The WARD had about a half hour left on it when Blaze came back through the parking lot doors. The guard on duty opened them for her, and she slipped inside carrying my fold-up cot in one hand, my blue pack strapped across her back, and an insulated bag in the other. Her steps quickened the moment she saw me, her face lighting up as she hurried to reach me.

  She set the cot and bag down and pounced on me, hugging me tight enough that I felt the pressure through my doublet. “I’ve been worried about you, but they said you’re fine inside the WARD. I hurried to get here before it dropped.”

  I hugged her back, relieved just to have her here. “Where were you? What’s been happening?”

  “I got a call from my boss at the state office. He wanted to know, and I quote, ‘What the hell is going on down there, and why the hell is the Army involved?’”

  The way she mimicked him made me chuckle. I believed every word of it.

  “It took a while to calm him down and explain it. I had to go over things a few times before he started to understand. Ingrid kept me updated about what happened here after I left. She said we almost lost you before SandB got here.” Blaze hugged me tighter and rested her head on my shoulder.

  “Everything went black…then SandB showed up and gave me enough MANA to wake up and power the WARD. I’m not gaining any MANA in here, though. I just hope they moved the specimens far enough away that they can’t reach me again.”

  “The specimens? The ones we collected in the quarry?”

  “Yeah. One fragment of something green…maybe grass…and some stuff on slides. We think they’re connected to the Boss somehow. I don’t know how. All I know is my MANA was being drained into them. Then I think to the World Boss.”

  Her grip on me tightened again. “Will. We all agreed. You aren’t going out there tonight. You’re staying here unless we find somewhere safer and further away.”

  “I’ve known that since the drive here.” I smiled softly. “I wouldn’t let me go out either. That thing would take me over, and I don’t have a defense against it except for the WARD. Here, I can use the Army’s comms and watch their feeds. This place was designed as a combat operations center, even if they haven’t used it for that yet.”

  Even in the cool, echoing air of the main room, I could feel her fear. Her stiff shoulders, her worried eyes, the way she half leaned against me…it wasn’t just me she was scared for. “It’s for both of us.”

  “Lieutenant Marmari is in charge until Captain Park gets back,” I told her. “Park went back to their fort to get something. Don’t know what, but they think he’ll be back before the Boss appears.”

  “When’s that supposed to be?”

  “Around nine or ten tonight. That’s when it first showed. But if we’ve got enough people out there, it might come earlier.”

  “Can you keep WARDs up that long?”

  “If the Army cooperates and lets me TRANSFER MANA from their soldiers each time it drops. I should be full by then. I’ll just shift the WARD so I’m not in the way, but close enough to monitor the screens. Who’s handling our people at the quarry?”

  “Sir Andrew, Gar-Kosh, and Bhaarrt. Andrew’s in charge of the line, Bhaarrt’s the liaison with the Army, and Gar’s supposed to be teaching people how a boss fight works. Most of the Irregulars, 19th & Fox, and other local guilds are already heading out.”

  “Not everyone can make it,” I muttered. “And a lot of unguilded people will be out there too. The GRA told me the word’s spreading. They all want experience…but I don’t think they know what they’re walking into.”

  “What about the Army?” Blaze asked.

  “Marmari told me both platoons are on their way to dig in. They’ll work with the Eddington folks. That’s Marmari and Bhaarrt’s headache, not mine. The Guard will be in place by six.” I laughed. “Heard they’re already setting up, and I quote, ‘finding firing solutions’ for the quarry and around it. They say it’s good practice.”

  She gave me a look, half exasperated, half worried.

  “Beyond that, we’re in the dark. I just hope we’ve got better guesses than anyone else. Gar-Kosh teaching raid tactics helps. This is close to a raid, and I told him he could run raids when we had one.”

  “If you stay here, you won’t get any experience from it.” Blaze squeezed my hand.

  “I know. I’d love to have it…but I want to be in control of my body and mind. It almost took me already. From here, all I could do is wreck this place and kill people until someone killed me. I crossed that off my to-do list a long time ago.”

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  She shocked me then. Not a quick kiss on the cheek…but a deep one, tongue and all, while hugging me hard enough to knock the wind out of me. I wasn’t selfish…I gave it right back until laughter, whistles, and shouts of “Get a room!” from soldiers and academics made us break apart.

  We were still laughing when I teased, “So what’s in the bag? Now you’ve got my appetite back…” I stretched out the pause, “for food.”

  I ducked as she swatted at me, her cheeks flushing.

  She unpacked the insulated bag, and the smell of warm casserole and coffee drifted out. We used the cot as a table so I didn’t have to leave the WARD. She sat close to me, leaning against my leg, while we shared the meal. The thermos of hot coffee nearly made me moan with relief as the bitter steam rose in the air.

  “When I got back to your place, the Holdens were there, and there was a line out the door,” Blaze said. “Sarah…SandB…was enchanting everything she could for everyone helping tonight. She leveled Enchanting up at least once while I was there.”

