Broken Knights (Gifted Academy #4) - Michelle Hercules Page 0,105
distraction to stab his opponent, Xavier kicks him in the nuts, bringing him to his knees. Then, with chilling precision, he slashes the man’s throat. I guess that’s his MO.
Wordlessly, he grabs my arm, and together we run to where our group has gathered. I notice Soren is the only one left on his team. Damn it.
“Everyone to the office!” I yell.
Rosie, Toby, and Renata run ahead with me close behind. Toby skids to a halt as we near the office’s door, holding his arms wide. “Wait!”
His warning is too late for Renata, who, thanks to the momentum, crosses through the threshold without pause. A loud gasp follows, which twists my stomach into knots. Something awful has happened. I mince forward slowly, letting my awareness expand. Renata is on the floor, clutching her middle. Standing before her with a bloodied lightning-glass knife in her hand is Bethany Walkers, Jodie’s former assistant.
“No!” I kick the woman in the stomach, sending her sprawling across the reception area.
She releases her weapon, but the deranged smile doesn’t disappear from her face. “If I had known you would become the Unmaker, I’d have killed you the moment you stepped foot in here.”
Bryce walks in, his body crackling with barely contained rage. “You’d have been struck down if you had tried. But don’t worry, I can take care of that now.”
A bolt of white energy whooshes from Bryce’s outstretched hand, hitting Bethany in the middle of her chest. She cries out for a moment, but her agonized moans fade into nothing as her body fries to a crisp. I’ve never seen Bryce unleash that kind of deadly power before.
The entire building shakes on its foundation when the grenade in Jodie’s hand detonates. Bryce looks over his shoulder, shock etched on his face.
“Mom,” he murmurs.
I step closer and touch his cheek. “I’m sorry, babe.”
He peers into my eyes. “I can’t believe she did that.”
“Come on, kids. Don’t let her sacrifice be in vain,” Xavier urges us.
I lace my hand with Bryce’s and steer us into the principal’s office. Immediately, I seek out Rufio. His gaze is downcast, and his shoulders are hunched forward. I can’t begin to imagine what he must be feeling right now.
“Does anyone know what the portal-key looks like?” Phoenix asks, drawing my attention to him.
“No,” Rufio replies.
“It must give off some kind of energy,” Soren replies.
“What about Renata? She’s been stabbed by lightning-glass,” Rosie says.
“Don’t worry about me,” the girl replies weakly.
Bryce starts to go to her, but Phoenix stops him. “You can’t do it, Bryce. We need you on the island.”
“I can’t simply let her die,” he argues.
“It wouldn’t work, son,” Xavier interrupts. “Only the antidote against its poison will help Renata now.”
I doubt there’s any at Starlight Island, which means the girl is doomed. It’s clearly the conclusion everyone in the room has come to judging by their grim expressions.
“We need to find the portal-key.” Mrs. Malek veers for the big desk and begins to look inside drawers. But an object on it catches my attention. It’s the pyramid-shaped paperweight I threw at Phoenix on the day he cornered me here. It drew blood.
Son of a bitch.
No ordinary object would have been able to hurt him like that unless it was made out of lightning-glass… or something else god-made.
I run to the desk and take the object in my hand. A small light flickers inside as a low vibration sends tingles up my arm.
“I think I found it,” I say.
41
Daisy
The portal-key took us to the idyllic beach of Starlight Island in the blink of an eye. When I touched the object, I knew exactly what I had to do to open the portal. Maybe it unlocked a memory from Magia. Anyone connected to the portal-key—even indirectly—would be transported to the island.
The place looks exactly as it did in my dream. This is where Morpheus was as well, when I invaded his memories by accident. Warm waves lap at my ankles, and a soft summer breeze caresses my skin. Despite the picturesque beauty, there’s something awfully wrong in the atmosphere. A wicked presence humming underneath the white sand.
I take stock of our group, noticing with relief that everyone made the trip. Renata doesn’t look great though. Mrs. Malek is offering her support since the girl can’t even stand upright on her own anymore. The bloodstain on her shirt has already changed to dark brown, almost black. I’m not sure if at this point the antidote can help her.