in a dramatic stage whisper behind her. Zoë‘s previous comment had clicked. “You’re
pregnant
!”
“Shhh,” Zoë whispered, a finger over her lips. They were in some sort of service tunnel. A patch of light shone in from one end, while cracks in the surrounding structure let in slivers of daylight all around. Even better than being free was the fact that she could now hear what was going on. That was the good news. The bad news was that what she was hearing didn’t sound good at all.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Deena asked, following at Zoë‘s heels.
“Will you be quiet?” Zoë hissed. She stopped to peer through a crack. “We’ll talk about it later.”
“Right. Sure.” Deena nodded, then leaned in close to Zoë‘s ear. “So, your powers are back?”
Zoë shook her head. “They’re gone again. The craving’s gone, and so are my powers.”
Deena raised an eyebrow. “Well, that sucks.”
So it did. But Zoë had to admit that she now understood why the High Elder had told her to take a full year off from her Council duties under the Halfling Maternity Leave policy. She still had to fill out all the paperwork, but basically she was off active duty until the baby was six months old.
She felt a little guilty about telling Zephron even before she’d told Taylor—but he’d gone to Geneva for a conference sponsored by the Mortal Counterparts to Protectors Coalition, and she’d only told Zephron because the disappearance of her powers had scared her.
Of course, now Deena knew, too. Hopefully, no one else would figure it out. Zoë didn’t want Taylor to be the absolute last person to find out he was going to be a daddy.
“So where are we?” Deena asked in a whisper.
Zoë had stood up and pressed an eye to a small crack in the low ceiling. She saw nothing more than a view of the bright blue sky. “Under the stands, I think.” She got down on her hands and knees. “Come on.” She started to crawl forward, toward a patch of light several yards away.
Someone was speaking, and the voice echoed beneath the stands. “Anonymity is so cowardly,” the man was saying. “Don’t you agree?”
Deena and Zoë exchanged glances, then rushed forward to peer through the tiny cracks in the wood, eager to see the enemy reveal himself. “I don’t think that’s Hieronymous’s voice,” Zoë whispered. “I’m guessing he got one of his underlings to pull off this little prank.”
Deena shook her head.
“I’m still hoping for regular, old-fashioned muggers. I kind of had my heart set on a quiet, laid-back summer.”
Zoë nodded toward the stage, where the man was tugging at his mask. “We’ll know soon enough.”
Up the man’s mask went, and he casually tossed it aside. Zoë gasped, her eyes widening in surprise. “That’s not an Outcast,” she said, rocking back on her heels. “He’s a Protector.”
Deena twisted around, her forehead creased with concern. “You
know
him?”
“Not personally. Jake or Jason or something. I saw him interviewed on
Protectors Tonight
after he escaped from Hieronymous about a year ago.”
“A shark in sheep’s clothing,” Deena said. Zoë raised an eyebrow, and Deena shrugged. “Well, we
are
at Sea World,” she added.
Zoë rolled her eyes.
“Stockholm syndrome, I bet,” Deena said. “He rejoined the Council, but he was really working all along for Hieronymous.”
Zoë licked her lips. “You must be right.”
“So what do we do?”
Zoë didn’t answer. Instead, her attention was focused on the dolphin swimming in circles in the pool. Faster and faster it went, building up momentum and tracing the water’s perimeter. One last pass, and the heroic dolphin leapt from the water, soaring through the air to smash right into Jake-or-Jason’s gut. The bad guy fell backward, knocked on his tush.
“Yes!” Zoë yelled, not caring if the kidnapper heard her. “Come on!” She started running.
Deena grabbed her wrist. “What is it? Do you
pregnant
!”
“Shhh,” Zoë whispered, a finger over her lips. They were in some sort of service tunnel. A patch of light shone in from one end, while cracks in the surrounding structure let in slivers of daylight all around. Even better than being free was the fact that she could now hear what was going on. That was the good news. The bad news was that what she was hearing didn’t sound good at all.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Deena asked, following at Zoë‘s heels.
“Will you be quiet?” Zoë hissed. She stopped to peer through a crack. “We’ll talk about it later.”
“Right. Sure.” Deena nodded, then leaned in close to Zoë‘s ear. “So, your powers are back?”
Zoë shook her head. “They’re gone again. The craving’s gone, and so are my powers.”
Deena raised an eyebrow. “Well, that sucks.”
So it did. But Zoë had to admit that she now understood why the High Elder had told her to take a full year off from her Council duties under the Halfling Maternity Leave policy. She still had to fill out all the paperwork, but basically she was off active duty until the baby was six months old.
She felt a little guilty about telling Zephron even before she’d told Taylor—but he’d gone to Geneva for a conference sponsored by the Mortal Counterparts to Protectors Coalition, and she’d only told Zephron because the disappearance of her powers had scared her.
Of course, now Deena knew, too. Hopefully, no one else would figure it out. Zoë didn’t want Taylor to be the absolute last person to find out he was going to be a daddy.
“So where are we?” Deena asked in a whisper.
Zoë had stood up and pressed an eye to a small crack in the low ceiling. She saw nothing more than a view of the bright blue sky. “Under the stands, I think.” She got down on her hands and knees. “Come on.” She started to crawl forward, toward a patch of light several yards away.
Someone was speaking, and the voice echoed beneath the stands. “Anonymity is so cowardly,” the man was saying. “Don’t you agree?”
Deena and Zoë exchanged glances, then rushed forward to peer through the tiny cracks in the wood, eager to see the enemy reveal himself. “I don’t think that’s Hieronymous’s voice,” Zoë whispered. “I’m guessing he got one of his underlings to pull off this little prank.”
Deena shook her head.
“I’m still hoping for regular, old-fashioned muggers. I kind of had my heart set on a quiet, laid-back summer.”
Zoë nodded toward the stage, where the man was tugging at his mask. “We’ll know soon enough.”
Up the man’s mask went, and he casually tossed it aside. Zoë gasped, her eyes widening in surprise. “That’s not an Outcast,” she said, rocking back on her heels. “He’s a Protector.”
Deena twisted around, her forehead creased with concern. “You
know
him?”
“Not personally. Jake or Jason or something. I saw him interviewed on
Protectors Tonight
after he escaped from Hieronymous about a year ago.”
“A shark in sheep’s clothing,” Deena said. Zoë raised an eyebrow, and Deena shrugged. “Well, we
are
at Sea World,” she added.
Zoë rolled her eyes.
“Stockholm syndrome, I bet,” Deena said. “He rejoined the Council, but he was really working all along for Hieronymous.”
Zoë licked her lips. “You must be right.”
“So what do we do?”
Zoë didn’t answer. Instead, her attention was focused on the dolphin swimming in circles in the pool. Faster and faster it went, building up momentum and tracing the water’s perimeter. One last pass, and the heroic dolphin leapt from the water, soaring through the air to smash right into Jake-or-Jason’s gut. The bad guy fell backward, knocked on his tush.
“Yes!” Zoë yelled, not caring if the kidnapper heard her. “Come on!” She started running.
Deena grabbed her wrist. “What is it? Do you
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