Broken Knights (Gifted Academy #4) - Michelle Hercules Page 0,43

retaliation?” I ask Rosie.

She glances in Xavier’s direction and then gasps. “You got shot?”

We only get an angry rumble as warning before Chaos unleashes all his might on us. Dozens of lightning bolts fall at once. A bright light follows when they hit their mark, I just don’t know what. It wasn’t either of us. When the light fades away, I see a man standing where Rosie and Morpheus were. He’s tall and broad-shouldered with pitch-black hair cropped short and golden eyes. His right arm is raised, and vestiges of lightning crackle against his tan skin. When he turns his face to mine, I immediately recognize him. He’s Morpheus father. Erebus.

“It’s time for you to go,” he says.

I feel a great pressure surround my body, and then I lose sensation completely. My world turns pitch black for a second, sending me careening into panic mode. But as quickly as the darkness overcame me, it fades away. We’re now all standing in front of Poppy’s Joint.

“Holy hell. What happened?” Phoenix stares at the diner that was like home to me for two years of my life.

“A god happened.” Xavier leans forward, hunching his back.

I grab his arm, trying to keep him upright. Rosie comes to assist.

“Why did Erebus send us here?” Rufio asks.

“Maybe he figured this would be a safe enough location for now,” Morpheus replies.

Delta, who was also transported with us, groans from his position on the ground. He still seems out of it.

“What are we going to do with this scumbag here?” Phoenix asks.

Morpheus leans down and yanks a pair of handcuffs from Delta’s belt. “We’ll cuff him. These are lightning-glass. It will keep him from using his powers on us when he comes out of his punishment.”

“What did you do to him?” Rosie asks.

“Put the fear of God in him.” He smirks.

Rosie is not amused by Morpheus’s quip. Her gaze is trained on Delta, and I’m not sure if I convinced her to forget her revenge. As much as I wanted to give in to the hate, I know it won’t make me feel better. The rotten sentiment will only fester like a plague.

Felicity bursts through the diner door, frantic and alarmed.

“Daisy! I can’t believe it. It is you.” She halts when she takes in the rest of our party. “Oh my God. Your friend’s been shot. We need to take him to a hospital.”

“No,” Xavier says. “No hospitals. I just need to lie down.”

Felicity stares at him as if he lost his mind. “You’re going to die if you don’t get help.”

Rufio’s spine becomes rigid all of a sudden, and immediately I think Chaos has found us.

“What is it?” I glance at the sky, which is mercifully clear.

“I think I sensed Bryce just now.”

“How is that possible? You don’t… I mean…” Phoenix rubs his neck awkwardly.

“You can say it. I’m not an Idol anymore. I don’t know how I sensed him, but I did. He’s nearby.”

“He can help Xavier,” I murmur. “Does anyone have a working phone?”

“No, my phone is dead,” Phoenix replies.

“I lost mine.” Morpheus grimaces.

“I didn’t have mine on me when we left the house,” Rufio adds.

“Call him from the diner. Come on. I have his number written down in case you haven’t got it memorized,” Felicity replies.

“Why do you have my brother’s number?” Rufio asks.

“Because he wanted us to call him whenever we had blueberry pie on the menu.”

Warmth spreads through my chest. Bryce and his love for pie. It might help save Xavier’s life.

“And what are we going to do with this son of a bitch here?” Phoenix glances at Delta.

“We’ll hand him over to the Knights. He’s more useful alive than dead,” Morpheus replies.

BRYCE

“Slow down. I think I just picked up on Rufio’s signature.”

“How is that possible? He doesn’t have a signature anymore, and you’re weak as hell,” Toby replies from the back seat.

“I don’t know how, only that I’m sure I did.”

“Okay, which direction should I go, then?” Renata asks.

“Downtown.”

“Why would your brother be downtown? Do you think the safe house is in the middle of the city?” Toby asks again, getting on my already fried nerves.

“Gee, I don’t fucking have the answers, okay? So stop asking,” I snap.

“I’m sorry.”

I feel like crap now. I shouldn’t have barked at him like that. Damn it, Bryce. Get your head straight.

A ringtone goes off, breaking the heavy silence. It takes me a moment to realize it’s my phone buzzing in my pocket. I fish it out as fast I as I can, frowning