a lot to him.

But he went down into the tunnels with me. He wanted the truth almost as badly as I did. And he cares about me. He’s the only family I have left. If it came down to me versus MMC, he’d choose me every time, hands down.

I nod decisively.

“Yes, absolutely. Once I tell him what they’ve been doing and what we want to do about it, he’ll be on