“I already have,” Chu said, his bizarre magical face turning to face him. “You have until noon to destroy Mistress Jane. If you do, you’ll be allowed through the doors and we will begin our work together. If not, you will die. Both of you.”

Tick looked at Jane, who returned his stare. How could I possibly hurt her? I don’t even know where to start. But I can’t let Master George down! He fingered the strap of the satchel on his shoulder.

He looked down at his watch. “We still have an hour.”

“True,” Chu said.

“Then leave us alone.”

Chu laughed a mirthless chuckle. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll remove myself from the Imager. But don’t worry—I’ll still be watching.” His face disappeared and the screen returned to blackness.

“Atticus, I’m sorry,” Jane whispered. “I’ve never heard of a technology that blocks someone from Chi’karda. Somehow he’s kept that a secret—a formidable task, trust me.”

“I don’t get how it works,” Tick said. “Normally, can’t you just fill up with Chi’karda and do all kinds of magical stuff? Like a wizard?”

Jane rolled her eyes. “Something like that. Perhaps all I need is a pointy hat with stars and moons sewn on it.”

“And right now you can’t do anything?”

Jane shook her head, squeezed her fists again. “It’s gone, completely. I can’t feel it, can’t grasp it, can’t do anything. It feels like my soul has been ripped from my body.”

“I don’t feel any different,” Tick said.

“That’s because you’ve never controlled it or understood it. You couldn’t even tell when you’d used it before—which I still find hard to believe.”

Tick looked at the floor. “I might’ve felt something. A . . . a burning.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter now. We need to make a decision.”

Tick knew what she was going to say. “He’s watching us, you know. I doubt it will count if one of us volunteers to die.”

“That’s not what I had in mind.” She gave him a creepy look—a blank stare, her eyes glazed.

Tick took a step backward before he realized what he was doing.

“I have no choice,” she said, taking one step toward him. “But . . . it’s for the best. Best for the Realities. I’m the only one who has a chance.”

“What are you doing?” he asked, his back hitting the wall of the hallway.

Tears glistened in her eyes. One escaped and spilled down her cheek. “I’m sorry, Atticus. I’m so sorry. I have no choice but to kill you.”

Chapter

44

~

Fingers on Neck

Sofia’s breath stuck in her throat as she stared up at the humongous structure that was Chu’s headquarters.