He cracked open an eye, and swore fluently. “To repeat an earlier question, why the hell would someone do that? It could have been anyone walking through that door.”
“Which is why the magic checked us out first.”
He glanced at me. “It did?”
“Yeah.” My stomach was beginning to settle again, although the madmen in my head didn’t seem too inclined to follow suit. I nevertheless stood upright, and held out a hand. “Need some help getting up?”
“Yes.” His fingers gripped mine. I couldn’t help noticing the slight tremor in them. “Although I have to say, the view from this angle isn’t half bad.”
I glanced down as I hauled him upright. My sweater had not come through the second shift at all well. Not only had I lost a sleeve, but there was a gaping hole down my left side that exposed one breast. And my jeans weren’t in much better shape, hanging on my body in shredded bits.
“It’s nothing you haven’t seen before,” I commented. “And your clothes haven’t fared much better.”
“No,” he muttered, glancing down. “Although it does explain the sudden feeling of freedom.”
I half laughed – which I regretted the moment the madmen in my head sprang into action with their pokers – and released Jak’s hand. “I think you’d better stay here while I check —”
“No way on god’s green earth,” he cut in. “If I’d hung back last time, I’d be dust like those walls. Consider me your shadow until we get out of this place.”
I couldn’t exactly argue given it was totally true. I took a careful step. The air stirred, and the hairs at the back of my neck rose.
Something else was here.
I stopped and scanned the room again. The dangling electrical wires swayed lightly, even though the place was hushed and the air up here still.
The images of snakes rose again. I swore under my breath and drew Amaya. She began to hum with excitement and flames flickered down the edges of her steel.
“Drawing your sword is not a good sign,” Jak said. “What can you see that I can’t?”
“Moving electrical wires.”
“Electrical wires? Seriously?”
“I’m afraid so.”
I took another step. The swaying got stronger. It was almost as if they were attempting to grab us. My skin crawled and I quickly swiped at the nearest one. It plopped to the ground and didn’t move.
Not that it should. I mean, it was electrical wire.
“You don’t think you’re overreacting, do you?” Jak’s breath was warm against the back of my neck. He might not believe the wiring presented a threat, but he still wasn’t taking any chances.
“Can you feel a breeze?” I swung Amaya around as another piece of wiring snapped toward us. It retreated.
Definitely not the behavior of inert wiring.
“No, but —”
“Then tell me why the hell those wires are moving like they are.”
“I’m sure there’s a reasonable answer, but fucked if I can think of it right now.” He paused. “Maybe we should leave?”
“What makes you think whatever magic inhabits these wires doesn’t also inhabit the ones that control the elevator?”
“There are stairs —” He yelped and jumped, cannoning into me and sending me sprawling forward.
I caught my balance and swung around, Amaya ablaze in my hand. Jak was jumping around like a madman, frantically pulling at the piece of wire slithering up his leg. It was the piece I’d sliced moments earlier.
Amaya, destroy that thing – but don’t hurt Jak!