Star Gods, стр. 53

“He’s stronger…”

“I’m stronger!” Levi snaps, cutting her off. “I’m Head of the Assassins. I rule!”

I land in Coach’s office right next to an unconscious and bleeding Maliki. I feel an opening in the shield at the hinges of the door, gently lay my hand onto his arm, and travel us to one of the janitor’s closets. I carefully lay him on his back and move blood-soaked hair out of his eyes.

“Maliki,” I say softly, wiping my face with my shoulder. “Come on, man, wake up. You need to self-heal.”

His eyes partially open, he whimpers, and his eyes close again.

“Maliki.”

No response.

“Dammit.” I’m going to have to try and borrow his healing ability like I borrowed Ashe’s ward. I force in a deep breath, and the closet door handle turns. “C’mon, Maliki, healing now would be a great idea.”

The door slowly opens all the way and an Assassin enters. He’s small in stature with his staff towering over him, a hood covering his face. It doesn’t matter his size, he’s earned his staff; he’s killed.

Maliki stirs beside me.

Blood runs down my face and side as I stay protectively next to Maliki. I draw on the Earth ability and the floor begins to shake.

The Assassin closes the door and throws back his hood to reveal he’s not a boy at all, but a girl—one that looks vaguely familiar. She rests her staff against the wall and turns nonthreateningly toward us. Her short chestnut brown hair shaved close on each side and decorated with complicated designs. The violet of her eyes are encircled with the tiniest thread of black. “Maliki, you look like shit.”

“Not as bad as your face, Ally,” he replies, grunting.

“You need to look in a mirror, dude.” She moves in, her eyes resting on me. “You must be okay since I saw you rescue my friend here, and he’s not lighting you up.”

“He’s Zeke,” Maliki says as he heals himself. “He’s one of the chosen.”

“I recognize you now. You were in the field, and my sister was with you.”

I nod.

She runs her eyes down my body. “You’re messed up.”

I slowly shift to sit on the floor, wincing. “Levi doesn’t like me much.”

She snorts. “He doesn’t like anybody. And, if you’re who I think you are, Levi particularly doesn’t like you.”

Maliki places his hand on my arm and I gratefully feel a pleasant wave of healing.

“Is it true?” Ally asks. “You can take abilities?”

“Yeah, it’s true.”

“Good, ’cause you’re no good to any of us dead.”

“Us?”

“You’ve got followers.” She smiles at me with a cocky grin laying a hand over her chest. “Meeting a Chosen One up close and personal, I may have to take a moment of honor.”

Maliki snorts, drawing a knee up as he sits his back to a shelf of cleaning products.

“Why are you hiding in this small-ass closet?” she asks.

“He goes to school here and he can travel,” Maliki answers.

She gazes between the two of us, then darts her attention to the closed door, lifting a finger to her lips as she slowly stands.

I feel an ability build on the other side of the door and extend my barrier over them both to travel us out. I land us in one of the windowless tutoring rooms large enough to fit three tables with four chairs each.

“Do you have a fetish for small rooms?” she asks.

I snicker. “No. They’re out of the general areas and not as easy to find.”

“I found you in the janitor’s closet,” she reminds.

I shrug. She does have a point.

“So, what’s the plan, Oh Chosen One?” Ally leans a hip on the edge of a table.

“Get to my family and stop Levi.”

“And Abby?”

“She’s part of the family I mentioned. They’re here. Last time I saw them they were in the gym.”

She smiles. “Cool. Are you going to call them into this itty bitty room and we can have a very close family reunion?”

It’s remarkable; Ally is definitely her own person. She resembles her twin and that’s about it. “Where are the Assassins mainly?”

“Everywhere.”

“How many are here?” Maliki asks, walking around the perimeter of the tables. I have a feeling he’s claustrophobic.

“Just Levi’s favorites.”

Maliki drags his fingers nervously through his hair.

“And how many is that?” I ask.

“Over fifty of the most unique abilities there are,” Maliki answers.

“How many are on our side?” I ask. In answer, I feel an ability on the other side of the door materialize. I sigh heavily at yet another interruption. Will this ever stop? I easily focus with my mind and read what’s on the other side. “This one is mine.”

Ally sits on a table, her staff appearing in her hand. “Holler if you need any help.”

I throw a barrier in front of Maliki and Ally just before the door flies open. The Assassin from the locker room, the one with the knives, steps inside glaring at me and showing his teeth.

“Should’ve brought some popcorn,” Ally calls.

With barely a warning, knives shoot out bouncing off my barrier, and one slicing my thigh before hitting the wall.

He chuckles, at least I think it’s a chuckle, it sounds more like grunts.

“Oh, c’mon, Grunter, you know you can do better than that,” Ally taunts.

The Assassin sneers at her, taking a step closer and sending more her way.

She laughs when they hit and bounce off again. “Nice try, Grunter.”

“It’s Gunther!” he replies through gritted teeth. “Know your place, Assassin.”

“Yeah, see, that doesn’t work for me anymore.” Ally jumps down off the table and lifts her staff to pierce my barrier. “You can stuff it, Grunter. And when Chosen One here is done with you, you and me, we’re going to have our own little party.”

He grunt-chuckles while building his ability, but instead of knives leaving his body, he unexpectedly charges, suddenly changing course and blasting into me. I go flying, the back of my head bouncing off the blackboard and my face striking the floor; I hear and feel as my nose breaks.

I lift