Lycan Legacy - Paladin: Tales of Luna White - Werewolf Veronica Singer (children's ebooks online txt) 📖

located, in a dark spot under a broken streetlight. It probably looked like the Saudi Electricity Company was working on a busted transformer.

Mike and Manny wore jeans and work shirts with the power company’s logo on the back. I was back in my abaya. I had volunteered to chop my hair off and wear a loose shirt and pants to blend in as one of the work crew, but both Mike and Manny had vetoed that idea.

“No matter what you wear,” Mike had said, “anyone can tell you’re a woman.”

We exited the vehicle in silence and stood for a moment.

“Mike, before I forget, you need a hug.”

Mike stepped into my arms willingly. I nuzzled his cheeks, spreading my scent on him. With my mark on him, Logan wouldn’t blindly attack.

I turned to Manny and opened my arms. “Your turn, Manny.”

“A cactus like you is giving out hugs?” Manny said. “You think letting me cop a feel before we go is gonna make up for you taking us on this insane mission?” His tone was light, but I knew he was still frustrated.

“It’s for good luck, Manny,” offered Mike. “It’s something we do before every mission.”

“Luck,” Manny scoffed. He took a deep breath. “I don’t need luck, I need—” He oofed as I moved in and squeezed him tight, tight enough that he couldn’t speak.

“I’ll do my best to keep you alive, Manny,” I whispered as I nuzzled his head.

I relaxed my grip. “You can still walk away.”

I could feel the tension seep out of him as he returned the hug. “I never bailed on a mission in my life, and I’m not about to start.”

He eased a bit more, then quipped, “You know, if you want to get together after this—”

“Don’t try to take advantage of my superstition. I’m still happily married.”

He wrapped his arms around me tighter and said, “Then give me all the luck you can spare, Luna.”

“Thank you for coming, Manny,” I said as I broke away.

Manny looked down at my feet and said, “Where’s your shoes?”

“Country girls don’t like shoes,” I said.

I stepped away, closer to the next section of brightly lit sidewalk. “I’ll wait for you at the perimeter wall.”

I gestured, and the next streetlight blinked out.

Manny’s steps started in my direction, then halted as Mike said, “Wait before you place that charge on the transformer. We don’t know what Luna’s directed EMP gadget will do to the demolition charges.”

Directed EMP? Mike had a talent for passing off my use of magic as high-tech gadgets.

I raced barefoot through the night, zapping streetlights, cameras, and sensors as I ran, weaving a path of darkness through the city.

At the foot of the outer wall, shielded from observation by darkness, hexed cameras, and a one-woman cloaking spell, I prepared for our assault.

I put on my indestructible gloves, crafted from the hide of a Nemean lion, and pulled Silkworm from my bag.

I tossed her knotted head up against the wall while holding her tail. She slithered over the wall and under the razor wire. The line pulsed under my hands as she found purchase on the far side and locked in place.

I looped her tail to form a belay loop, stepped into it, and ordered, Lift me up, Silkworm.

The line tightened and lifted me by six inches, then halted. Silkworm pulsed under my hand as she tightened and convulsed, but she didn’t have the strength to pull me up. Poor little thing still wasn’t recovered.

I extruded my claws through the slits in the fingertips of my gloves, allowing me to gouge them into the cement wall and pull myself up to assist Silkworm.

Just below the top of the wall, I halted. I created a soundproof bubble around myself, then jammed the claws of my feet into the wall to support my weight. I wanted to let Silkworm rest a bit while I worked.

I examined the obstacle. Stainless steel coils of wire were strung along the top of the wall, a razor blade welded in place every few inches. I scraped a claw against the metal and barely made a scratch. This was tough stuff.

Well, against werewolf claws, it was tough. Against werewolf claws combined with magic, it parted like tinfoil. Once the steel was cut, I pushed the links apart, leaving just enough room to slide over the wall. I could have cut out a larger section but dropping a loose coil on either side of the wall would have attracted attention. Hopefully, in the darkness, no one would notice the tiny gap for the short time it would be open.

I dropped to the ground and patted Silkworm on her head. Wait here and make noise if anyone comes. I felt her nod before I raced to the next wall and repeated the procedure on that wall’s concertina wire.

This close, Logan’s agony called to me. I resisted the urge to race to him, destroying everything in my path to free him. Racing blindly into danger had gotten him into this mess, and I didn’t want to repeat that mistake.

Silkworm rustled to let me know someone was approaching. I raced back and clambered over the wall to drop back on the street just as Mike and Manny arrived.

I concentrated, juggling multiple spells at once. I managed to sheath us all in cool air to thwart heat sensors, created a soundproof bubble to prevent us from being heard, and froze the cameras in place around the wall. They would still show images, but halting them in the right place had left this section of wall as a blind spot.

“Okay,” I whispered, “you can set your bombs here.”

They both shook their heads. Manny said, “We want the explosives to blow debris away from us. The charges go on the inside of the walls.”

I wouldn’t have thought of that. Good thing I had recruited experts.

“Good idea,” I agreed. I reached above my head with both hands, grabbed Silkworm, and jerked. A twist in mid-air and I was sitting on the cleared space at