Delinquents Turned Fugitives - Ann Denton Page 0,124
the one who’d screamed, stopped short for a second. His blown-out eyes and hooked nose had pinched in a tight expression as he fought to restrain himself and follow Callum’s command. But then, chest heaving, he pointed at nothing. His claws extended and he bellowed, “Don’t come closer!”
My eyes followed his gaze, which was focused on the wall. Nothing was there.
I turned to Evan. “I see a purple glow. Delusion Amulet?”
I looked behind me, magically tossing more shadows down the hall just past our group in case the damn sounds of Callum’s man brought more guards. As I slid the shadows down like blinds, I felt my power stretch and grow taut—a rubber band that had reached its maximum capacity.
I turned back to Evan, voice tight. “I’m maxed. Tell me. Do you think it’s a delusion?”
He bit his lip studying the vampire, who’d begun to pace. “I’m not sure. Apprehension Amulets are a violet color. If I could see it, I’d be sure.”
“Fucking bollocks, figure it out.” Callum’s order had my eyes smashing into his. “Not five minutes in, and Jordan is a goddamned mess while your fucking team hems and haws—”
Callum’s furious jump to blame—or whatever the hell his statement was going to be—was cut off.
Jordan leapt at the wall, his claws smashing into the stone with supernatural speed. The awful sound of the bones in his hands snapping rolled down my spine like a shiver and I cringed.
Fuck.
“Can’t you restrain him?” I asked Callum, my voice thin as a string as Jordan howled in pain in the background. The sound of his bones snapping back into place was nearly as awful as them breaking in the first place.
“You want me to restrain him now? Or your brother later?” Callum’s eyes blazed with threat.
“Firefly,” I only said his name, but he knew exactly what I wanted.
With a zip, Zavier reversed Jordan, undoing the damage to his hand, rewinding the vampire so that his face returned to normal and he stepped backward through the hall until he was only a step in front of Callum.
When Z finished, his chest heaved with effort.
“I’m spent,” he said.
Fucking hell. This goddamnned alliance was going to be the death of me—if something else wasn’t first.
“Stay the hell here!” I barked at Callum and his team, not caring how much that pissed him off.
I glanced over at Andros, making eye contact, before I stepped over to the amulet myself, fury making me quick. I dug that glowing fucker out of the wall, chipping my nail as I pried it from a crack between two stones and then held up the deep purple gem so everyone could see.
When I turned back, my entire team was dead, lying in a bloody heap on the floor of the hall—and Callum’s mouth was painted red.
40
I started to scream.
But I blinked.
Then, my hands were empty, I was ten feet from the wall. Andros was beside me in under a second, his thick hand coming to rest on my shoulder. And all the lights around us were back on. I squinted up at the lights, disoriented.
Fuck me.
What happened? Did I lose control of my power?
“I rewound you,” Andros whispered.
Why? What happened? Doesn’t matter. Lights. Deal with the lights.
Immediately, I killed the lights again, but this time, just inside the building, not straining my magic to quell the surrounding areas and make it look like an issue with the local magical power company again. Now, it would be obvious that we were targeting the institute. The cameras would have come back up if I lost control—even for a second. “Pinheads will be on their way,” I said in a low voice. “Guards too.”
We had to move.
“Let’s come back for this guy,” I gestured to whomever was behind door 33. It was better for us to get out of here, away from the scene.
Callum took a step closer to me, his eyes growing black as his pupils swallowed up the pale rim of color around them. “No.”
Fuck.
Fuck me and my stupid damn alliance idea.
My heart jumped inside my chest faster than a jackrabbit fleeing a fox.
Evan took a step forward. “Just give me a minute to unravel that amulet. I’m pretty sure it was a Delusion Amulet.”
He knelt on the tile floor while we surrounded him. I could hear the little scratch of parchment rubbing the tile as he unrolled it.
Go fast, I willed him. But I didn’t say anything aloud. I didn’t want to distract him.