Star Gods, стр. 47

Ashe moves in behind me and I feel him draw strongly on a ward.

Maliki snorts, widening his stance. I’d be surprised by his behavior if I didn’t already know.

The whispers begin in my mind; sneaky bastard. “I’m wondering—how did you get in here, Levi.”

I throw a barrier around Cesar and Claire with one hand and immediately draw on my telekinesis, only for a line of electricity to fly past me and burn the wall where Levi had been standing.

“That’s Levi!” Maliki shouts, joining me. He throws a powerful electrified beam and Levi sheds his borrowed look and dives to the floor. “There’ll be more!” Maliki announces.

“Took you long enough.” The walls shift just enough to draw my attention and blackened figures step out of their hiding places, spreading out.

“I was temporarily detained,” he explains, his back to me while accessing the unwanted guests on his side. “I’ll clean up the mess later.”

“How did he get in here? Protection is still in place.”

“Maliki didn’t tell you?” Levi taunts in his deep voice, literally flying to his feet while using his sister’s apportation ability. His bloody lip instantly heals and suddenly I want that ability more than anything. “I can go anywhere my staff is.”

“You have his staff?” Maliki questions close to my ear.

“It’s stuffed in the closet under protection,” I answer under my breath.

Levi laughs harshly. “You mean it was in the closet.” His staff suddenly appears in his grasp. “It humors me, how much you half-breeds don’t know about your partial, non-sequential heritage. Did you really think your protection would keep me away from what is mine?”

The whispers increase inside my mind. Levi moves his staff expertly in my direction, the blade pointed toward me and Maliki builds his ability in strength.

Levi sneers at Maliki. “You don’t deserve the title of Assassin.”

“That’s cool with me.” Maliki sends electricity toward one of the Assassins. It travels across the floor glowing in power. It hits the wall when the intended target lifts a foot off the floor and sends a wave of one of his own abilities toward Maliki. Maliki knocks it away and quickly reciprocates with another quick blast hitting the Assassin square in the chest—he goes down jerking.

Abilities build around me. The Assassin on my right moves and I use my newest ability to paralyze him. Levi’s eyes flash, he snarls, makes a gesture with his staff, and travels—taking me, along with his men, with him. I feel as Maliki grabs hold of the tail and comes with me.

Levi throws me off and I grunt and roll when I hit the ground in my backyard, the odd sensation quiets and the unmistakable sound of the Luminaries wanting to send a message fills my mind. I hold it off as I get to my feet. “Are you crazy, Maliki?”

“You need help, especially now with the Luminaries trying to contact you.” He pools his ability as I stare at him.

“How did you…”

“Look out!” Maliki shoves me to the side barely sidestepping away from the attack meant for me.

Levi slams the butt of his staff onto the ground. “You,” he points it toward me. “I’m going to kill you and take everything you have.”

I laugh, scrambling back up and wiping blood off my cheek with my fingers. “I don’t think that’s how it works.”

Electricity streaks out, Levi moves out of the way, and it nails another Assassin dropping him to the ground.

“I’ll find a way to take back what’s mine and what I deserve,” Levi hisses. “In the meantime, enjoy.”

The red haze instantaneously hits me, almost as if it was waiting all along. It compresses inside my head, dropping me. I shove at it, trying to beat it back, but it only increases in strength.

“Zeke!” Sage cries.

“No!” Maliki yells, lifting his palm toward her. “Stay inside under protection, Sage! All of you stay inside. I got him!”

“I can help!”

“No! You’re connected. They’ll go through you too. Stay back!” Maliki grabs me around my middle, attempts to lift me, and when he can’t, drags me back toward the door.

I try to get my feet under me, and fail miserably. Tears fall from my stinging eyes, the red haze seeming to get brighter. Then I feel it, the nudge from the Luminaries. Levi’s attempting to block their incoming message. I try to dig my heels into the earth. “Wait, Maliki, Stop!”

“Are you freaking crazy?” Maliki argues. “I gotta get you inside and under protection!”

I fight him and wrestle myself lose from his grip, getting back onto my knees. I lift a hand to hold Maliki and my advancing brothers back. I grit my teeth and growl as I shove, push, and force Levi’s hold on my mind to let the message through from the Luminaries. It comes as quick terrifying flashes, not making complete sense, and I know I’m going to have to piece it together. I take in a gasping breath when it leaves me and release my hold on my barrier.

Ashe skids to a stop in front of me, grabbing both sides of my face. Warmth instantly spreads healing my cut, but not the headache Levi created. “What did you see?”

“The Assassins, they’re going to storm the high school and take students and teachers hostage.”

“When?”

“Now, the dance? I don’t know. It came to me in flashes, it wasn’t complete.”

“Tyce, let’s get Zeke inside and get protection back into place so he can get this message on paper.”

“He needs to rest, or at least take a break,” Cesar recommends as they drag me inside. “Look at him—he was just assaulted.”

I’m set in a chair and feel as Ashe, Tyce and Abby set protection back into place.

“Will it hold?” Claire asks.

“It should,” Maliki answers. “Levi took his staff with him, he can’t get in now.”

“Zeke, you need rest,” Cesar says, resting his hand on top of mine.

“Cesar, I’m fine. Ashe is right—if I don’t get this down now I might overlook something that’s important.” I put pencil to paper and draw.

The