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  White Buffalo Calf Woman.

  “Come with me, Gaia!” she shouted over Gaia 2’s howls of pain.

  Instead, I leaped up and tackled Gaia 2 against the wall, pinning her there with the force of my rage.

  “Why did you do it? Why did you kill those women and frame me for the murders?”

  “I know!” Gaia 2 laughed. “Hilarious, right?”

  Up close, it was like looking in a mirror. She could not have been a more perfect twin. “How did you find me here?” I snapped.

  “Like calls to like, bitch.” She sneered and spat in my face. “You might drop off my radar now and then, but I always pick up your signal soon enough!”

  “Who’s the stupid one?” I pushed her harder against the wall. “You’re done now. You’re going down. You shouldn’t have come here.”

  “Is that what you think?” She laughed louder than ever. “You think you’ve beaten me?”

  Just then, I heard a loud rumbling, and the observation deck trembled under my feet. As Gaia 2 kept laughing, the whole tower swayed from side to side.

  “You’re an even bigger moron that I thought!” said Gaia 2. “I can’t believe she based you on me!”

  The ground continued to rumble, and the tower continued to sway. I had to shift my weight to stay on my feet as the whole thing teetered.

  Suddenly, White Buffalo was by my side, gripping my arm. “Gaia, we have to leave. Let her go and come with me.”

  The tower’s shaking intensified. So did Gaia 2’s laughter.

  “We must live to fight another day.” White Buffalo’s voice was insistent, as was her tight grip on my arm. “Come now.”

  “Use your power!” I told her. “Whatever she’s doing, counteract it!”

  “I already am.” Her eyes flared, and I could suddenly see the strain in them. “She isn’t the only one applying pressure.” Her face twitched, and she grunted. “A much more powerful entity is doing most of the damage…one I cannot resist alone.”

  “Who?”

  “Mother Earth, you dumb bitch!” said Gaia 2. “God! Do you have to have everything spelled out for you?”

  Again, the shaking got worse. The deck tipped back and forth, making it harder than ever for me to stay standing.

  As much as I hated to admit it, we couldn’t win this fight.

  “All right, fine!” I hauled back a fist, aiming it at Gaia 2’s head. “Just give me a second!”

  Ebon, who’d finally come around, grabbed my arm. “Leave her! We need to go!”

  “She’ll be a lot easier to carry if she’s unconscious!”

  He and White Buffalo pulled me away as the tower tipped farther than ever. “We’re not taking her with us!” he said. “She’ll point Mother Earth right at us!”

  “She’ll do that anyway!” I shouted as they swung me toward the open window.

  “Not where we’re going,” hissed White Buffalo, right before she and Ebon leaped out of the window with me between them.

  Chapter 18

  I have always been somewhat earthbound, it’s true. Something to do with being an avatar of the planet; also, I’ll admit, due to the complications of not having identification that would stand up to airport security. It comes with the territory when you’re created supernaturally instead of being born the usual human being way.

  But I finally got a taste of flight that night, as White Buffalo and Ebon carried me out into the sky over Vancouver.

  Cool night air took my breath away as we hurtled into the very view we’d admired from the observation deck of the Vancouver Lookout. The city’s towers glowed around us, window after window lit from within. Boats and ships in the harbor cast their beams upon the still and darkling waters, flowing out like mirages beyond their original sources. Lights glittered on the hillsides like stars fallen to Earth, blinking out their cries for rescue from the twinkling firmament above.

  Immersed in it now, as we were, that scenery seemed so much sharper and more vibrant. So much more imminent and shocking. The wonders around us were more encompassing, more all-consuming—also more threatening. The gulf between us and the ground was vast; if we dropped, the distance would kill us in a matter of seconds.

  Fortunately, the woman beside me was keeping us aloft and guiding us forward. Glowing with a shimmering incandescence, White Buffalo propelled us from the Lookout and between the nearest buildings like birds on wing.

