Talakai grunted as his arms took the extra strain. She wrapped her long legs around him, her finger talons sinking deeply into his shoulder muscles.
I was horrified, but I couldn’t look away, and neither could Dietrik as he hauled me back to my spot on the other side of the room.
“Hurry up,” he encouraged Brock at the controls. “I want a piece of that.”
My gut twisted, and I started to struggle—a pointless exercise with the chains, but my rage needed an outlet. Dietrik cursed and plowed his fist into my gut. It drove the breath right out of me and gave them time to string me up again over the pit.
Xumi was moaning as she rode Talakai, her movements making him sway as he dangled on the chains. When her two sons joined her, I closed my eyes.
Rage flooded me. Not for myself, but for what she was doing to the Dragon. TomyDragon.
Although I did my best to block it from her, Anna sensed some of it. Enough that she swore, and said,When I get there, I am going to lay my hands on that bitch, and drain her dry.
And I’ll hold her down for you,I snarled.
10
Anna
I leaned against the wall as Matt’s images flashed through my mind. What that monster was doing to Talakai—I struggled with my rage.
The entire group hunkered down around me. “Is it Matt?” Cody asked. “Does he know where he is?”
Swirled up in chaotic imagery, I could only shake my head. But try as I might, I couldn’t figure out what was happening to him. I didn’t believe him when he said he was fine.
“He doesn’t know yet where they are.” What if he couldn’t figure it out? I blinked away tears of rage and looked up into Cody’s gaze.
“We’ll find him, Anna.”
I swallowed. “Let’s get this show on the road.” I pulled off my cloak and slung it over one shoulder, then tugged on the rope to let Logan know I was coming. He tugged back, and up I went.
I reached the top and braced myself before flinging my cloak over the wire. The blades woven into it were razor-sharp, but by folding the thick fabric, I managed to keep them from my skin as I slithered over and then down the other side.
Once we were all over, Cody said, “Tell Wyatt to start his distraction with Mari. But remind him—keep it low-key.”
Maddy’s eyes flashed. Logan’s did too. He must have been adding his two cents worth.
Then she straightened. “Mari is only going to be a backup—she’s not sure she won’t do damage. Wyatt isn’t as strong a Shaker, so he’s going to give it a go.”
“You’ll have to hide all of us as we approach the building,” Cody said. “We will have to scout for access along the back and sides. I know this location well from when we did the initial assessment for Night Games. So once we’re in motion, I’ll hang back and let Anna take lead.”
What? He met my eyes, and grinned. “My role for this mission is to provide guidance.”
I stared at him, all my doubts rising within me.
“You just need practice,” he assured me. “And I’m here if needed. Cara said you tapped into the local animal life at Xumi’s lair. Can you do that here?”
I mentally kicked myself for not trying that already. I thought of my power as useless unless I touched someone, but the animal thing had potential—it had saved Jacques and me at Xumi’s.
So I closed my eyes and cast my energy outward. And immediately found that I’d already attracted an audience. Small flying critters were perched along the window ledges at our backs, watching me with bright little eyes.
We had Valki in the air, with her link to Maddy, but maybe I could amplify our eyes in the sky. I sent an impression of them flying around the target building, checking for possible open windows or doors.
They fluffed their feathery bodies and took off on four wings. As though competing to get to the goal first, they bumped and buffeted each other as they flew.
Moments later, I was bombarded with images of windows. I swayed, my fingers flying to my temples as I sifted through them.
“Yoou ookay?” Logan asked.
