The crazy look disappeared from Zara’s eyes, replaced with sincerity and determination. The twitching stopped, and electricity that had flickered over her a moment ago now rushed with purpose to her still hand. “I fucked up. But I learn from my mistakes.”
“No!” Davis roared, raising his arm as if to punch her. He’d read what she was about to do, but he was too late to stop it.
Zara turned to face him fully and, before he could land his punch, lunged forward, pressing her electrified hand against his chest.
He roared in pain, every muscle in his body tense as the electricity coursed through him.
His goons hesitated, confused by the fact that none of the people they were pointing guns at had done anything. Half of them turned to check what Davis was screaming about, losing sight of their targets.
It was enough for us to act. Tyler and Alec fired off several shots in rapid succession, as did Kyo and Marcus.
Zara’s mom lunged, clamping her arms around her daughter’s waist and tackling her to the ground. Once the electricity released Davis, he swayed, his eyes droopy, but managed to stay upright.
In the same instant, my legs moved, my instincts carrying me forward. I stepped onto the chair, then onto the table, took two running strides, and launched myself into the air, aiming straight for Davis.
As I sailed through the air, my skin started to glow, filling me with Light and confidence and illuminating the dark space. Almost immediately, the sensation of Josh’s ability tugged on my body, and my heart sank. Of course they wouldn’t want me anywhere near that maniac! But instead of yanking me back into his strong embrace, it gave me an extra push.
I would’ve landed short, but with Josh’s help, I barreled directly into Davis. We fell hard, my left elbow crunching against the concrete and making me cry out in pain. But I didn’t stop, didn’t pause to cradle my aching limb. I found exposed skin on his right forearm, wrapped my hands around it, and pulled.
I’d never pulled Light so forcefully before. All my focus was on the pure, unadulterated power surging into me, the Light-fueled instincts telling me to just hold on.
“No! Stop! How is this possible?” A frantic voice drew my attention. Gina stood a few feet away, staring at me intently. Karen and a few other Variants huddled around her, seeking the protection of her shielding ability.
“She’s not using an ability.” Dot took measured steps forward, Charlie and Kyo close behind her with guns pointed. Dot’s eyes were narrowed, looking for someone to hurt. “You can’t block her.”
Before Gina could answer, Dot sprang forward and landed a punch right to her nose. As blood started to pour down Gina’s front, the birds returned, lifting messy wisps of Dot’s black hair as they sailed past her, straight for Gina. The woman screamed but was completely engulfed.
With Gina eliminated, the other Variants were left vulnerable, but of course, Davis always had another plan.
More people poured into the area, guns raised, abilities ready. I couldn’t focus on them enough to know if they were ours or theirs. The last bits of Davis’s stolen Light streamed easily into me. It felt like a relief, as if the Light had been waiting for someone to beckon it away from its usurper.
When the last tendrils left Davis’s body, I gasped and let go of his arm. The power surging through me was terrifying—it was difficult to stand under its weight. I looked around for help, but my throat felt tight, and I couldn’t seem to unclench my teeth. My skin was glowing so brightly some people were shielding their eyes.
But it wasn’t just me creating so much light. Ethan stood with his broad back to me, his arms raised, commanding a wall of fire. Rising twenty feet into the air and burning a furious blue, it encased the three of us, protecting us from whatever chaos was happening out there.
There was a massive tear in the back of Ethan’s T-shirt, and the exposed corded muscle strained with the effort of keeping the wall up. He was burning through Light quickly, but I couldn’t transfer to him. Not yet, not alone. Instinctively I knew that if I transferred to any of them, they would end up with Davis’s mind-reading ability.
I followed the blue flames up, taking in the sheer scale of what he was capable of. Above us, Josh was flying, hovering close by while making throwing movements with