Vex (Regenerate #4)

Chapter 15

Mia is still unconscious when I open the door. I suppose that makes sense. With her lightning bolt powers, they wouldn't have a way to keep her here if she were awake.

Mikayla has a black eye, but otherwise doesn't seem any worse for the wear. Lorna's mask obstructs enough of her face that I can't really tell how she is, but she frowns when I come in and I take the fact that she's moving as a good sign.

As soon as I shut the door around me I shift back to myself.

"You got away from him!" Lorna says.

I nod as I start working on undoing the ropes they'd tied her up with. "Mantis is locked up in a safe house. I think he's back to normal, but I obviously couldn't bring him along."

"But he is safe?" Lorna asks.

"Yeah. He's safe."

Lorna rubs feeling back into her wrists as I move on to freeing Mikayla. When I finish, I turn back and see that Lorna is freeing Mia, even though she's still passed out.

Lorna tucks a loose strand of Mia's hair behind her ear. Then she turns back and blushes slightly when she notices I'm watching.

"In case she wakes up," Lorna says.

"Right," I say. "So Mantis is gone, but there's a new guy. I have no idea what his power is. The good news is, if we can get the guys away from Siryn long enough, I think they go back to normal. Or maybe we have to knock them out first. I kinda knocked Mantis out."

"That's definitely a story I want to hear later," Lorna says. "I think Mikayla should keep Loa preoccupied. He's strong but he's not fast enough to catch her."

Mikayla gives Lorna a thumbs up.

"Do you want Derek or the new guy?" I ask.

Lorna considers for a moment. "The new guy. You take Derek. Since it's not quite as bad if he burns you."

"What if the new guy does something worse than fire?" I ask.

"I'll improvise," Lorna says.

"And whoever takes their guy down first goes for Siryn?"

"Deal," Lorna says.

We're about to step out when I say, "Let me go first. As Mantis. Maybe I can get close enough to one of them to take them out easy."

"Good idea," Lorna says.

I shift back into Mantis.

And somehow, when I walk back to the main room, I see that Siryn has invited another guest. This one I do know. Bug guy. Insecto. Under better circumstances, I might wonder how in the world he got here.

That means a change of plans. I'm going to take him out first.

"Well?" Siryn asks, when she sees me.

It's only then that I remember that I was supposed to be getting my location from Lorna. That could work to my advantage, though.

"They planned to meet up at Griffith Park if anything went wrong," I say. "That's where she'll be. Somebody should go after her."

Send somebody on a goose chase. Even the playing field a bit.

"No," Siryn says.

"Why not?" I ask.

She glares at me, and I suppose she's not used to being asked questions by her puppets. "Because, she's beneath me. Regenerating is a nice little party trick, but there's nothing she can do to me. She's not a threat."

In a movement so fluid it surprises even me, I spin, swinging hard at Insecto's head. As I'm turning I shift back to myself. Insecto staggers back after my arm connects with his head and I take advantage of that to slam his head into the wall, knocking him out.

"What was that about not being a threat?" I ask.