“The judge is moving things along quickly,” Thea muttered, echoing what Grace had been thinking. “The case is pretty straightforward, but I didn’t think he’d be handing things over to the jury so soon.”
“Well, we did our best,” Dax said. “All that’s left to do is wait.”
“Wrong.” Holly stood up. “My turn.”
“Where are you going?” Grace asked.
“I’m going to shapeshift into different members of the jury and convince them all that everyone else believes Mechwell is innocent.” Holly shrugged. “What else would I be doing?”
“Oh. Okay.” Grace stood, too. “I’m going to run to the restroom.”
She made it halfway down the hall before realizing she had no idea which way she should be going. She continued to where the hallway split in two. Right, maybe? Which way had they come in? After a few more moments’ hesitation, she ventured down the right hall.
The quiet air of the building was unnerving. It had been so busy earlier. The sound of distant footsteps only added to Grace’s unease. She picked up the pace. Her gaze flickered around the walls, searching for signs to point her in the right direction.
She reached another split and started around the corner to her left. The group standing at the end of the hall made her dart back. Once she was out of sight, she listened for any indication that the Red Blades had seen her.
A faint command reached her ears. “Split up.”
Footsteps started her way.
Running would make her location obvious. As quietly as she could manage, Grace hurried back the way she’d come and frantically searched for somewhere to hide. Her eyes finally found the restroom sign. She darted through the doorway and around the corner, pressed her back to the wall, and quieted her breathing.
It took her trembling fingers longer than they should have to unmute her comm. “Jasper!” she hissed.
“Angel?” came Jasper’s response. “What’s up? How’s the trial going?”
“I don’t know. I went to the bathroom. There are Red Blades here!” Grace threw an anxious glance at the door.
“What?” The shock in Jasper’s voice made Grace’s heart race even faster.
“I think they’re looking for me!” Grace told her.
“Holly? Thea? Dax? Hello? Can someone help Grace?”
None of the others responded. What was going on? “I don’t know what’s happening,” Grace said. “The jury was about to deliberate.”
“Okay, hang tight. I’m on my way.”
“But the race—”
“I said I’m on my way,” Jasper insisted. “I’m way ahead of everyone, anyway.”
Footsteps stopped outside the restroom. “Check in there. Seems the next logical place if she’s not in the courtroom.”
In a panic, Grace glanced to her left, where she spotted a closet. She grabbed the door handle and tried it. Locked. She gritted her teeth and pushed harder. Something snapped. The handle broke off and the door opened.
“I thought she was with Van Terra,” another voice replied.
“Van Terra denied they’re working together, apparently,” the first Blade said. “But they have been seen in the same locations. And Van Terra was parked here. Whatever is going on between them, this is a good place to check for Alvarez.”
Grace slid into the closet and pulled it shut. She peered through the hole in the door where the handle had been. A moment later, a man entered the bathroom. He stalked down the aisle of stalls, checking each one.
Grace was breathing too hard. Her heart beat too loudly in her chest. The man turned around, his gaze sweeping the sinks. Could he hear her? His eyes rested on the closet door. He started toward Grace. She backed away from the door and searched the small space for anything that could be a weapon.
When the Blade yanked open the door, she was holding a shelf panel, the contents of which she’d spilled on the floor. She swung at his head.
The Blade ducked, dodged, lunged forward. The next thing Grace knew, she was being thrown to the floor. Her head smacked against tile. Spots of light danced on the ceiling above her, and then on the Blade’s face as he stood over her. He lifted a dagger.
Something made him pause. He frowned and looked toward the bathroom door. There was a sound in the hallways, getting louder. Relief washed over Grace.
It was a motorcycle engine.
People shouted in the hall. Jasper flew into the bathroom, dragging a second Blade by his shirt. She threw him into the first and sent them crashing into the closet.
Jasper slid to a stop and off the motorcycle in one smooth motion. “You okay?” she asked as she crouched next to Grace.
Grace watched her own reflection move in the visor of Jasper’s helmet as she nodded. She hadn’t completely caught her breath, but her vision was clearing. “Yeah, I—”
The Blades climbed back to their feet.
“Hold that thought.” Jasper straightened up, grabbed her motorcycle by the handlebar, and swung, sending the Blades back into the closet. “How many more are there in the building?”
“I don’t know,” Grace said.
“Okay.” Jasper climbed back onto the motorcycle.
“Wait!” Grace looked back. “What if they get back up? Or more come this way? Or—”
“Take a deep breath, Angel. You’ll be fine as long as you’re with me.” Jasper jutted a thumb at the space on the seat behind her.
Grace scrambled onto the back. Jasper grabbed the sword strapped to the side. A pink sword with a wide blade that gave off a faint glow. “You ready?”
“Yeah.”
They sped out of the bathroom. “I’m dropping you off in the courtroom. The others can handle any Blades that show up there.”
As three Blades came racing around the corner ahead of them, all Grace could do was hope that Jasper was right.
“Hey Angel, are your wings ready?” Jasper asked.
“I can use them, if that’s what you mean,” Grace replied.
“Okay. I’m going to launch you out of harm’s way. Ideally, you will land right in front of the courtroom doors.”
“Ideally?”
“Yes. You ready?”
The Blades were drawing guns now. Aiming at Jasper.
“Okay!” Grace’s voice came out panicked. “Do it!”
Jasper hit the front tire’s break, lifting the motorcycle onto the front wheel and launching Grace into the air. She soared over the Red Blades’ heads and spread her wings enough to slow her fall. Her landing was awkward but not too painful.
Jasper flipped over the front end of the motorcycle and flung it over her head at the Blades before any of them could attack Grace. They went down with the bike. She stalked toward them.
The first Blade jumped up. “We won’t hurt you if you help us get Alvarez.”
“You think I’m stupid?” Jasper lifted her sword.
The Blade fired three shots at her. She knocked them all out of the air with lightning-fast slashes. A second Blade climbed to his feet and pointed his gun at Grace.
Grace opened the courtroom door, ducking as she did. The bullet ripped through the dark wood above her.
“—find the defendant not guilty.” The judge’s gaze, along with the rest of the courtroom’s, moved to the door. To Grace.
“Uh, security?” Grace yelled.
A Blade collided with floor behind her. “No worries,” Jasper said. “I already did their job for them.” With that, she hopped on the motorcycle and sped off.
Grace hurried to the defense table, throwing back glances to make sure no more Blades were following. “What happened?” she hissed as she slid into her chair.
“What happened to you?” Thea asked.
“Blades showed up! Jasper was the only person responding on comms.”
“Sorry! I was having some problems getting signals in and out of the courtroom.”
“Well, we won,” Dax said. “So, yay?”