The Change (Unbounded) by Teyla Branton Page A

him after our training session. The way I’d felt at that moment—well, I wasn’t sure I’d ever experienced that kind of pull even with Tom.
    Tom, who seemed to be hiding something. Or who simply didn’t want anything to do with someone like me.
    Exhaustion finally took over, and I was half asleep when we arrived at the gate to the mansion. Ava rolled down her window but before she could punch in the code, men dressed in camouflage rose up all around the car. They carried heavy rifles, which I knew couldn’t kill us but could incapacitate us long enough to allow them the pleasure of cutting us apart at their leisure.
    A clear image came to my mind of a beautiful young woman with long dark hair lying on a floor running with blood, her head separated from her body. Sightless eyes open, framed by dark lashes. The sword coming down again on her motionless torso.
    Blinding rage fought with an urge to vomit.
    I gasped and the scene vanished, leaving behind a dull ache in my head. Where did that come from? More Unbounded tricks?
    “Get out of the car,” a gravelly voice ordered. “And keep your hands where we can see them.”
    I heard a metallic click in the vicinity of Ritter’s waist before he opened the door. Whoever these people were, he wasn’t planning to go down without a fight.
     

 
     
     
     
     

     
    “N OT E MPORIUM ,” A VA WHISPERED AS she slipped from the car.
    I wondered how she could tell. There were more than a dozen men, and looking over them I saw most were in their mid-twenties. Only two appeared old enough to be Unbounded, but neither had the confident presence. In fact, one of these was pasty with fright.
    “What’s the meaning of this?” Ava demanded.
    “Shut up.” This from the older man who didn’t seem afraid. He leveled his gun at Ava’s chest. “Oh, I know this won’t kill you, but it will be enough for now.” To his men, he added, “Secure them.”
    One of the men reached for my hands, and I wondered if I should struggle. Ritter looked at Dimitri and Ava and Cort briefly in turn. His chin dropped infinitesimally. A sign.
    The world exploded into motion.
    Ritter slammed his fists into two men, dropping them before anyone had the chance to move. His knife whipped out as he threw another man into the path of bullets fired from the leader’s silenced rifle. He was liquid in motion, a black blur that somehow avoided the soft pops of the rifle fire. A foot went up, then an arm, each connecting with their target. A deadly dance with men dropping all around him. If I weren’t seeing it for myself, I’d never have believed anyone could move like that—or anticipate the attackers’ movement so accurately. Five down already and a sixth falling, his neck twisted at an impossible angle.
    Beyond him, Ava was also in motion, her foot flying backwards into a man’s stomach. Two others lay unmoving at her feet. Dimitri had taken out two men as well but had collapsed, grabbing his stomach. Cort grappled with his third opponent over control of the man’s weapon.
    Only I seemed to be rooted to one spot. Think, I told myself. Do something.
    The next minute, a man grabbed my hands and started dragging me toward a black car barely visible next to the shrubbery. The engine revved. I slammed on the man’s foot and pain exploded there as my shoe connected with his boot. Was that a grunt of amusement from my captor? I made my knees go weak, my body heavy, a trick my nephew had pulled in his younger years when he didn’t want to go somewhere.
    The man swore and leaned to pick me up. I was in position, so I tried the elbow jab Ritter had taught me mere hours before. I didn’t have much hope of it actually working, but I felt a momentary thrill of success when the man grunted in pain and jackknifed forward. Twisting from his weakened grasp, I swung my freed hands into his head. I felt them connect, but the blow didn’t faze him.
    With a growl, he launched himself at me, tumbling me backwards. I