It wasn’t a feint, a missed step to throw me. Why?

I reached the doorway, saw the spider legs approaching…

Then changed direction. Flying back in. I scooped up more grit for a ‘coin toss’, and changed my orientation, to keep Mathers out of sight.

The whispering of my voice…

I fought more of the spider legs. Tore out more. He had two hunded legs, but I had ten arms, and I was stronger. He could only come at me with so many at a time.

An explosion shook the chamber. The residual debris and dust that was dribbling down from the damaged ceiling was cleared away by the resulting shockwave.

The Simurgh was still there, silent and waiting.

The Mathers Giant wasn’t where I thought she was. I almost looked directly at her, in the moment I realized it.

The attacker was Chevalier, backed up by some of his squad. He wore the black and silver armor that he’d worn for Gold Morning, made of pieces of Behemoth and the Simurgh, who had a hole in one wing.

I saw the Simurgh raise a narrow hand, and dust, debris, and rocks picked up. She didn’t get a hold on Chevalier, either.

He swung, and a piece of broken pillar leaped into the way of the blade. It barely slowed it down, but she was able to avoid it. He fired, and she avoided it.

I could have used the distraction to go after the giant, but I had only one shot. I couldn’t attack her without looking at her, and I couldn’t go in blind while the Simurgh was present and fifteen or so of her pawns were standing around, because I would fail. Too much exposure would make any future attacks twice as hard. A hundred times as hard.

Dinah first. My team would be with her.

I searched, avoiding looking at the giant, who wasn’t moving. The pain in my shoulder was getting worse, and that sunburn feeling was becoming a constant burn. My back, my side, my arm.

If this was the extent of what the Mathers Giant was doing, I could deal. Fake pain, fake burns.

If this wasn’t what the Mathers Giant was doing, I lost nothing by continuing to fight through the pain.

Chevalier was pinning down the Simurgh. I was left to continue searching. As much as I’d wanted, I couldn’t use my aura. Only flight, only the forcefield.

I found what I was looking for.

Two people, lying in a heap. One was Roman, bloodied, his mask lost.

He’d been the one calling my name. The whispers had stopped when I’d used my aura, because I’d cowed the person speaking.

He needed help. Gingerly, I lifted him.

“She broke my fall,” he whispered. He sounded more like a little boy than a kid in his mid-teens. “Please save her.”

I moved him, using my forcefield.