  In the top floor windows of one of those buildings, I saw a cleaning lady watching and waving, sweeper nozzle in hand. I wanted to wave back but knew that if I did, I’ve have to let go of the hand of the woman who was keeping me airborne—that, or the hand of the man who was holding on to her through me.

  Slowly, we descended, following a long arc down to street level. As soon as our feet touched the sidewalk, White Buffalo stopped glowing and let go of my hand.

  Looking back up into the sky, I saw no pursuers coming after us. “Nobody followed us,” I said. “Looks like we’re safe for now.”

  “Not as long as she knows where we are.” White Buffalo pointed at the street, at the planet underneath. “We need some cover, Ebon.”

  “Coming right up.” Ebon stood in the middle of the sidewalk, spread his arms wide, and closed his eyes. He remained quiet and mostly still for a long moment, the slight quivering of his fingers the only sign of movement.

  Then, when I heard the sound of something squeaking nearby, he opened his eyes and lowered his arms. “Done and done, milady. I just called up some reinforcements, and they’re here.”

  The squeaking got closer and seemed to be coming from all directions. Soon, the source of it became known to me as well, as the first of a legion of small, furry creatures emerged into the bright beams of the next streetlight along our way.

  Rats.

  A horde of them scampered up and surrounded us on all sides, retaining an untouched pocket for us even as they matched our pace and direction of travel.

  “We have a screen from below now.” Ebon gestured overhead, and a flock of bats gathered above us, also squealing and matching our speed and direction. “And one from above.”

  “Still,” said White Buffalo. “It’s safe to say our time here has expired. Even screened, as we are now, it’s won’t be long until the world and her warrior run us to ground.”

  “I agree,” said Ebon. “They’re too close. Even with my screens, they’ll take us down soon enough.”

  “We need to leave tonight instead of tomorrow,” said White Buffalo. “As soon as possible, we need to reach our destination, or all will be lost.”

  “It could be risky,” said Ebon. “Remember, water plays havoc with my blocking techniques. We could end up very exposed.”

  “But we could also use the water in our defense,” said White Buffalo. “Maybe we stand a chance as long as we’re not on dry land.”

  “Maybe,” said Ebon. “I can try screening us with fish and birds and see how that works out.”

  “What about the local Landkind?” asked White Buffalo. “Or are they all on Mother Earth’s side?”

  “That’s a good question,” said Ebon. “Maybe Mid can reach out to the Lady of the Strait of Georgia and find out.”

  “Our escape could be possible after all, in spite of the challenges.”

  Ebon blew out his breath as we rounded the corner, still surrounded by our shielding rats and bats. “I just hope we don’t lead them right to where we’re going.”

  “It doesn’t matter if they follow us or not.” White Buffalo patted his shoulder. “They can’t reach us when we get inside.”

  “Where is this again?” I asked. “This place we’re going?”

  “You’ll see, warrior.” White Buffalo smiled. “I will tell you this, though—there is no other place like it in all the world.”

  We finally approached the familiar front door of our hotel. Dispersing his rats and bats with a flurry of flutters and squeaks, Ebon stormed up and grabbed the glass door’s ornate brass handle.

&n
bsp; “You two go up and get Mid,” he said. “Make it snappy. I’ll meet you all in the lobby after I take care of something.”

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  “Checking us out early,” said Ebon, bowing slightly as he held the door open for White Buffalo and me. “Assuming Mid didn’t empty the mini-bar, it should just take a minute,” he said with a wink.

  Chapter 19

  The four of us rushed along the marina pier, searching for the berth of the boat Ebon had rented. Thanks also to Ebon, someone was supposed to meet us there—though trusting her, trusting anyone, was taking a massive risk.

  As we hurried over the wooden planks between rows of bobbing vessels, Mid suddenly stopped. “Did we lock the car? I was in so much of a rush, I don’t remember.”

  Ebon laughed. He’d parked the Indiana State Police cruiser in a nearby lot, and he assured her no one would mess with it there. Even if they did, he doubted it would matter; it was possible none of us would come back from where we were going...and if we did, we’d have much bigger things to worry about.

