Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Mathias

I had no idea who that woman was, or why she'd come, but I was impressed despite myself. Why, I wasn't sure. She didn't seem like much in her ponytail and jeans, her t-shirt and sneakers no different, really, than my own. But the way she carried herself, the casual power in her told me more than I needed to know. I pictured her standing against my father and, for an instant,

wished it would happen. I wished that Mabel had taken the woman she called Syd up on her offer of help. I had a feeling the leader of the First Race cult wouldn't last two seconds if she decided he needed to go.

A fierce joy filled me as the rainbow power surged in response to that idea. But not passing off the task, oh no. It wanted me to take care of things myself and I quickly scrabbled back from that precipice of insanity while Reena hit me again, her knuckles hard against my skin.