Broken Knights (Gifted Academy #4) - Michelle Hercules Page 0,72
and then pulls a dagger from inside his jacket pocket. Quickly, he slashes the necks of all of them with such precision that no speckles of blood get on his clothes.
I glance at Daisy, worried that her guardian’s actions might have terrified her. But neither she nor Rosie seem affected. I guess they’ve seen far worse in their lives.
“Weren’t there six men outside?” Felicity asks.
Shit. She’s right.
“We need to hurry. The missing guards must have gone down to alert the others,” Bryce says.
Phoenix heads out first. “The coast is clear.”
We run out of the building straight toward our cars, which are pretty much useless. Their tires have been slashed.
“What now?” Rosie asks.
“I can fix that.” Jodie raises her hand, and the tires inflate back to usable condition.
“What about the holes in them?” Rufio asks.
“I can keep them full for a while.”
Our group splits into the two vehicles, but I don’t make a move. We can’t let those fanatics have access to lightning-glass, but the only way to stop them is if we blow up the mountain.
Bryce looks over his shoulder. “Morpheus, aren’t you coming?”
I hesitate for second. I could try to do it, but what if I can’t?
“Yes,” I reply finally.
I jump in Felicity’s car, which is the only one with a seat left. Unfortunately, Jodie Fallon is also here.
Great. This going to be a hella fun trip.
28
Daisy
“How many lightning-glass stones did you stuff in the trunk of the car?” I ask Rufio, trying to suppress a yawn. This tiredness is not normal.
“Not nearly enough to fill the space. It turns out they weigh a ton, and I couldn’t carry more than one load.”
“No wonder you looked winded when you came to the assembly,” Bryce comments from the front seat.
“Yeah, perks of my new reality,” Rufio grumbles. “Well, at least I’m immune to the fumes.” He glances at me. “How are you, Daisy?”
“Tired, but so far, no headache yet. I hope it’s enough to deter Chaos. We’re in no condition to fight him now, especially so close to those lunatics.”
“Renata, stay close to Felicity’s car. I don’t know how long my mother can sustain her gift or how far her reach is,” Bryce says.
“Okay.”
Rufio sinks against the car seat, pressing a closed fist against his forehead. “Fuck, I’m so tired of running for our lives. We need a break.”
“I hope they don’t come after us.” I glance back, but the road behind us is deserted.
“I’m glad we didn’t have to go through Morpheus’s ritual,” Bryce says offhandedly, and even though I don’t think he meant anything by it, I feel the sting of his remark.
He doesn’t want to be linked to me through all eternity. I get it. It’s a huge commitment.
“Dude, why not? I’d do it.” Phoenix links his hand with mine, and when I glance at him, he winks.
“You misunderstood me. I’m not saying I don’t want an infinity band with Daisy, I just didn’t want to do it to appease those motherfuckers.”
The ache in my chest eases off, and I finally dare to ask, “What is that vow, anyway?”
“It’s a commitment that lasts forever, even after death. You’d be linked to Bryce through all your lives, if you believe in such a thing,” Rufio replies tartly.
“But Daisy is involved with you, Phoenix, and Morpheus. How would that work?” Renata asks.
“It doesn’t matter. We’re talking hypothetically here. I don’t need an infinity band to show how much I love her,” Bryce replies.
My face becomes hot, a reaction that it seems I will never cease to have when one of them professes their love for me in front of others. It’s stupid considering how far we’ve gone in our relationship.
I notice we begin to slow down, and I see the brake lights on Felicity’s car are on. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. I’m just keeping pace with your friend.”
Soon, a couple of buses pass by us, going toward the camp. They’re filled to capacity, but I can’t make out who’s inside.
“Shit. Were those more fanatics?” Phoenix asks.
“It seems so,” Rufio replies. “We left just in time.”
We pick up speed again, but after ten minutes on the road, Felicity takes the next exit.
“Where is she going?” I ask.
We find out soon enough. Felicity parks in the busiest fast food restaurant that comes up on the street.
“We can’t possibility be stopping to eat. We’re too close to the camp,” Rufio says.
“I could eat.” Phoenix shrugs. “Burgers and fries, who can pass that up?”