Broken Knights (Gifted Academy #4) - Michelle Hercules Page 0,36

That’s Chaos.” Morpheus stops closer to me.

“Can he attack Daisy inside the house?” Rosie’s voice trembles a little.

“I think he’s tethered to the island,” he replies without conviction.

The storm is getting larger and moving quickly toward us. “I don’t think he’s bound to the island anymore,” Phoenix pipes up.

“What’s going on?” Xavier steps next to me.

No sooner has he asked than a bolt of lightning strikes the beach in front of the safe house, making the floor shake beneath my feet. I jump back with my hand clutching my chest. A knee-jerk reaction. My heart is now stuck in my throat, and quickly, panic starts to take hold of me. I feel powerless and alone, like I’m right back in that nightmare. Heavy rain falls from the sky, and the ocean that had been calm a minute ago becomes turbulent. The waves crash against the shore violently, getting closer and closer to the house.

Someone grabs me by the shoulder, dragging me away from the windows.

“We need to get out of here now!” Morpheus yells.

I finally snap from my stupor and seek Rosie in the room. She’s with Rufio, running toward the front door.

“Don’t look back,” he tells her.

Morpheus laces his hand with mine, and together we run after Rufio and Rosie, with Phoenix and Xavier close behind us. We’re a few steps away from the door when a loud boom reverberates against the walls, and a split second later, all the windows facing the beach explode. My time-bending power kicks in on its own, as it usually does when I’m facing mortal danger. The deadly shards of broken glass move at a slower pace, and only a few of them reach us.

Rufio and Rosie are already getting inside the car when we burst out the front door. The rain has turned into hail and drops heavily on us, each piece of frozen rock bigger than the next. Even with my time bending, I feel the sting of the hits. We’re all running pretty fast thanks to our enhanced Idol abilities, but Xavier manages to keep pace with us. He almost pulls the driver door off its hinges as he opens it roughly, but he stops briefly to look at the sky.

I don’t dare copy him, afraid if I do, I’ll get wrapped up again in the terror. Deep down, I know the feeling isn’t natural. Chaos has somehow managed to amplify everything that I’m feeling, twisting my emotions against me.

“You can run, but you can’t hide. I’m everywhere, I’m everything,” Chaos speaks in my mind, making me whimper.

I don’t know if Morpheus heard his voice too, but he squeezes my hand tighter, right before he lets go to push me inside the car. I almost fall on top of Rosie, who is already crying. Rufio has his arm wrapped around her shoulders, comforting her, an action that makes me love him even more. It’s a sight I never thought possible.

The passenger side door shuts loudly as Phoenix slides into his seat. Hail continues to fall, and the hits against the car sound like we’re target practice for a machine gun. Xavier peels out of the driveway, burning rubber as he goes. And yet, we can’t seem to outrun the storm. A huge piece of ice drops on the windshield, cracking the glass. Rosie lets out a scream.

“We’re okay, Rosie.” I grab her hand, and she squeezes so tight it hurts a little.

“Where are we going now?” Phoenix asks.

“I don’t know. I’m kind of busy trying to outrun this tempest,” Xavier shouts over the loud noise outside.

Suddenly, Morpheus tenses next to me. “Watch out!” he warns.

A second later, lightning strikes a tree ahead of us. Instead of catching fire, it breaks in half and tilts toward the road. It’s going to fall right on top of car.

“Don’t stop. Keeping going!” I order.

I slow down the massive tree’s descent, and we manage to speed past it, missing it by a hair.

“That’s fucked up.” Rufio twists his neck, looking back.

“We’re not going to get far if we don’t stop Chaos,” Xavier mutters under his breath.

Morpheus shifts his body next to mine, becoming tenser. “Let me out.”

“Are you fucking crazy? I’m not letting anyone out,” Xavier shouts.

“I’m the only one who stands a chance against Chaos. I can buy time so you can get away.”

“No, Morpheus. You can’t leave.” I grab his arm. “He’s going to destroy you.”

He stares at me with determination in his eyes. “I have to do this, Daisy. It’s the