Infinity Reaper (Infinity Cycle #2) - Adam Silvera Page 0,24
room watching a TV show with some roommate I low-key hate. Instead I’m staring out the window in a hospital as a battle unfolds, and I think someone may be coming to kill me before I can die of unnatural causes.
An alarm blares, and against every practitioner’s instructions, I run. I’ve just made it to the door when I crash so hard into Emil that we collapse on top of each other. He groans and I rub my forehead.
“We got to go,” Emil says as we help each other up.
“You think?”
I’ve got nothing on but the hospital garb. There’s no time to even put on the socks Emil took off me when I got too hot, or grab my sneakers in case we make it outside. My body is aching, but Emil drags me down the hall. Overhead lights are flashing yellow and orange, which I know is an emergency signal from this zombie horror movie that took place in an abandoned Gleam Care facility.
“Where’s Prudencia?” I ask.
“I don’t know,” Emil says.
We’ve just reached the end of the hall when Dr. Bowes calls our names from behind. She abandons her high heels and catches up to us. “Let’s get you somewhere safe until security can handle the threat.”
“They’re Blood Casters. Your guards are going to get ripped apart!” I say.
The bang of a spell shocks us all, and Dr. Bowes pulls us out of harm’s way. The poster behind us is set on fire. I turn to find three acolytes armed with wands. I hate every celestial who has donated their blood to power all of these so-called defensive weapons, as if it’s not easy for dangerous people to get their hands on them too. These acolytes don’t care about using the power of others, if that’s what it takes to become specters and have their own powers one day. But if Luna is dead, why are they bothering? Are they serving a new leader?
Dr. Bowes opens the stairway door, and Emil and I go down as quickly as we can, fighting past our pain.
“Eleventh floor,” Dr. Bowes says, following us.
Spells rain down on us as the acolytes catch up. Emil swings open the door, and Dr. Bowes pauses before closing it behind her. Her eyes glow with twinned crescent moons as she holds out her hands, swinging them in dips and curves like a pendulum. Suddenly, there are projections of the three of us soundlessly continuing down the stairs.
“The illusions will only make it down a floor or two before they vanish, but that should be long enough to protect two heroes,” Dr. Bowes says with beaming pride. It sounds like Dr. Bowes isn’t strong enough to cast the grand illusions that masked us from the public eye in Nova, but this stage trick saved our lives.
She leads us to a laboratory and swipes us in with her key card. She turns off the lights so we can hide. It’s pitch black until Emil creates a little bulb of fire, wincing in pain as he guides us behind a counter that’s littered with vials and magnifying glasses and documents. He presses his palm against the wound on his side. The infinity-ender affected his powers when Ness sliced him the first time, but it’s going to hurt even more after being stabbed by Luna. Once we’re all situated, Emil closes his hand and the fire goes out. The lab is nothing but heavy breathing in darkness.
“Maybe I should help,” Emil whispers. “They’re here for us.”
“They’re here for me. I’m the one who killed Luna.”
I should be brave and turn myself in so the other patients don’t get hurt. Even though I already know I’m dying, I don’t have it in me. My time is running out, and I want as much of it as possible. The stars didn’t give me the powers I wanted to protect the people, so everyone can be their own hero.
There’s a bang outside the door. Two bangs, three bangs, four bangs. Have the acolytes found us? Something smashes outside. The door opens and hallway lights spill into the entrance for a moment before closing again. There are light footsteps roaming the room.
“Tsk, tsk,” a man says with a slight hiss.
I pointlessly mouth Stanton’s name to Emil, but he should recognize the voice of the specter with basilisk blood too. Terror reawakens within me from being held captive by Stanton. He’s so strong and vicious. He only kept me alive so he could use me to