Star Gods, стр. 15

I snort. She hates math. “Can I trust you to keep this to yourself for the time being?”

“Depends on what you’re going to tell me.”

“You have to agree, or I’m leaving now.”

Her arms drop. “Zeke, what’s going on?”

“Claire, you have to promise me…”

She sighs heavily. “I promise. Now tell me what’s going on.”

I sigh. “Not a word, Claire.”

She huffs out a breath. “I already promised. Would you like me to sign something with my blood?”

“I was visited by a Star God. He told me I have to save a girl about my age, without my brothers’ help, and any assistance from them.” I point upward.

She looks to me with concern while pulling two cans of orange soda out of the fridge. She hands one to me and stands on the other side of the counter. “That’s against their rules.”

“Yeah.”

“Why would the Star God tell you this?” She pops the top of her soda and takes a drink.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out.”

She takes another sip. “You need to talk to your brothers.”

“I can’t.”

“Since when do you follow orders?”

“This is different,” I explain. “This is what I’m born to do.”

She taps her nails on the counter. “This Star God is breaking the rules. Talk to your brothers.”

“I will, after I find her.”

“Now you’re breaking rules, Zeke. You’re supposed to work together.” She tilts her head. “That’s what you’re doing out there. You’re looking for this girl, aren’t you?”

I tap my fingers against the side of my still unopened soda.

“Why are you telling me all this?”

I run a hand down my face. “I needed someone to talk to and you were handy.”

She looks sympathetically at me. “Let me talk to Papa and I’ll come help you.”

I slap a hand down on top of hers and she looks at me with surprise. “No.”

“Zeke, I can help…”

I squeeze her hand. “No.”

“You’re telling me all this. I can…” Her eyes widen. “There’s something dangerous about this, isn’t there?” she says more loudly and I get up from the stool. She flips her hand and grabs mine, squeezing hard. “Zeke, you need your brothers.”

“Claire…”

“You need them.”

I pull my hand away when her eyes fill, backing up out of her reach. “This conversation is between you and me. You can’t tell Tyce unless you have no other choice. You promised.”

She cocks a hip. “Then I have no other…” She points a finger at me, her brows lifting. “You think something is going to happen to you.”

I take in a sharp breath when a tear runs down her cheek. “In case something happens, you’ll be able to tell my brothers...”

“Don’t do this, Zeke.” She holds up her cell. “We’ll call Tyce right now and tell him what’s happening.”

I hear footsteps on the stairs and I dart my eyes to the door and back to Claire. “Afterward, Claire, I’ll tell them everything.”

“But…”

I look at her apologetically as the doorknob turns and I vanish, reappearing in a secluded spot in Dayton’s Bluff. I take the familiar path to a low, stone wall and sit, dangling my feet over the steep cliff side and looking out at the island airport for private jets. I made Claire cry and her dad is going to have questions. I swing my feet trying to calm my nerves. It won’t matter now if Claire tells Tyce. The sun is going to set soon and I’ll find the girl. I watch a plane take flight and wait for the shadows to come.

According to my watch, the time is 6:37 p.m. My stomach rumbles reminding me that I haven’t eaten since breakfast. Ashe and Tyce have to be fuming by now, and I worry they will show up and get in the way. Hopefully, they’ll wait me out; I can’t worry about protecting them too. I hunch my shoulders, flip up my hood, and stuff my hands into my pockets as I lean against the wall of the ceramic shop. My eyes are shifting between Abby’s door and some discarded cardboard littering the alleyway past the Appleton Bakery. Shadows reflected by the alley lights are just appearing and, according to the message, the girl should be showing up at any moment. I’m hoping I can catch her before anything bad happens.

A hum from the opposite end of the alley draws my attention making me leave my spot by the wall. I feel the air compress, and suddenly the girl is there, only fifty feet away from me. I stare in shock as she looks around, appearing confused. She just traveled!

A bright flash of light blinds me and the girl screams. I blink to clear my sight and find she’s running directly toward me.

This is it; time to save the girl. “Wait!” I yell.

She runs past me as if I’m not even here, straight through a puddle. Water shoots up spraying her everywhere, just like in my message. She darts a look behind her, whimpering loudly, and runs into boxes, going down onto her hands and knees.

I follow her gaze and fear spikes inside me. A dark figure is coming up fast, most definitely male, a hood partially covering his face. His snug fitting black clothing shows off his muscular build, his black high-tops minus laces. He moves fast and purposeful, swooshing a staff with a menacing, glowing, circular blade.

Am I really seeing this?

A boom of an ability, most likely his, spreads out coating the area we’re in and I panic. Is it to keep humans from seeing, or something to contain the girl and me inside?

The girl sobs, breaking me out of the shock I’m in, as she desperately tries to regain her footing. I travel next to her and she lets loose a bloodcurdling scream.

I grab her arm and lift. “Get up!” I yell.

She punches me square in the chest. “Let go of me!” she screams. “Leave me alone!”

I tighten my grip. “I’m not going to hurt you, but he will!