Cal fought to become the focus of their link, but the enhancer gave her the advantage, taking his energy and multiplying it by ten, then a thousand, in an endless circuit of synergistic power. He felt himself getting pulled into the vortex, no longer giving energy but having it taken from him. Audrey’s eyes began to glow blue and her skin, wet with sweat, began to spark.
Cal felt his nerves fry. He fought, controlled a surge, lost, doubled his efforts, lost again. Thunder shook the room and the smell of ozone filled the air.
Something flickered in his periphery. Through the smoky blue haze, Cal saw the Imp move toward them. Audrey howled and pulled more energy from Cal, pouring it through the circuit. This was his power, yet not his to command. He couldn’t let go of her hand.
Woodrow crumpled to the floor, but Audrey didn’t stop. The muscles of her hand had contracted—she was unable to release the trigger. The conductor showered the room with fire. The walls burned. The ceiling dropped huge chunks of flaming plaster. Cal knew his hair was on fire, felt his skin blister from the heat.
He was locked into place, incinerating.
And so was Audrey.
Waking up was not a slow thing. One second Cal was dreaming in the dark, the next he was shouting.
“Don’t move,” a low voice warned.
He tried and found he couldn’t. He saw heels and floor and realized he was being carried. He turned his head to the side and saw Audrey, also upside-down, unconscious. The Imp kicked Cal’s leather jacket inside the elevator and Cal felt it with every blackened pain synapse in his body. His world went dark again.
When he woke, he was flat on his back. He opened his eyes. Audrey lay next to him on the tile, unmoving.
“Holy fuck, what happened?” Cal heard Truman ask.
“Nothing good,” Jake answered. “You brought the girls?”
“You need more than the girls. You need the fire department.”
“On its way.” Jake’s voice sounded thick, distorted.
“Why didn’t you wait for me?” He’d never heard Tru sound so furious.
You didn’t answer your cell. Cal tried to find the energy to speak.
The Doc crouched down next to them. “Get her into the car,” she said to Sam, who gently lifted Audrey and carried her away.
The Doc bent over him. “You’re a mess.”
“I’m fine. Go with Audrey. Help her,” Cal whispered. He wasn’t fine, but he didn’t care. He was good enough and the Doc could fix him up later. Sirens wailed in the background.
“Jake, you got the boy?” the Doc called.
“Yeah, I’ve got him.”
The sirens got louder. “Get everybody out of here. The floor is collapsing and my squad will be here any second,” Truman said.
The Doc stood up. “We can’t move Cal like this, and I don’t have enough time to heal him.”
“Gotcha.” Jake appeared above him.
Cal’s vision blurred. “I’m fine. Where’s Woodrow? Is he still downstairs? He tried to kill us.”
“Feel no pain,” Jake said kindly. “And go to sleep.”
Chapter Fourteen
Audrey’s world was black and blazing blue. She couldn’t move her arms or legs and her mind was simply there, but not processing thoughts. Her brain was full of static, jagged lines and noisy sparks. There was something important she needed to remember.
“The Doc can’t do anything for her.” She knew that voice, had heard it before, although it sounded different.
“I know, buddy. I’m sorry.” This voice was unfamiliar, and very sad.
“I thought…I had hoped, well, you were able to read her at the Lair the other night, so I thought maybe the Doc’s powers would work on her too.”
A deep sigh. “I couldn’t read her, Cal. I was just fucking with you. I’m so sorry.” He really did sound sorry.
Audrey heard nothing more until a choked sob broke the silence. She hoped the man would comfort his friend.
“Jake said it was a hell of a blast. Do you remember what happened?”
Jake.
She remembered now. Incandescent blue light. Power. Heat searing her lungs. The smell of gunpowder. Fire. Calvin. She opened her eyes.
Cal scrubbed his hands over his buzz cut. “I touched her. I never should have touched her. I was only going to give her enough energy to stop Woodrow, but I couldn’t let go. Neither could she.” His voice was anguished. “If my powers don’t affect her, why the hell is she unconscious? The Imp carried us out of there before the fire got out of control. There’s hardly a mark on her. Why won’t she wake up?”
“I’m awake.” Her voice was a wisp of sound.
“Audrey!” Cal reached for her hand then froze.