Justice

Justice by Jeffrey Salane Page A

Book: Justice by Jeffrey Salane Read Free Book Online
Authors: Jeffrey Salane
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Keyshawn interjected, ‘Direct Downing does have a point. As beginners, you see, you won’t be able to achieve the full power of the Magblast. And since we know there’s a limited time for your training, the duel would create a more … engaging situation, greater incentive for you to master the tool quickly.’
    ‘Dude, we don’t need Devon coming in here and whipping us with waves of magnetic force,’ said Cal, rubbing his head where it had hit the wall. ‘Let’s just get this over with so we can learn our lesson.’
    The blast may have rattled his brain, but Cal had a point. There was safety in fighting one another. Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t. That was another Dad-ism that had stuck with M over the years, even though it had taken her a while to understand it fully. In hindsight, she wished she had remembered it when joining the Masters and leaving her friends behind. But the good devils, apparently, had a way of catching back up to you. In Germany, in London, and in the grip of the Fulbrights, M’s friends had always found a way back to her.
    ‘Merlyn, I challenge thee to a duel,’ declared M in her worst British accent – half to be funny and half to rub it in Ben’s face.
    Following standard duel rules, M and Merlyn stood back-to-backwith their hands at their sides and their masks in place. Then they walked ten paces away from each other. M could hear each of Merlyn’s footsteps striking a half second behind hers. She wiggled her fingers, trying to feel for any sign of the Magblast in her gloves, but like everything Keyshawn had worked into the suit, it was next to impossible to know it was there until you experienced it.
    Ten.
    M whirled to her left, hoping to dodge Merlyn’s left-handed attack, and swung her right fist in a violent, uppercut arc. The room remained absolutely silent, but the air itself erupted in a gust of throbbing waves visibly parting the once-static particles of dust that hung around them. Her left arm was clipped with a stinging blast, but poor Merlyn took M’s attack on the chin and was knocked flat on his back.
    ‘Say you’re okay, Merlyn!’ yelled M, running to him.
    ‘Ugh, if I say it, do I have to mean it?’ asked Merlyn, who groggily sat up and massaged his jaw. ‘Kidding, M, kidding. I’m okay. Good shot.’
    ‘Score one for Freeman,’ cheered Ben. ‘Let’s see what kind of trouble Fence and Byrd can start together.’
    Jules and Cal reluctantly joined each other back-to-back and counted off their ten paces. Jules had a good jump on Cal and let out a whirlwind burst that scribbled a trail across the room, but missed her target. Cal ducked the blow and threw back a rippling attack that started thin and spread out like the beam of a flashlight as it traveled. It scraped the walls and forced M and Merlyn to the ground in order to dodge the blast from the sidelines. Jules leapt over the wave of force just in time, but Cal had already sent another pulsethat worked its way into a small webwork pattern, catching Jules before she landed. The blow popped her up and away, carrying her kicking and screaming into the wall.
    ‘I’m okay,’ said Jules, sprawled on the floor.
    ‘No fair,’ said Merlyn. ‘Cal’s clearly done this before. Look at the sophistication of his attacks. That can’t be beginner’s luck.’
    ‘I swear, Merlyn, I’ve never done this before in my life,’ promised Cal.
    ‘He’s telling the truth,’ said Keyshawn. ‘While showing alarmingly good skill, he could not have touched this tech until now.’
    ‘How do you know?’ asked Merlyn. ‘Maybe his dad trained him on it before Cal shipped off to Lawless?’
    ‘Impossible,’ announced Ben. ‘Fence’s father is unauthorized to use this tech, given his dubious relationship with Lady Watts. If anything, M should know the tech best.’
    ‘And why’s that?’ asked Cal.
    ‘Her father invented it,’ answered Keyshawn.
    M wondered how many more times she would be

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