  As Ebon had been told when he’d made arrangements over the phone, our ride was at the very end of the pier—a small fishing boat with the name “Sea Lyin’” printed on the tail. Someone was already on board, waiting for us, and she leaned out and waved when she saw us coming.

  Ebon waved back exuberantly. “Georgia, I presume?”

  “None other.” The woman aboard the boat was tall and slim with red hair cut in a bouncy bob. She wore a loose green blouse with the sleeves rolled up and high-waisted white slacks cinched with a gold chain belt. “You shouldn’t have any trouble keeping my name ‘strait.’” She giggled.

  “Because you are a strait,” said Ebon. “Nice play on words!”

  “Thank you!” Georgia fluttered her hands overhead as if to quiet a round of applause. “I’ll be here all week! Please, try the veal!”

  “You’re too much, Georgia!” Laughing, Ebon gestured at the three of us. “I know you’re going to hit it off with this bunch.” He reached for Mid’s hand and helped her step up on the gangplank. “This is Mid Silvergone, a classic Earth avatar and jailbreak expert. Mid, this is Georgia.”

  “Very nice to meet you,” said Mid as Georgia helped her across the plank and into the boat.

  “And this…” Ebon reached for White Buffalo’s hand next. “…is White Buffalo Calf Woman, a powerful Native American goddess of the Midwest. She possesses astounding abilities…”

  “But water isn’t really her thing.” Smiling, Georgia led her onto the boat. “No sweat. I’ve got it covered. I’m not just here for my pretty face and awesome figure, you know.”

  Finally, Ebon reached for me. “And this is Gaia Charmer.”

  “The rightful current avatar of Mother Earth, recently deposed.” Georgia curtsied. “It’s my honor to work with you, ma’am.”

  “Thank you,” I said as I crossed the gangplank. “It’s good to meet you, too.”

  “Looking forward to doing some brainstorming about the future.” Georgia helped me down into the boat and smiled excitedly. “Going from being a simple strait to embodying the entire Pacific Ocean will be a hell of a challenge! I’m going to need all the guidance I can get!”

  I looked back at Ebon when I heard that one, and he just shrugged. He hadn’t mentioned the full details of the deal it had taken to get Georgia to help us, but now I knew. Since we’d heard that most Landkind (and Waterkind) had sided with Gaia 2 and Mother Earth, it had taken a huge promotion to get Georgia to throw in with our beleaguered little band.

  Ebon took a last look around, scanning the sky as well as the shore, and then he joined us aboard the Sea Lyin’. “Let’s get going.” He untied the rope from the cleat on the pier and headed for the driver’s seat up front. “The longer we sit around out here, the greater our chances of getting squashed like a bug by you-know-who.”

  He started the motor, pulled out of the slip, and headed out into the heart of the harbor. It was a warm summer night, and other boats were out there, too, but traffic wasn’t bad.

  Looking back, I saw there was more activity focused on the Vancouver Lookout. Helicopters circled the structure, whisking searchlights over its damaged and tipped observation deck. Fire ladders stretched up from below, reaching partway up the tower’s height in the red and blue strobes of emergency responder lights. I could hear voices calling out from that direction over loudspeakers, muffled by distance.

  It was just another mess left in the wake of my war-self twin.

  “Are the screens up?” I asked over the thrum of the boat’s motor. “Are we blocking her?”

  “I’m doing the best I can,” Ebon said over his shoulder. “I’ve got a huge school of fish running under us, and a swarm of gnats overhead—but like I told you, the water interferes with my blocking. We all need to be ready for anything.”

  Mid closed her eyes, tipped her head back, and spread her arms. “I’ll let you know if I detect anyone closing in.”

  “Dry land is my usual battlefield,” said White Buffalo, “but I’ll do what I can to repel any attackers.”

  “Don’t worry so much, people.” As Georgia spoke, streams of water rose from the strait around us, meeting above her head to form the twin-lobed outline of a heart. “I’ve got this. The entire Strait of Georgia and all its associated waters and contents stand ready to defend you with unparalleled power and ferocity.”

