Star Gods, стр. 16
He stops, resembling an Angel of Death, placing the butt of the staff onto the ground, the hideous blade shining like glass toward me.
“You’ll have to go through me to get to her,” I say more calmly than I expect.
He laughs, throwing back his hood and I stare in disbelief.
“Isn’t that noble of you,” Neil says. “You think I only want her?” He comes toward me, his mannerisms much different from what he displayed before and I can’t help but wonder if it’s really him. Neil smirks, jutting the staff in my direction. The glass-like blade touches my shield dissolving it; panic tears into me as I look into his smiling face. “Oops,” he says, laughing.
I back up, my eyes locked with his; I have to get out of here. My shield is supposed to be impenetrable and I’m exposed. I travel, my feet running the minute I reappear, and I’m instantly looking and listening for the girl. Where is she? A flash of light interrupts my search. He’s here, traveling only feet in front of me. I turn on my heels and run in the opposite direction. I have to find her, where did she go?
I run through puddles not caring what could be in them, my mind listening to everything around me wanting to grab onto that one sound to tell me where she is. I dart past the tattoo shop and hear a whimper of fear. I stop dead in my tracks, twisting my body around. There, huddled in between two dumpsters is the girl, her body tucked as close as she can get while she shakes with fear.
I don’t have much time.
I travel in front of her, clamping my hand over her mouth. I pull her to me, crushing her arms between us, as I call on my barrier and think of home. She fights me, but I have the upper hand in the cramped space we share. I put an image of my living room into my mind, but before I can travel, something pierces me through my back making me cry out in pain. I hold the girl as tightly as I can, and travel.
“He’s been gone far too long,” Ashe says as I travel us closer. “We’re going to check the alley. If he shows, call Tyce.”
I drop us right at Ashe’s feet making him jump. “Put up the wards!” I yell, my body shaking and still protectively covering the girl. I’m not going to be able to shield us much longer.
“Zeke, what the hell!” Tyce shouts.
“Put up the wards! Now!” Don’t they see I have someone with me?
My brothers’ splay arms wide and I feel the air move like a sonic wave. Ashe puts up a second layer of protection as Tyce drops down next to me.
“Zeke, they’re up. Drop your barrier.”
“You have to protect her, no matter what,” I demand, sweat running down my face and into my eyes.
“I know, we will.”
“Promise me you’ll protect her.”
“Yes, Zeke, I got it. Drop your barrier—she’s starting to freak out.”
With the last of my strength, I drop my barrier and my body crumbles onto the carpet of our living room.
“It’s okay,” I hear Claire say, I’m assuming to the girl. “You’re safe here…you’re bleeding!”
“It’s not mine,” the girl shrieks. “It’s his!”
Tyce grabs me, unfolding me to lay me on my back on our living room rug, Tyce’s face showing me just how bad it is as he stares at my stomach. “Ashe, get over here! Stay with me, Zeke, okay? Just stay with me!”
“Where else am I going to go?” I question.
“What the hell happened to him?” Ashe exclaims dropping on the other side of me while adding his hands next to Tyce’s.
I cry out, the usual warmness of healing sending dagger-like pains through me. It burns, making me wonder if at any moment flames are going to erupt from my gut and burn me alive. I try to lift my knees to get more comfortable but it only makes me gasp in pain making my breathing even more labored.
“This isn’t an ordinary cut.” Ashe turns his head and yells over his shoulder. “What happened to him?”
“I didn’t do it!” the girl shrieks. “The guy did!”
“What guy?” Ashe demands.
“I don’t know!” she answers. “Some guy appeared out of nowhere. People can’t do that…”
“What was it?” Tyce yells. “What kind of knife was it?”
“It wasn’t a knife,” she says, tears streaming down her face. “It…it was a curved blade…clear as glass… on a long stick.”
“A scythe?” Tyce asks.
The girl shakes her head. “No, the blade was much smaller and circular.”
“What kind of weapon looks like that?” Tyce asks and Ashe shakes his head.
“He’s not responding to our healing,” Ashe says in panic. “Why can’t we heal him?”
“What do you mean, heal him?” the girl’s voice pitches an octave. “People can’t heal other people with their hands. That’s not normal. What are you?”
I cry out as more pain shoots through me.
“Hang in there, Zeke. Hang in there, okay?” Ashe shakes his head again. “What the hell is going on, why isn’t it stopping?”
“I don’t know.” Tyce wipes his eyes with his shoulder. “What are we missing?”
The girl is almost to Claire and I divert my eyes to our friend. Her hands are covering her mouth and tears are streaming down her face. I wish there was something I could say to ease her worry, but there’s nothing I can do but lay here hoping my brothers can save me.
“I don’t understand,” Ashe says, his voice hitching. “Why can’t we stop it?”
“He