  “Megan and Ryan were helping too. Both guilds, plus people from others, showed up. Bailey made Sarah take breaks, and I cooked for them while she worked. She said it was your idea?”

  “Mostly,” I admitted around a mouthful of tuna casserole. “I gave her my key so she could enchant for her guild. The Ley Lines at my place help recharge. Didn’t expect her to invite half the town.”

  “Not quite half,” Blaze said with a wry smile. “She was exhausted when I left, but another guy, a fresh Level 1 Enchanter, stepped in to help. He’s probably Level 2 by now.”

  “Good. We need more Enchanters. If it wasn’t her, it’d be me…or both of us. Tell Sir Andrew that if there are too many people, the ungeared stay back. If that Boss has area effects, it’ll slaughter them. I set Level 3 as minimum for this fight. Make sure the Irregulars and 19th & Fox get their upgrades.”

  “I’ll tell him. Will…do you still want to merge with 19th & Fox?”

  “If they’re putting in this much, yes. We need good, active members. Plus, I want those buffs from the Dungeon book. We’ll be able to help other guilds when they’re ready to merge.” I took another bite, then added, “Besides, we like them. They’ll fit in with the rest of us crazy types.”

  She gave me a playful look. “Are you calling us crazy?”

  “As crazy as a fox. Or maybe a loon. If you’re Canadian.”

  Her laugh echoed under the high ceiling, lightening the heavy mood.

  It told me she got the Canadian reference.

  “You’ll never stop, will you?”

  “Nope. If you’re sticking with me, you’re stuck with it.”

  She gave a dramatic sigh. “Poor me.” Then she smiled and hugged me again.

  Maybe having someone around full time again would be a good thing. Unless the FBI reassigns her somewhere else.

  We talked about celebrating after the fight, maybe with Sir Andrew’s beer stash, joking about keeping things legal. For a moment, it felt almost normal.

  “Maybe we can all come back here to celebrate. It has enough room.”

  “Did you see anyone at his party who shouldn’t have been drinking?” she asked.

  “Nope. Not a one. Neither did Chief Brown.” I winked at her. “And we know it was all good. We should keep it that way.” We laughed at the shared memory.

  Checking the WARD timer, I saw only eight minutes left. Time always went faster with her beside me. “I’ll need to recast soon. Find out where they want me to move it. Ask Sergeant Jans to gather enough people so I can TRANSFER MANA again before the battle. If I top off, I’ll last longer if I have to be out of the Ward.”

  “As long as you rest a few hours first.”

  “I will. Promise. You even brought me a bed. I promise I’ll use it.” I needed more rest.

  Blase stood up and started walking towards Sargent Jans.

  “Too bad it only fits one,” I teased.

  She spun on me, face red. “Will!” Her outburst drew more laughter from the room until even she cracked a grin.

  Then she froze, as if a lightbulb went on. “Do you have your phone?”

  “It’s in my pouch. Why?”

  “Get it out. I’m calling you.”

  I fished it out quickly as she dialed. It rang. I answered, “You rang?”

  Her giggles came through both the phone and across the room. “It works! It’s not magic so the WARD doesn’t affect it. We can talk through the WARD.”

  The GRA side groaned. “Damn it, why didn’t we think of that?” someone muttered. Another promised to keep my phone charged.

  “Ingrid’s phone worked too,” Blaze said. “I wanted to be sure ours did.”

  I shrugged toward the academics. “What’s a few more new things? You’ll have plenty of them to keep you busy tonight.”

  When Blaze came back from talking to Jans, she said, “They’re pulling people to run and record this from both sides…military and university. The big screens will show video from the computers. More screens are being set up for tonight.”

  “Good news,” I said. “Where’s the new WARD going?”

  “In front of the Army stations, but not blocking the doors. Closer to the restrooms too.”

  “You had to mention that…” I sighed, and we both laughed. Sergeant Jans joined in.

  “Whenever you’re ready, I’ll move.” I told them. “Then I’ll see about how I feel afterwards.”

  Sergeant Jans came over. “When you’re ready, sir. And let us know before you step out. I’ll have two soldiers escort you to the restrooms. We don’t want a repeat of earlier. You scared the hell out of us, sir. We don’t want it to happen again. Got it?”

  “Yes, Sergeant. I got it.” I stood, offering Blaze a hand up. She didn’t need it, but smiled anyway.

  Behind us, a dozen soldiers and students gathered close. Their boots and shoes scuffed against the tile, the sound sharp in the wide room.

  “When I drop the WARD, I’ll cast TRANSFER MANA. Ready?”

  I let the WARD fall. Blue light flickered across my vision as I cast the area effect. MANA poured into me. My pool filled to three-quarters…I had a big tank, but it was filling.

  “Nothing so far,” I told them, stepping to the spot Jans had indicated. I raised my hands, cast the WARD again, and exhaled with relief as the barrier shimmered into place. “Still nothing.” I told them, stepping inside it.

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