We couldn’t blast away with the main engine without risking that Dixieclone might notice the sound and realistically there was no “might” about it. Izzy would. If he had the same powers as her grandfather, so would he.

Trying to stay conscious of what was around me and hoping I wasn’t mumbling nonsense words, I said, “Fly anywhere I point and quickly, but not too quickly. Use our anti-gravity systems.”

Concentrating on the ambient energy around me, I couldn’t tell what was going on outside my head, but I knew I wasn’t dead. That would have to be enough.

Magnus’ line of energy appeared to be moving away from us for now. That was good, but a thought struck me. I followed Magnus’ line back toward its origin, a spot fuzzy with what I assumed must be power.

“Don’t follow my hand this time,” I said, pointing toward the direction where the line began. “What’s over there?”

Through my implant, Jaclyn said, “The island.”

While she’d guessed right about how to get through to me, she’d also knocked me out of my trance. I was still in the pilot’s seat, staring out at the ocean in front of the jet. We weren’t in the middle of battle, but we weren’t far from the island. I could see it on the jet’s radar behind us.

Glancing over to my right, I could see Cassie piloting.

She noticed me, asking, “Is it over? Are we safe?”

“No,” I said and closed my eyes. “Keep on going, but follow my hand if I start pointing.”

“That’s what I was doing,” she said.

I gave her a thumbs up and tried to concentrate on my breathing and on feeling the energy of the infinite realities around me. As I got into the right mindset again, I noticed that all the work I’d done to keep the flow moving through me as if I weren’t even there had vanished.

As long as we were in this situation, I wouldn’t be able to let go for even a few seconds. If Magnus had pointed his attention in our direction, he’d have found me and still could.

Thinking back to the kind of guided meditation I’d done in martial arts classes with Lee (which had a new resonance now), I imagined water flowing through me. It was the same technique Kee had been teaching me to use for hiding and I’d never realized.

I supposed I’d get to take it up with him if we managed to get him out of whatever pocket universe the galaxy core device created.

It did leave me wondering if other lessons were hidden within his training, but I had no time to speculate.

Magnus’ burning column of energy had changed direction again. It wasn’t quite in our direction, but it wasn’t going in straight lines anymore. With another nudge, it could hit us.

I couldn’t ignore the possibility that Magnus might feel we were here even if he couldn’t say where.

I pointed right which kept us going away from the island, but out of the way of the column’s current trajectory—unless he changed direction.

I felt the jet begin to turn, but as it began to pass out of the column’s path, the beam changed direction again. It wasn’t close enough to block us yet, but it was heading that way. I knew I didn’t want to go through it.

I pointed a hard left, wondering if it would change again.

It did. The column began to move toward us. It wasn’t moving quickly, but even if Magnus didn’t know exactly where we were, he sensed us somehow. It had to be the Artificer artifacts, but wouldn’t it be ironic if the galaxy core device had the power to sense lavender?

I was beginning to hate the smell.

“Hey,” Rachel’s voice carried into my mind.

I knew from the feeling of the connection that she was using the in-between space the Ghosts and Artificers used to communicate with each other over long distances. I used it while taking lessons with Kee, but for me it was an immersive experience where I couldn’t do anything else. She was using it as casually as Daniel and I used telepathy.

Of course, she’d spent a year in space. This might have been the only way to communicate with anyone.

Deciding to ask her how later, I thought back, “I hope you have an idea for how to get out of this.”

“I do. We work together. The Ghosts are more subtle. The Artificers have more straight power to work with. You draw in power. I’ll manipulate it.”

I’d been specifically told not to draw in energy in this situation, but also, we didn’t have a lot of time. Instead of explaining myself, I asked, “Are you sure?”

“Mostly,” she said. “Do you have a better idea?”

I didn’t.