Leslie was in the meeting room with a whole bunch of people. Not just the core leadership.

  Ren sat at the head of the scarred metal table, a little cheese tray beside him. Kanuka sat near the wall, arms folded. WickerBasque leaned back in a chair playing with a knife that looked like it had survived three different wars. Mira and Reed had datapads open. Lorena lounged sideways in her seat, occasionally hugging Ren. Folo sat near the window, light cutting across his face.

  And Emmett stood near the door.

  He was the odd man out.

  Leslie had just introduced him.

  “He just moved into the MegaPatch,” Leslie said. “After doing some research about mana fragments for a client, somebody tried to kill him.”

  The hum of the ventilation system suddenly felt louder.

  “Are you kidding? Somebody tried to kill you?” Ren asked.

  “Yeah, I’m not kidding,” Emmett said. “If I hadn’t been in my reading room, the grenade would’ve taken my head off.”

  He shifted and pulled aside his jacket. Gauze was taped tight across his shoulder, faint red seeping through. “Still pretty beat up.”

  Leslie frowned. “Why haven’t you fully healed that wound?”

  “I don’t have the credits. Or the GCPs for advanced healing.”

  “I can give you some GCPs.”

  “No, thank you, ma’am. I’ve always paid my way.”

  Leslie exhaled slowly. “This is different. I’m hiring you as my assistant for mana research. I need someone who can read, analyze, and think about mana integration. That’s you.”

  Emmett hesitated. “You’re serious?”

  “Very. I’ll pay you in GCPs. Consider the healing an advance.”

  He studied her for a long second, then nodded. “All right. As an advance.”

  Kanuka glanced between them. “You just hired him? Just like that?”

  “Yes,” Leslie said. “And he starts now.”

  She looked back at Emmett. “Go get that shoulder fixed. We’ll talk after the meeting.”

  He nodded again, slightly overwhelmed by the number of heavy hitters staring at him, and slipped out.

  The door shut with a solid click.

  Now it was just the leaders.

  Kanuka said, “That was a really quick hire.”

  Leslie shrugged. “Yeah, but seriously, the guy’s smart. He was doing mana research on his own for a client. That means something.”

  Ren said, “Do you know who wanted to kill him? Or who his client was?”

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  Leslie snorted. “Knowing the way the world works? Probably some giant corporate asshole.”

  Everyone looked at each other.

  “Prosperous,” someone muttered.

  Leslie nodded. “Yeah. Probably Prosperous.”

  “Fuck Prosperous,” Folo said.

  Ren laughed. “Yeah. Fuck Prosperous.”

  Everyone laughed for a second.

  Then Kanuka cleared his throat. “So. What’s going on, Wicker? We’re all here because of that report you forwarded.”

  WickerBasque spread his hands. “He should be here any time now. Why repeat myself? You’ve got the same report I do.”

  Lorena said, “Yes, but I’ve been trying to cast spells. Nothing’s worked. Why do you think that is?”

  WickerBasque held up a hand. “Seriously. I can’t answer any questions. I don’t know anything more than you do.”

  Ren leaned forward. “You’ve been out in the field. Has anyone else cast a spell?”

  “No,” WickerBasque said. “This is the first time I’ve heard of it. That’s why we called this emergency meeting.”

  He glanced around the table. “Where’s Simms?”

  Kanuka answered from the wall, arms still folded. “Simms is running a full MegaPatch security sweep. If spells are real, I want to know we’re secure against fireball-throwing idiots as well as monsters.”

  “Makes sense,” Folo said. “I’ve been checking defenses too. We’re solid.”

  Ren nodded. “Don’t forget the runes on the walls. If they’re going to activate, now would be a good time.”

  “Deadlands teams are doing well,” Mira added. “Loot’s steady. Mana’s steady. But if spellcasting is unlocked? If super-powered individuals are a real factor? Our whole operational model shifts.”

  WickerBasque felt the attention move off him and didn’t fight it.

  He felt even better when—

  KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

  Luke stepped inside.

  Their guest of honor.

  “Uh, hey, everyone. I’m Luke. I’ve met you all before. You might’ve forgotten. I’m the one who sent the report.”

  Leslie gave him a small smile. “Oh, we remember.”

  Luke blinked at that.

  The last time he’d seen Ren, the man had been in Super Ren armor, shield planted against a charging wave of spiked boars.

  He knew WickerBasque. Mira too. He reported through her teams.

  Folo he’d only seen at a distance—usually with schematics projected in the air. Lorena he’d heard about more than met. Kanuka… everyone in the MegaPatch knew Kanuka.

  Standing in the same room as all of them felt kinda intimidating. It wasn’t making him panic, but yeah his back was definitely ramrod straight.

  Leslie caught the look in his eyes and took control.

  They had already agreed she would lead. She had cracked mana resistance first. No one in the room knew the subject deeper than she did.

  “So, Luke,” she said calmly, hands folded on the table. “Tell me what you’ve learned. Or actually, tell all of us. We just started a new society called the New Experimental Research on Deadlands & Spells.”

  Luke blinked. “What?”

  A few people around the table chuckled.

  “That’s a really long name,” Luke said.

  Leslie waved it off. “We needed something informal. Definitely not invented five seconds ago. It’s just us trying to understand what mana is doing and how spells are being cast.”

  Luke nodded slowly. “Yeah. I get that.”

  “Good,” Leslie said. “So show us.”

  He stepped forward into the open space near the center of the room. Rolled his shoulders once. Flexed his fingers.

  “Ignite.”

  A small flame bloomed in his palm.

  A clean, steady flame.

  The light flickered across metal walls and reflected in Ren’s visor.

  Luke let it burn for a heartbeat, then another.

  Then he closed his fist.

  The flame vanished, leaving only a thin curl of smoke.

  Applause broke out around the table.

  “Nicely done,” Kanuka said.

  Lorena leaned forward. “Oh my god. I’m jealous.”

  Reed’s eyes were bright. “This changes everything,” he said, excitement cutting through his usual restraint.

  Ren stopped eating his cheese and said, “Well done!” Then he studied Luke more closely.

  “When you cast it—where does it come from?”

  Luke frowned. “What do you mean?”

  Lorena shifted in her chair. “For example, in Towerbound, when I cast a spell, it rises from my heart.”

  Luke nodded slowly. “Yeah. In Towerbound, I felt that too. But this…” He hesitated, searching for words. “It starts there. But it spreads. Through my arms. My legs. Like it’s moving through everything at once.”

  Reed, who had been silent until now, suddenly slammed his palm on the table.

  THUD

  “Ha. Exactly what I expected.”

  His eyes were lit up—sharp, alert, almost triumphant.

  Everyone turned to him.

  Reed didn’t slam tables. And he definitely didn’t look this excited.

  “It completely confirms my theories about mana in the human body!”