Half Lost (The Half Bad Trilogy #3) - Sally Green Page 0,20
to come behind me, which they think will help them. They’ll think getting behind me is the way to beat me, but I’ll be moving too fast. My main problem is going to be not hurting anyone too badly.
“No Gifts,” Greatorex says to me. “No going invisible.” We’ve trained together like that and it is just too easy for me.
“No guns, no knives,” I reply. “And no truncheons.” I know her tricks.
“Course not—what do you think we are?” she says, holding her arms out as if to show she’s unarmed.
I beckon her forward and the others move round.
Celia has taught me great technique, and she’s taught it to Greatorex too, but I’m stronger, bigger, and faster than she is. If I can knock her out quickly the other trainees will drop like flies. I hope none of them run. I’m tougher on the ones that run.
Greatorex moves back and I move forward and then suddenly the trainees rush at me all together. Greatorex’s pep talk must all have been a ruse; they have planned this. I knock Scott out with a blow to the face and Adele with my elbow to her face a split second later, but then my kidneys explode with pain and I drop and heal at the same time. I try to roll away but I’m stopped by someone landing on my legs and Greatorex kicks my face.
I taste blood, a bit of tooth loose in my mouth, and then I’m healed and grabbing at Greatorex but she’s moved out of the way, so I twist to hammer-blow the girl grappling with my legs. There’s more kicking to my back and I twist to grab that leg and snap it to the side. I know I’ve broken it from the sound and the scream. Then I’m on my feet and there’s just Greatorex and the biggest girl, Kirsty, left—though Adele is getting back up. I feint to Kirsty, but then jump and kick at Greatorex. She’s quick, though, and dodges to the side so I barely catch the side of her face. Kirsty comes at me from behind, which is a good move, and wraps her arms round me, which isn’t—I snap my head back to break her nose. She still doesn’t let me go, so I do it again and at the same time heel her in the shin. She drops. Then I turn to Adele as she’s up now and coming at me, so I punch her face again but this time, as my fist flies forward, I see her face change color and then there’s an excruciating pain in my hand as it slams into her metallic jaw. I must’ve broken a few fingers. I drop back and heal. Adele is smirking and her face changes back from shiny gray to her normal pale skin.
“What happened to the no-Gifts rule?” I shout.
Adele shrugs.
I shrug back, saying, “Let’s see what happens if I send lightning to you.”
Greatorex runs between us shouting, “No! No Gifts. Adele is still learning to control hers. She—”
I kick at Greatorex, connecting with the side of her head and sending her sprawling. “No rule against talking about using them, is there?”
That leaves me and Adele. I spin and kick out at Adele and she turns gray again. My foot feels like it’s kicked a car. I heal and feint a punch to see if she turns gray. She does and then she tries to hit me but she’s too slow and I grab her arm and throw her to the ground on her stomach, pulling her head back. I see now that her skin is like metal, but after a few seconds the color fades and she’s vulnerable. So I put her in a stranglehold and her face changes color again but this time it’s red. Her Gift isn’t working now.
She bangs on the ground to indicate she’s surrendering and I stand, telling her, “Stay down.” But she starts to get up and I see she’s really mad. I’ve not noticed before but her eyes are those of a Black Witch, and she’s definitely angry enough for one. She lashes out at me, turning gray, but again it only lasts for a few seconds and when she’s back to normal I punch her in the face, hard. She wobbles and then goes down on her backside, blood running from her nose.
“If you could control that Gift it would be pretty handy,” I tell her.