Alex was almost at the last door, the door to the light. He shoved Kenzie with a wild mental force that drew strength from his fear. The door slammed open as Kenzie fell back into the curtain of light beyond. Alex felt the light roaring at him. He took it in, sent it roaring back out, shaped it with words as loud as the sun.

The light flickered, Alex heard a hissing on the wind, and, for a second, the old tin robot moved in his grip. Then he and his grandfather were lifted from their feet and thrown back against the rough garage wall by a concussive wave. For a moment, the day was blindingly bright. Kingdom leapt from the garage, shielding her eyes, and started helping them inside. The light faded. She slammed the door.

“Alex,” the old man said. “What did you . . . Are you okay? Can you hear me?”

Alex nodded. He couldn’t do much more.

“What just . . . What did he just do?” Kingdom said. She stood with her back to the door, staring at Alex as though she had never seen him before.

Alex’s grandfather shook his head. “He saved us. Let’s leave it at that. I’m more worried about what it might have done to him.”

“Good lord,” Kingdom whispered. She stood peering through the small garage window. The old man helped Alex to his feet and they joined her.

Machines lay lifeless everywhere, spread over a vast arc of scorched white grass and smoking black gravel. The figures across the smoldering lawn had been knocked to their hands and knees. Slowly, groggily, Zia got to her knees. Some of the paralyzed fliers began twitching weakly.

“Best to get moving,” Alex’s grandfather muttered. He considered Alex with grave concern. “You okay?”

“Just need a minute,” Alex said. “Or two.”

Kingdom bent by his side and whispered confidentially. “When we tangled with you, back in the office in Paris . . . I was never sure, the light was so bad, but . . . did you turn invisible?”

“Uh . . . yeah. Kind of.”

Kingdom nodded. “Strange day. Still, glad to know my eyes are okay.”

Alex’s grandfather turned to the big car behind them. “Oh, Rolls-Royce Phantom! Little ostentatious for my tastes, but a decent old tank to have in the circumstances. Harry’ll love this.”

The old man practically carried Alex and put him on the back seat beside the prone Metz, then ducked into the front as Kingdom started the engine. The car was spacious, but most of the space was filled with a tangle of dogs. The one named Maia put its chin on Alex’s lap and gazed at him, grumbling contentedly.