The Fate of Ten

“Nice,” I say. “You don’t even have to hit anyone, Marina. You just have to make them think the attack is coming from all sides.”

Now that we’re finished, there are only two Skimmers left on the runway: the one we came down here in that Adam’s been trying to repair, and the one that’s got Phiri Dun-Ra tied to it. I’m satisfied with our setup so far. It feels good to be doing something, at least.

“This is good, Six,” Marina says, her arms crossed, looking at the Mogadorian ships now arranged like guards in front of the Sanctuary. “Perfect if Setrákus Ra sends in his warriors. But what if he’s out there on the front line himself? Hurting him would mean hurting Ella. We can’t risk that.”

“You’re right,” I reply. “We’ll have to figure out a way to at least slow him down.”

I start towards the passageway that leads into the Sanctuary and pretend not to notice when Adam lags behind, touching Marina gently on the elbow as he does. They slow but only walk a few steps behind me. With my enhanced hearing, it’s pretty much impossible for me not to eavesdrop.

“I’m sorry about before,” Adam says to her quietly. “I got carried away.”

“It’s all right,” Marina replies kindly. “I shouldn’t have called you a monster. It just slipped out. I don’t really think that.”

Adam laughs once, self-deprecatingly. “No, you know, I’ve wondered a lot over the years if that—if that’s not a good word for us.”

Marina makes a noise, about to say something more, but Adam cuts her off.

“It’s okay—I’m sorry again, about everything. I know what it’s like to lose someone you care about. I shouldn’t . . . I won’t be so cavalier about leaving this place again. I get why it’s so important. What it means.”

“Thank you, Adam.”

I turn around, pretending not to have been listening to their entire conversation. We’re in front of what used to be the Sanctuary’s hidden door. It’s a narrow stone archway leading to stairs that run all the way down to the hidden chamber beneath the temple.

“So,” I say, hands on my hips. “How do we stall the most powerful Mogadorian in the universe without hurting him, while at the same time stealing his warship out from under him?”

Adam raises his hand. “I have a question.”

I can see the wheels turning in his head. “Shoot.”

“This entire plan is predicated on chance—Setrákus Ra going for the door, Setrákus Ra sending out warriors, Marina being able to distract them with some bombs and ghost weapons.” I open my mouth to respond, worried he’s getting freaked out again, but Adam keeps rolling. “It’s the best option we’ve got. I agree with you. But, assuming it works, assuming we do manage to steal the Anubis while Setrákus Ra sits down here. What then? What do we do next? We still can’t kill him.”

“But he won’t be able to kill us either,” I reply. I know it’s not exactly the brilliant strategic gem Adam’s hoping for, but I honestly haven’t thought that far ahead. I’ve been too focused on our immediate survival.

“Perhaps we could negotiate,” Marina suggests halfheartedly. “For Ella, or the Sanctuary . . .”

“Despite how fervently he would tell you otherwise, Setrákus Ra has no honor,” Adam says. “There can be no negotiating.”

“Then it’ll be a stalemate,” I say. “And that’s better than losing, right?”

Adam considers my words, digging his heel into the dirt in front of the archway.

“All right,” Adam says. “Then I suggest we dig a hole.”

“A hole?”

“A pit,” Adam continues. “In front of the door. A large one. Then, we cover it up and let Setrákus Ra fall into it.”

I push my toe into the dirt. Thanks to the shadows of the Sanctuary and the nearby plant growth, it’s soft and a little damp, not like the hard-packed and sunbaked dirt of the runway. All our Legacies, that stockpile of Mog weapons, a bunch of C-4—and now we’re talking about digging a hole. “Well, he’s exactly the kind of asshole who doesn’t watch where he’s going, especially if he’s sporting a major boner to get into the Sanctuary.”

“There’s an image,” Adam replies.

“Once he’s down there I can ice over the top from my hiding spot,” Marina says, getting on board. “That could slow him down further.”

“Well, at least it’ll be hilarious to watch him fall in a hole,” I add optimistically.

“It’ll have to be pretty big,” Adam says, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “He can change sizes.”

“Good thing we’ve got Legacies to help with the digging,” I reply. “Even if it only buys us a few minutes, that might be enough to get us on board the Anubis.”

“One more thing, and you might not like this idea,” Adam says to Marina, before gesturing towards the Sanctuary’s door. “But maybe we should cave that in. It’ll be one more thing to get in Setrákus Ra’s way.”

It’s a good idea, but I look over at Marina before saying anything. She thinks about it for a moment and then shrugs. “They’re only stones,” she says. “What’s important is that we protect what’s inside.”

“Should I get some of the C-4?” Adam asks.