Page 23 of Spring L.A.W.
“He didn’t,” Lioness said. “But someone else did.”
And just like that, the sketch went blank. Not smeared. Not faded… Gone.
Lioness blinked hard and dropped the pad. Her nose was bleeding. Her pupils were enormous.
“They cloaked,” she whispered. “Not just the car. The whole damn area.”
“Cloaked with what?” Rayna asked, already conjuring a defensive sigil in one palm.
“I don’t know,” Lioness said. “But it looked…lethal.”
Joell’s jaw tightened.
“Everybody out. We’re walking the rest of the way. Quiet, low-power protection grid, and absolutely no dumbass hero moves. Right, Rayna?”
The wallsof Fort Hamilton were concrete, the lighting clinical, and the coffee, according to Michael, was an act of war.
Major Payne stood at the head of the long table, arms folded. His mirrored aviators sat on the table beside a sealed black case. Michael didn’t like the look of that case. Daniel liked it even less.
“This is a stupid idea,” Michael said, slouching. “And I say that as someone with a master’s degree in stupid ideas.”
Payne ignored him. His attention was locked on a screen mounted on the wall. A grainy aerial image flickered: the witches, standing beside a Prius, surrounded by a soft golden shimmer barely visible to untrained eyes.
Daniel leaned forward. “Is that a protection grid?”
“It’s weak,” Payne said. “But functional. Wait… They’re moving on foot.”
“Why not take them in now?” Michael asked. “You’ve got assets on the ground.”
“They’re not the target,” Payne said. He opened the black case. Inside sat an obsidian disk etched with glowing runes. “Thisis.”
Daniel stiffened. “That’s an extraterrestrial locator.”
“Good,” Payne said. “You remember your training.”
“Are you seriously considering that the witches might not be from Earth?” Daniel asked.
Payne shrugged. “It would explain how they have those superpowers.”
Michael’s eyebrows lifted. “That thing’s outlawed under the Accord.”
“So are other tools,” Payne said. “Didn’t stop your girlfriend from hiding a few.”
“She’snotmy…” Michael stopped himself.
The major’s eyebrows rose. “Since I have you here, can you tell me the nature of your relationship with Rayna?”
“Maybe you should askher,” Daniel said.
The major sighed. “I did. She was being as cagey as you two are now.” He glanced at one, then the other. “Let me be blunt. Are you romantically involved with her?”
They burst out laughing. When Daniel got himself under control, he said, “No. Michael and I are romantically involved with each other.”
“Oh! I had no idea.”
“Yeah, when we were under your command, there was that whole ‘Don’t ask; Don’t tell’ thing.”
“And you didn’t ask until now,” Michael said.
