The corridor rocks violently around me. Alarms blare, so loud that I have to cup my hands over my ears. It threatens to kill my concentration, but I fight past it and recover my balance.
The ship lurches under my feet, then back up again. I take a deep breath, soaking in what’s left of the energy from the freed Drifters. I let it refresh my body, boost my energy. Then I close my eyes and focus.
I reach into the air and pull down, feeling for Pearl energy. They’re close. My fists bunch at my side. My eyes flip open as several Pearls come at me, ripped from separate rooms. Wood smashes in the distance. Metal dents. They’re like wild spirits escaping. A stampede.
The ground slants. I lose my footing momentarily but keep my attention on the pathway of the Pearls.
The entire corridor glows green as five of them hover through the hallway. I open my fist and press my palm into the air, beckoning them forward.
A thought stops me.
Just two Pearls had all but decimated the lobby. If I break five at a time, right in the middle of the ship, I could bring everything down.
I let the Pearls settle in the air. They float in a circle around my head, bobbing impatiently. There are more in this storage center. I need them all.
Before calling them forward, I visualize the layout of the ship. Avery and I had studied the directory for only a few minutes, but I’d made sure to note the location of the closest exit to the top level.
My chest buzzes with excitement as the warmth from the Pearls envelopes me. I use the added strength to home in on the remaining Pearls and pull them from storage until I have seventeen in total. They fill the corridor with a blinding glow. I can barely keep my eyes open. The whispers are back, loud and from every direction. The Drifters want out.
They’ll have to wait a few moments more.
I bolt back to the lobby with a string of Pearls following in my wake. It’s easy to control them now, this close. It’s like they’re helping me, like they know they need to follow.
I clear the half-open door and take off into the bowels of the ship. The ground rocks underfoot, throwing me to the wall. The Pearls follow suit. They echo my movement like they’re attached by invisible strings-a bundle of glowing balloons behind me.
As soon as I turn the first corner, I’m ambushed by a trio of soldiers. I skid to a stop. The Pearls bunch around the top of my head, bouncing against the ceiling, denting metal. I notice the soldiers’ eyes widen, even past their visors.
Before they have a chance to compose themselves, I pull a Pearl from above me and clench my fists. It breaks directly in front of my chest and sends a shockwave through the corridor. The security squad topples as soon as the force hits them. I watch the energy hit the walls, fluttering metal like paper.
A Drifter emerges at the end of the corridor and shoots around the corner. I only see it for a split second, and don’t have time to chase it around the ship. I can’t spare too many of these Pearls.
Luckily, the stairwell is close.
It’s also clogged. As soon as I make the turn back into pedestrian territory, I’m met with crowds of people, all bustling around on fast forward, panicked. When they spot me, their panic turns to awe.
They flatten against walls, scared to get too close. I sprint through the crowd and make a beeline for the stairwell. The Pearls sink below my shoulders when the space restricts.
I push past Shippers on the stairs, elbowing my way up two flights. Some people duck out of the way. Others slip and fall. I don’t stop to look at any of them. I climb, face forward as the energy blocks any distractions. I can’t keep the Drifters bound inside for much longer. I’m scared that if I don’t get to the surface quick enough, they’ll break and set off an explosion in the middle of the stairwell-the worst possible place.
With each step, it gets harder to control. I bite my lip and keep my fingers straight. People scream around me, but all I can think about is the release-when I get to the top of the ship and let the Pearls explode.
The thud of my feet on the steps disappears. Everything does, as the energy envelopes me. It pulls at my hair, tears at my clothing. I feel sick. These things are forcing me. I’ve never had so many so close.
One level more. One flight. Five steps.
I arrive at the top level and sprint to the center of a stone plaza, careful to move away from buildings. I don’t even notice how thin the air is until I stop. I take two choked breaths before finding my voice and shouting.
“Move out of the way!”
My panicked cry gets the attention of every single person in the plaza. They turn and stare. I hear shouts, but they’re buffered by the whispers of the Pearls around me.
I sink to my knees and bunch my fists, letting go.
Sixteen explosions pinwheel around my body.
A whirlpool of energy swallows the plaza, spreading through the top level like a black hole. I don’t know how many people duck. I don’t know how many buildings are damaged by the force. I don’t see anything beyond the wall of green, but I know, from the indescribable maelstrom consuming the plaza, that this was a bad idea.