she stole a glance in his direction. I took the opportunity. I punched her across the jaw and followed that up with my elbow. The sword clanged to the ground and she dropped to her knees.
I snatched it up and stood over her at the ready.
“Stop!” Michael shouted.
I took a step back.
The girl was seething, staring daggers into me.
“Don’t move or you will never move again.” I growled through my teeth at her. I would not lose my advantage. She would not touch me again.
Kim came running around the corner, sliding to a clumsy stop on a low pile of debris. “Airel, where did you get a sword— ?” She stopped when she saw me standing over the girl. “What—”
“Airel,” Michael said, “just calm down. I’ve got this.”
I dared to glance at him for the first time, quickly bringing my eyes right back to my foe. It took a few seconds to register in my mind. He has a gun. Where did he get a gun? It was aimed squarely at the girl.
“I’ve got her. She’s not going anywhere. Just step back slowly and—”
“Shut up! Both of you!” The girl spoke with an accent; it sounded Australian, but not quite. “Just listen to me,” she said as she slowly came to her feet. “This is a mistake. I’m here to help. Not to kill.”
“My name is Ellie.” She brought one hand to her lip, which was bleeding from where I had split it open. Piercing eyes regarded me from under the hood of her sweater.
I rolled my eyes. “And my name is Airhead Cindy. And all I want is world peace.”
She scowled at me.
“You’re here to help? Then what was all that? Your version of ‘hello’?”
Kim moved closer and stood next to Michael. I looked at her a little annoyed, like whatever happened to ‘BFF’s got your back, girl?’ But she seemed dazed. The peanut gallery has no comment. Miracles will never cease.
Ellie’s hand came away from her lip and the blood was gone. “You’ve got a mean cross. You seem to be able to handle yourself.” She pulled her hood back, exposing a bright blue explosion of spiky hair. “Sorry ‘bout that. I thought you were someone else.” She extended her hand to me.
As if I was going to shake it! I didn’t move. I just stared at her and her look-at-me hair.
“Wow!” Kim said. “Great hair; it looks so cool.”
“Thanks. Did it myself,” Ellie replied, withdrawing her hand.
I sensed in that gesture the vague whiff of missed opportunity, but I stuffed it down inside. “Who are you? What are you doing here?” I was getting angry all over again.
Michael had relaxed his aim, allowing the gun to point downward at the ground. Other than that, he stood motionless, watching the proceedings like a wise man.
“Well?” I said the sword still up and ready to slice.
“As I said before, I’m Ellie. I’m an angel. I’ve been looking for Kreios. It’s obvious that you all know exactly who that is.” She eyed me in particular. “I don’t have to tell you he’s out of control. I’m here to find him and put a leash on him.”
I gaped.
“How do you know who we are?” Michael said. He slid the gun into the small of his back and visibly relaxed. I lowered my sword but I was still tense.
“I keep my ear to the ground. I heard about the activation of one of the half-breeds—no offense,” Ellie glanced at me with a fake smile, “And the way she fights I’m guessing she…is you. Airel, right?”
“Yeah, she’s me,” I said, blowing a wisp of hair out of my face.
“And who did you say sent you again?” Michael said.
“El,” she said, her tone pat.
“And who did you think we were?” I asked. “I’m still a little confused about that.”
“That’s okay, dearie. I’ll explain it for you,” she replied. “It’s simple. I thought you were the baddies.”
Kim snickered.
“Laugh it up, red,” I said to her. “Thanks for getting my back.”
“Shut up, Airel,” Kim said. “You knew it was stupid to walk in there. I didn’t have to tell you that for you
I snatched it up and stood over her at the ready.
“Stop!” Michael shouted.
I took a step back.
The girl was seething, staring daggers into me.
“Don’t move or you will never move again.” I growled through my teeth at her. I would not lose my advantage. She would not touch me again.
Kim came running around the corner, sliding to a clumsy stop on a low pile of debris. “Airel, where did you get a sword— ?” She stopped when she saw me standing over the girl. “What—”
“Airel,” Michael said, “just calm down. I’ve got this.”
I dared to glance at him for the first time, quickly bringing my eyes right back to my foe. It took a few seconds to register in my mind. He has a gun. Where did he get a gun? It was aimed squarely at the girl.
“I’ve got her. She’s not going anywhere. Just step back slowly and—”
“Shut up! Both of you!” The girl spoke with an accent; it sounded Australian, but not quite. “Just listen to me,” she said as she slowly came to her feet. “This is a mistake. I’m here to help. Not to kill.”
“My name is Ellie.” She brought one hand to her lip, which was bleeding from where I had split it open. Piercing eyes regarded me from under the hood of her sweater.
I rolled my eyes. “And my name is Airhead Cindy. And all I want is world peace.”
She scowled at me.
“You’re here to help? Then what was all that? Your version of ‘hello’?”
Kim moved closer and stood next to Michael. I looked at her a little annoyed, like whatever happened to ‘BFF’s got your back, girl?’ But she seemed dazed. The peanut gallery has no comment. Miracles will never cease.
Ellie’s hand came away from her lip and the blood was gone. “You’ve got a mean cross. You seem to be able to handle yourself.” She pulled her hood back, exposing a bright blue explosion of spiky hair. “Sorry ‘bout that. I thought you were someone else.” She extended her hand to me.
As if I was going to shake it! I didn’t move. I just stared at her and her look-at-me hair.
“Wow!” Kim said. “Great hair; it looks so cool.”
“Thanks. Did it myself,” Ellie replied, withdrawing her hand.
I sensed in that gesture the vague whiff of missed opportunity, but I stuffed it down inside. “Who are you? What are you doing here?” I was getting angry all over again.
Michael had relaxed his aim, allowing the gun to point downward at the ground. Other than that, he stood motionless, watching the proceedings like a wise man.
“Well?” I said the sword still up and ready to slice.
“As I said before, I’m Ellie. I’m an angel. I’ve been looking for Kreios. It’s obvious that you all know exactly who that is.” She eyed me in particular. “I don’t have to tell you he’s out of control. I’m here to find him and put a leash on him.”
I gaped.
“How do you know who we are?” Michael said. He slid the gun into the small of his back and visibly relaxed. I lowered my sword but I was still tense.
“I keep my ear to the ground. I heard about the activation of one of the half-breeds—no offense,” Ellie glanced at me with a fake smile, “And the way she fights I’m guessing she…is you. Airel, right?”
“Yeah, she’s me,” I said, blowing a wisp of hair out of my face.
“And who did you say sent you again?” Michael said.
“El,” she said, her tone pat.
“And who did you think we were?” I asked. “I’m still a little confused about that.”
“That’s okay, dearie. I’ll explain it for you,” she replied. “It’s simple. I thought you were the baddies.”
Kim snickered.
“Laugh it up, red,” I said to her. “Thanks for getting my back.”
“Shut up, Airel,” Kim said. “You knew it was stupid to walk in there. I didn’t have to tell you that for you
Similar Books
