She grabbed Leo’s hand again. And instead of launching the ship into the stars, she did the one thing the collectors never expected.
Tessa closed her eyes. The eleven digits blazed behind her lids: . She didn’t know why, but she spoke them aloud. run to witch mountain
Tessa pulled Leo close. “Do you trust me?” She grabbed Leo’s hand again
“The number,” Leo said. “Say it now.” The eleven digits blazed behind her lids:
She turned the mountain on —every light, every frequency, every dormant defense system. The peak blazed like a second sun. The forest shook. The serpent woman shielded her eyes and screamed as a wave of pure silver light rolled down the slopes, erasing every suit, every van, every trace of the men who had hunted them.
They reached a ridge just as the first flashlight beams cut through the trees. Below, the dark suits swarmed like ants. One of them raised a device—a silver rod that hummed, a sound that made Tessa’s teeth ache. Leo winced.