Broken Knights (Gifted Academy #4) - Michelle Hercules Page 0,38
we reach one of the buildings.
“Crap. How are we getting to the garage without being spotted?” Toby asks.
“This is the only way. We’ll have to make a run a for it,” I say.
Renata looks at me. “You can’t run fast enough yet, can you?”
She’s correct, but her observation rubs me the wrong way. “No, but I’ll manage.”
“Nonsense. I can carry you.”
“I’m not going to let you carry me as if I were an invalid,” I grit out.
“So you’d rather we get caught?” Toby asks.
I glower, hating that he’s siding with his former bully.
“Come on, Bryce. Don’t let your ego get in the way. The people we love might be in grave danger,” he continues.
Fuck. His words are akin to a punch to my throat. I’m being a complete idiot right now. “Fine. Let’s hurry, then.”
Renata offers me her back, and awkwardly, I hop on. She’s a tall girl, but I’m much taller than she is, and it feels strange to clutch to her like that, as if I’m trying to climb a streetlight post. She’s got a good grip on my legs though.
“Ready?” she asks.
“Toby, do you sense anyone nearby?”
“No. I’m picking up nothing.”
“Let’s go, then.”
We take off. Renata is a little faster than Toby, even with my added weight, and reaches the secondary dorm building first. As soon as he joins us, he pushes us both against the building wall and signals for silence. His spine is tense, and his face is twisted into a worried mask. I wait a few seconds, but I’m too impatient.
“How many can you sense?” I whisper, hating that I can’t simply walk out of my hiding spot and face the Idols out there.
I can’t even pick up on their signatures. I’m so depleted that I could very well be a Norm right now. Guilt immediately pierces my chest. I may feel this way, but I still have my powers, unlike Rufio.
“Three, at least,” Toby replies. “They’re about to walk out of the school’s building.”
“Can you tell me their levels?”
“I haven’t got the hang of that yet, but they feel similar to Renata, a little stronger maybe.”
“They’re definitely twelves,” the girl chimes in.
“Are you sure you can’t read their minds?” I ask Toby.
“No, but they’re restless and annoyed. Like they don’t want to do something.”
“Maybe they were told to stand guard in case some lost Fringe appears. You can’t go anywhere without a car,” I say.
“There’s the bus,” Renata reminds us.
“The bus stop is probably being watched too,” I counter. “Okay, we need a plan, stat.”
“Can’t you summon even a little bit of your powers?” Toby asks.
I lift my fingers and manage to create a sparkle between them. “I don’t think I can do whole lot of damage right now.”
The sound of a car approaching draws our attention. I press my finger to my lips and wait to hear who comes out. A door opens and shuts, followed by heavy steps on the sidewalk.
“What are you idiots doing here?” my father asks.
My blood runs cold while my pulse skyrockets. If I had all my powers at my disposal, I’d kill him on sight. Rage is making my body shake. I clench my teeth and curl my hands into fists, digging my nails into the softness of my palms.
“We were ordered by the principal to guard the garage’s entrance. He thinks there may be Fringes still around, waiting for an opportunity to get their cars and escape.”
He grunts. “I wouldn’t waste my time with runaway Fringes. I heard my son was here.”
There’s a pause, and then one of the students replies, “He got into a fight with Nate and a few others and got hurt pretty badly.”
“And yet he managed to escape. Pathetic.”
“Principal Fa—I mean, Fallon helped him.”
“Of course she did. She wouldn’t let go of her precious weapon, would she?”
He continues on to wherever he was going, probably to see the new principal, his Neo God buddy. He’s gone, but the fury in my body lingers. Until next time, asshole. You will pay for what you did to my brother.
“I have an idea,” Renata says. “Those guys might not know I helped you escape. What if we pretended I captured you?”
“I’m sure they do know you betrayed them,” I argue.
“We don’t know that. Besides, I just need to get closer to them to inflict some pain.”
“You’re going to fight three Idols on your own?” Toby’s eyes go round.
“I just have to hit them in key points to make them useless for a few minutes.