  Her confidence was reassuring, to a point—though I doubted a single body of water could stand for long against the combined strength of Mother Earth and her war-self avatar.

  “White Buffalo.” Ebon turned from the controls and tapped her shoulder. “I need you to make sure we stay on course. You’re the only one who knows exactly how to get where we’re going.”

  White Buffalo approached him. “I will gladly steer us there.”

  “Be my guest.” Ebon moved out of the way, relinquishing the wheel to her steady hands. “If anything seems off, let me know immediately.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of doing otherwise.” As soon as she took the wheel, White Buffalo eased the boat to starboard, adjusting its heading.

  “So, where exactly are we going, anyway?” asked Georgia. “You haven’t been very specific about that.”

  “Someplace amazing,” said Ebon. “One of the few places in the world that even the world itself doesn’t know is there.”

  Georgia frowned. “Which is…?”

  “You’ll see soon enough.” Ebon turned to White Buffalo. “How long will it take to get there, do you think?”

  She thought for a moment. “Three hours, perhaps more. It’s hard to say, especially with the time differential when we cross the border.”

  “The border of what?” said Georgia. “There’s nothing three hours out except open ocean.”

  “Nothing you know of,” said White Buffalo.

  “Wow,” said Georgia. “Nothing like heading out to sea in search of something I don’t know even exists and not getting a straight answer about what the place is supposed to be.”

  “Welcome to my world,” I told her.

  Shaking her head, she came over to stand beside me, watching the lights of the city recede behind us. “They aren’t telling you anything either, huh? Aren’t you the one who’s supposed to save the human race from extinction?”

  “Apparently.” I shrugged. “Though that’s pretty much all I know at this point.”

  “Does that sound like a recipe for success to you?” Smirking, she pulled out a vaping pen and switched it on. “Keeping your key people in the dark?”

  “Sure, but what do I know?” I smirked, too. “I’m just a former human avatar of Mother Earth, that’s all.”

  Georgia laughed. “Seriously? Because I thought you looked familiar.”

  “Yep.” I nodded. “But now I’m just the least powerful person in the boat, wondering what the hell I’ve gotten myself into.”

  “Let me tell you something.” She moved closer and l
owered her voice. “Something I’ve learned after all my years as a body of water between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia.”

  “What’s that?”

  “The people who think they’ve got it all under control? They end up the same way as everyone else when they fall in the deep end.”

  “How is that?” I asked.

  Georgia grinned slyly. “All wet.”

  Chapter 20

  The night turned cloudy, the sky darkening as we followed the strait to the open ocean. The further we went from the glow of Vancouver, the darker it got.

  For the next few hours, the five of us were mostly quiet as we rode onward, the sound of the boat’s motor and the lapping of waves against the hull the only things audible. Those sounds and the rocking motion of the boat were almost hypnotic out there in the darkness, putting me in a frame of mind that was strangely calm and contemplative considering the level of danger we faced.

  I found myself thinking not of what lay ahead, but what I’d left behind. I wondered if my friends back in Confluence were okay, and if they’d all recovered from Gaia 2’s attack. Were Duke, Luna, Nephelae, Ashanti, and the others safe and sound? Were they thinking of me?

  I especially wondered about Briar. Was he working the case, reaching out to law enforcement across the country to try to bring me in to stand trial? Was he slow-walking the investigation to give me time to resolve it myself?

  Did he miss me?

  Looking across the boat, I watched the breeze ruffle Ebon’s hair, and I remembered his kiss. It shouldn’t have meant a thing to me; he was practically a stranger, and I didn’t appreciate the way he kept me in the dark about the “secret plan” and our mysterious destination. So why did I still wonder about him? Why did I care even the slightest bit about how he felt about me?

  And why would I give him even a second thought if there was a chance he might be influencing my mind with his powers?

  The hell if I knew.

  “Something’s coming!”