Above the Vaulted Sky - Page 119

                It doesn’t take long to find the hotel room Teague was using. I close my eyes and find the trail he left. It’s faded considerably, now an hours old stain on the air around me, but I still find it. It leads to a room right at the top of the building.

                The stairs creak under our footsteps as we clear the last few steps and we approach the door.

                ‘Ok,’ I say. ‘I’ll go in and open the door after me.’

                I take a deep breath and plunge into the dark brown surface of the wood.

                I barely recognize the pinch and I emerge on the other side.

                The room has been cannibalized. The bed stands on its end against the wall leaving a large space in the middle. Somehow he’s got a table up here and on it sits a laptop and a circle of electrical components.

                I wait a second, for the inevitable booby-trap of for the ceiling to cave in, or something equally as inexplicable, but nothing happens. Clearly Teague never expected anyone but himself to make it to his lab.

                I turn and unlock the door behind me.

                Graham walks through the door and whistles. ‘What’s he got cooking in here?’

                He walks over to the laptop and starts examining what’s on the screen.

                I cross to the window and I’m greeted with a beautiful view of the fountain. I see Elle, Yates and  Teague still by the front doors. This is too perfect, too easy. He wouldn’t just let us walk in.

                ‘Easton,’ Graham mumbles, with the tone of someone who’s trying to keep sick down.

                I turn and instantly run to the table. Graham has collapsed, dragging the laptop with him. He’s gone deathly pale and he holds his head with both hands.

                ‘What’s wrong?’ I ask. ‘Graham, talk to me.’

                He doesn’t reply. His eyes close tight and he groans like an animal.

                I feel the sweat on my brow. I don’t want to do it, but I know there’s only one person who’ll know what to do.

                ‘I’ll be right back, Graham, I promise.’

                I close my eyes and step downstairs without sensing the Edge for even a second. I simply step through the air before me and am greeted by the cool evening around the fountain.

                I grab Teague by the wrist.

                ‘Upstairs, now,’ I say, and hope that Elle and Yates follow. ‘If we’re going to help you, you need to save my friend.’