"If we wanted to take the horses out tonight," Daryn says, "would that be a problem?"
"Around what time?"
"Two?"
Maia bites her lower lip, her focus turning inward. "Let me talk to Soraya and Sophia. I don't think it'll be an issue." She stops at the door. "If any of you get hurt on this 'ride' of yours, I'll kick your asses. So don't, okay?"
As soon as she leaves, we work on our strategy for inside the Rift.
We can't identify what drew the Harrows to us, but we agree that while we were traveling quietly, we went undetected. That's the course we'll keep: riding as a group, in silence, and maintaining a forward direction.
As far as finding Bas, we decide to let Daryn lead with Shadow. Bas's horse is as sensitive to him as the rest of our horses are to each of us. Maybe he'll pick up Bas's scent and take us to him.
It's a thin plan. Definitely could be stronger. But it's something.
"What about the Mustang and the cabin?" Jode asks. "The white flowers?"
Daryn shakes her head. "I don't know. I've been thinking about them. It's like they're emotional triggers."
"To what end? Driving us out of the Rift?"
"I don't know." She looks at me. My emotions trigger. Lots of new developments to think about. Later, though. "I've been thinking about how Samrael could get into your minds," she continues. "And how, when he made me open the portal in the fall, I felt part of him seeping into it. It felt like he contaminated it."
Contaminated. Perfect word. That's exactly how I felt when he got in my head.
"You think that ability of his bled into the place?" I ask.
"It was just an idea," Daryn says. "But it doesn't explain the flowers or the cabin. He couldn't see into my head-just yours."
Silence falls over us. Jode scratches his chin. "If they're psychological attacks, we can't let them work."
"Agreed." It's a chorus. A pact. But I'm not sure how we'll keep it-the actual mechanics of how we won't "let them work."
Jode looks at me. "We haven't talked about Samrael yet, or what he said to Daryn."
"What is there to discuss, Jode?"
"He needs to die," Marcus says. "Done. What's next?"
"You don't believe what he told Daryn? That he knows where Sebastian is?"
Marcus shakes his head.
"Gideon?"
"As a rule, I don't believe anything a demon says."
"Daryn, you're the one he spoke to. What do you think?"
"I … " She sighs. "I'm getting tired of saying, 'I don't know.' Taking into consideration everything I know at this time, I'm undecided."
"Undecided. So you might believe him?" I shouldn't be this pissed about something that's not even known yet.
Color rises in her cheeks, but her eyes don't waver. "Yes, Gideon. That's what I said."
"All right, next question," Jode says quickly, moving us along. "Have we planned an exit strategy? How long do we think we'll stay inside?"
Daryn slides out of the booth and lifts her backpack off the floor. She removes the orb, holding it in her palms. "In the chaos of things, Cordero hasn't asked for it back yet. Not that I'd have given it to her even if she had."
We move in for a closer look.
"This might influence our decision," she says. "It's deteriorating so much. Every time I've gone through, it's gotten worse."
The orb looks like tectonic plates, its surface broken and cracking into pieces. It looks like it's about to fall apart. It actually has fallen apart. One of the plates is missing. There's an entire piece that's not there at all-the sliver that was misplaced somewhere in Wyoming.
"I'm not sure we'll be able to get in again after this," Daryn says. "Tonight might be our last chance."
"Will we able to get back out?" Jode asks.
"I hope so," Daryn says.
I look around me. We all hope so.
* * *
At two in the morning, we head for the stable. The moisture in the air is thick. Heavy clouds are rolling in like a dark wave, and thunder rumbles constantly.
By contrast, camp is quiet. No one's patrolling and the usual guard posts are vacant. As we approach the stable, I see a few people huddled beyond the glow of the floodlights.
I lift my hand, knowing it's Maia and whoever else she recruited to help us pull this off.
Inside, Daryn tacks up Shadow. The guys and I summon armor and tack. Then we ride into the desert under flashing thunderheads that are about to unleash a tidal wave of rain.