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“You need to be safe. If anything—”
Her voice broke, but Suki was already shaking her head.
“Nothing bad will happen to me. She’s on our side, and I have the power to do this. I know I do.”
“You’re strong enough,” her mom said, her voice still shaking. “You’ve always been strong.”
“I just need some people who can go with me.” She looked hopefully at Uncle Steve and Director Wright.
To Suki’s surprise, the US government wasn’t keen on trusting a seventeen-year-old girl with the nation’s future. So she had to give them a taste of the power of kem äm.
She blocked both ends of the corridor with shields so the marines could try—and fail—to get past it. One of them had been repelled a dozen feet. She levitated paperweights and knickknacks from office desks and sent them in orbit around the FBI director just like she had with the rubber balls in the arena. Her brothers thought that was pretty sick. Her mom looked nervous but accepting. Director Wright, standing in the hallway among floating staplers and snow globes, looked bewildered.
Suki put the items back where she’d found them and released the barriers in the corridor. Tilting her head, she looked at the director. “It can do other stuff too,” she said. “I know healing glyphs that can mend injuries. I healed Calakmul’s assistant while we were flying back from—”
“W-wait,” Lund interrupted, holding up his hand. “You can heal injuries? Like what kind?”
“All kinds,” she said. “An FBI agent shot Calakmul’s girlfriend in Bozeman. He was pretty upset. The bullet went through her and nearly killed her, but the magic helped her.” She thought about telling them about Aztlán and how the magic could even reverse someone’s age but thought better of it. The government might be interested in learning more about that one—but to what end? The magic was uncanny, unnatural, and everything within her revolted against the idea of it being used recreationally. Besides, she was far from sure she could find it again. She didn’t know where it was beyond that it was in a canyon in southern Utah.
“Monica and Jordan,” Lund said to Director Wright. “Can I bring her to the hospital?”
“Monica’s the FBI agent who was helping Dad and the twins, right?” Suki asked.
“Yeah, she’s really nice,” Lucas said.
“The jaguar priest threw her into a wall,” Brillante said darkly. “He hurt Jordan too.”
“I can help them,” Suki said. “I can’t raise anyone from the dead, but the magic can heal injuries. I’m the person who should go rescue Dad too.”
Sarina shook her head. “Suki, it would be very dangerous. The warriors are very skilled. And the jaguar priests—you’ve already seen what one can do. Not to mention Jacob himself. He could undermine your ability to use the magic just as you could with him.”
“Hold on, I’m not suggesting we start a suicide squad, Mom. We go in, rescue Dad and the other hostages, then get out.”
“We could only bring up to thirteen people total,” Sarina said. “That’s the limit of the magic for that spell. You can’t move an army. That limits the size of the team.”
“Why thirteen?” Suki asked.
“Thirteen is a sacred number to the Maya. And that spell only works while the moon is visible. You’d have a limited chance to get in and out.”
“A limited chance is better than no chance, Mrs. Roth,” Lund said. “I was thinking a SEAL team, a small group, just to protect her and the hostages. But I’m more familiar with the 82nd Airborne. They’re trained to get in and get out and fulfill a mission no matter what.”
Director Wright pursed his lips. “This is incredibly dangerous. I’m not sure the president will authorize a mission involving a teenager.”
“You heard Uncle Steve,” Suki said. “A limited chance is as good as you’re going to get right now.”
“You can get through their shields,” Wright said thoughtfully. “That means bullets would kill them. But if they ganged up on you, then everyone would die.”
Suki had already realized that part. “As long as we do it at night, I can get us out of there too. I don’t think they have that power. They have to use the mirrors to get around. And I don’t care if the president doesn’t authorize it. If I can save Dad, then that’s all the reason I need. I mean, I just need Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas, and I’ll be good.”
Lund chuckled. “My employee Jordan Scott was in the 82nd Airborne. He won best warrior for the state of Maryland after he left the army. If you can heal him, he’ll go with you.”
“I can try,” Suki said. “Why don’t we start there?”
Wright put his hands on his hips and sighed. “Let’s get you to the hospital. I’ll call the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. We already have authority to strike the temple in the Yucatán. Maybe that’s all the permission we need to get.”
“What about the attorney general?” Lund asked. “Don’t you think your boss would want to know?”
Wright smirked. “I already know what he’d say. That’s why I can’t tell him.”
