Janco shook his head. “According to Heli, it’s gotta hit with some force or the glass won’t break.”

We rigged a slingshot instead, with Valek aiming and Teegan on hand to nudge the orb in case it went off course. Not like we could practice.

I crouched with Ari and Janco about two hundred yards away from Valek. Teegan promised he’d be able to protect the two of them from flying debris, and there was no reason for the rest of us to be with them.

The faint twang of the slingshot reached me a few seconds before a roar of sound dominated all my senses. Wind and pressure flattened me to the ground. Leaves, dirt, branches and a fine white powder blasted over me. My skin felt rubbed raw. The cacophony ended as suddenly as it began. Unless I’d gone deaf.

Janco pushed up to his knees. “Holy snow cats!” His voice sounded very far away.

Glad my hearing still worked, I turned to see what he gaped at. The storm’s energy had cleared a path in the forest. And in the distance, a huge hole replaced the garrison’s wall. Then it hit me. There was no sign of Valek or Teegan. Panicked, I jumped to my feet. Ari was right behind me as we waded through the debris, calling their names.

A small hand poked up from a pile of leaves. Ari and I cleared the branches and bits of the wall from the mound. Underneath, Valek covered Teegan’s body. His shirt was streaked with bloody rips, but he rolled off the boy with a groan.

Teegan sat up. “Wow. That was...incredible!”

“What happened to protecting the both of you with your magic?” I asked Teegan. My voice was sharper than I’d intended.

He jerked as if slapped. “Didn’t expect...so much...power.”

I touched his shoulder. “Sorry.”

“Not his fault,” Valek said. He struggled to stand.

Ari pulled him to his feet as if he weighed nothing. “Let’s go before they regroup.”

We trudged through the rubble and climbed over the broken edge of the wall. Soldiers milled about in shock, some of them sporting bloody cuts and gashes. A few helped others who lay on the ground. Cutting through the chaos, Teegan led us to the nearby barracks. Chunks of the wall were embedded in the sides of the building, and the glass had shattered in all the facing windows. People streamed from the building, gaping at the damage. A number of them milled about, unable to act, while others looked as if they were waiting for orders.

I pointed to a group of people. “There’s Councilor Cowan.”

Teegan nodded, then called the Councilors to him with his magic. They shuffled toward us as if sleepwalking.

Ari, Janco, Valek and I guided them to the wall and encouraged them to climb over. All the while, we assured them they would be safe as long as they kept moving away before the rest of the garrison collapsed. When we entered the forest, Councilor Tama Moon resisted.

I clasped her hand and murmured comfort and reassurance in her ear. After a minute, she met my gaze.

Confusion swirled in her eyes, but also recognition. “Yelena, you’re here.”

“Yes, I am.”

“For us?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

I hoped that was a sign that the baby had drained the magic brainwashing her, but I didn’t know for certain. When she steadied, I moved on to Councilor Bloodgood. I made sure to touch them all during the long trek through the forest. It lasted until dawn, when it became obvious we all needed a break.

“Do you think we’re far enough away?” Janco asked. He gulped a mouthful of water before handing the skin to Ari.

“Teegan?” Valek asked.

Valek’s injuries looked worse in the daylight. But he wouldn’t let me tend to them or use his magic to heal them, claiming they were minor.

“We have a good lead on them. Plus those tracks Janco made earlier have led half of them in the opposite direction,” Teegan said.

“Good.” Valek studied our traveling companions.

The Councilors huddled in pairs. Their expressions still remained a bit stunned. But none complained or demanded to be returned to the garrison. They thanked Ari as he shared a water skin and strips of jerky. However, I suspected the questions would soon start.

“We need to split up,” Valek said.

No one appeared to be happy about this—quite the opposite. And while I trusted Valek had our best interests in mind, the Councilors still believed he worked for the Commander.

“Why?” I asked him.

“We’re too big a group. It will slow us down and attract unwanted attention.”

“Shouldn’t we be seeking help?” Councilor Greenblade asked. She spread her hands wide, indicating the trees around them. “My clan will be more than happy to render all of us aid and shelter.”

“We can’t endanger your clan,” I said.

“Endanger them, how? The Commander is our enemy, not our own people,” Bavol said, speaking for the first time.

Hostile glares focused on Valek. He met my gaze. “Time for plan B?”

I shook my head. Not yet. Instead, I explained to the Councilors about the Cartel, Bruns, Owen and the Commander.

“No, you’re wrong,” Councilor Cloud Mist said. “The Cartel is helping us defeat the Commander.”

“Then why are you in the garrison and Bruns is at the Citadel?” I asked.

“To protect us from assassination.” Councilor Cowan pointed at Valek. “To protect us from him.”

“If I’d been sent to kill you, you’d be dead by now,” Valek said in a flat tone.