Broken Knights (Gifted Academy #4) - Michelle Hercules Page 0,73
something?” Rufio angles his body forward to glare at him.
“Dude, I haven’t eaten in hours. It takes a lot to keep this sexy machine running.”
I shake my head, trying my best to keep my grin from showing. We’re not out of the woods yet, but Phoenix’s humor, as inappropriate as it is, infuses a warm feeling in my chest.
“They’re getting out of the car. Let’s see what’s going on,” I say.
Bryce is the first to reach Xavier, who has changed back to his true self and has also ditched Harry’s clothes.
“What’s up?” Bryce asks.
“We’re acquiring new transportation. Our vehicles are too recognizable, and Jodie won’t be able to keep the tires inflated for hours on.”
“Not a lot of good choices here.” Phoenix looks over the parking lot, which is filled with small vehicles that are most likely older than us.
My eyes land on two station wagons, the best cars in the lot which could accommodate our large group, but they usually belong to people with children. I won’t steal from a family.
Just then, a company van pulls up. Two men in uniform get out and head into the restaurant.
“I think that will do,” Xavier says. “It’s best if we drive in one vehicle.”
“I’ll need help unloading the lightning-glass stones from our trunks,” Rufio says.
“Bryce and I can do it from afar. We just need Morpheus’s camouflage skills.” Phoenix stretches his arms forward with his hands linked together, cracking his knuckles in the process.
The wind suddenly picks up speed, sending chills down my spine. I glance at the sky, noticing with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that those clouds are getting together, dark and ominous, in an unnatural way. Shit. That must be Chaos.
“We have to move, folks!” Xavier warns.
Morpheus’s expression changes, turning veiled and almost inhuman. His eyes glow like liquid gold again as the shadows gather behind him. With a motion of his arms, the shadows expand, creating a massive shield that covers all of us, including our target vehicle.
Without missing a beat, Bryce and Phoenix get to work, each one focusing on a car. They pop the trunks open and then send the big pieces of lightning-glass stones floating across the lot toward the open back of the van.
The loud rumble of thunder above makes me jump on the spot. Rufio pulls me to his side and kisses me on the cheek. “He’s not going to harm you. We won’t let him.”
“As much as I love hearing that, I can’t let you be my knights in shining armor. I’m not a damsel in distress.”
Rufio smirks while his eyes dance with amusement. “I know you aren’t. You’re our firecracker, our slayer queen. But we’ll never stop wanting to protect you.”
With his hand on my lower back, Rufio nudges me forward. I’m much more powerful than he is now, but that doesn’t change his protective stance. I get into the van after Rosie and Felicity, but they get in the back seat, closer to the lightning-glass rocks, whereas I’m instructed to sit near the front. Rufio slides in next to my sister. I’m now sandwiched between Bryce and Phoenix, while Toby and Renata sit across from us, an arrangement that must not be pleasing to Rosie. I glance at her, and sure as shit, I find her throwing daggers with her eyes at the back of Renata’s head.
Morpheus is the last one in. He pretty much jumps inside and slides the door shut with a bang. “Go. Go! The owners of the van are coming back.”
Xavier, who already had the motor running, presses the pedal to the metal, burning rubber. The sudden acceleration sends me forward since I didn’t buckle up yet. But Bryce and Phoenix reach out, keeping me in place.
“You’d better put your seat belt on, darling.” Phoenix fumbles around the space between our bodies, looking for the seat belt but also copping a feel in the process. His antics only serve to wake my body.
“It’s okay. I can do it myself.” I try to be stern, but it’s impossible to stay mad when I look at his gorgeous face. Ugh. Why does he have to be so pretty?
Xavier buzzes the horn, almost giving me a heart attack.
“Son of a bitch. Is that fucker blind?” he yells.
“What’s going on?” Rufio asks from the back seat.
“It’s like they can’t even see us,” Xavier continues. “Stupid idiots.”
“Oops!” Morpheus says. “I still have us concealed by shadows. My bad.”