Bladed Wings (41 page)

              “That must be nice.” Nice sounded like such a small word for such a big thing, but Kayla knew what he meant. She gave a little smile.

              “Can I ask you something kinda personal?”

              Seth looked up from his plate with a sharpened smile, “Sure.”

              “Have you ever prayed?”

              “Once. It didn’t work out.” He looked back at his plate before he asked, “Does it help?”

              “It does. But not because you run off and ask God for help. Prayer is more about helping yourself. You get to be honest and that can make things clearer. It’s that whole thing of being able to talk to someone who you know loves you no matter what.”

              “I’ve never understood that.”

              Kayla saw him flinch when she agreed with him, “Me either.”

              “How’s that work? Aren’t you kind of obligated to believe that your God will love you no matter what? I mean, isn’t that one of the big selling points for Christianity?”

              “I believe it. I know He loves me. I feel it every day, but I can’t explain it. In a lot of ways, you’re right, Seth. Sometimes people are jerks. We have this beautiful world and all of these chances, but we mess it up. But He still loves us. I don’t know why. We’re good, I still believe that, but we could be a whole lot better.” He looked at her like she was an alien, but one he wanted to understand. It made her shiver a little. She’d never talked to anyone like this, not even Dean.

              “You’re more honest than anyone I’ve ever met.”

              “Are you sure?” she teased. “If you can’t read my thoughts, I might be lying.”

              “Faith?” Seth laughed, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t true.

              A quick breath and she asked, “Why did you invite me out tonight?”

              “What’s your life been like?” he asked. “In the last few weeks, how have things been?”

              “Hard,” she admitted, her eyes on the salt shaker because she’d tighten down into silence if she saw him watching her. “I’m scared to go home. I’m actually scared of my own house. It’s always shouting and fighting.”

              “That’s why,” and this time he surprised her. This time he didn’t hesitate when he reached across the table and covered her hand with his. A small comfort, but one that meant so much. When she looked at him again, she didn’t know if this was a date, but she knew it didn’t matter. Her feelings tightened and solidified and she knew she cared about him more than she ever could have expected.

              Kayla hid the stab of disappointment when he said they should probably go. She didn’t want that night to end. But it looked like Seth had the same feeling because he didn’t drive back to her house. Instead they drove through a couple different streets. They talked the whole way, but she didn’t ask where they’d end up. She didn’t want to know. It was more fun when she didn’t know their destination.

              “Do you like pool?” he asked when they parked.

              “Like poking balls into holes?”

              Seth smirked, “Yeah. Have you ever played?”

              “Once,” she said. “Can’t say I’m very good at it.”

              “I’ll teach you,” he said and clicked his door open.

              Eating at her favorite place had been half laughing and flirting and half serious discussion about faith and whether humans were fundamentally good or broken. As they played through their three games of pool, it was just fun. It was the kind of fun Kayla couldn’t remember. Yes, she remembered the idea of having fun, and she could’ve named ten or twelve different moments that were fun, but the feeling, that was something she’d forgotten.

              It was hearing him laugh when she slammed the pool stick too hard, bounced three balls off the table, and almost tripped a guy at the next table. It was hearing the music and bobbing her head to the beats. The other customers were all guys so the jukebox just blasted alternative stuff about angry singers. It wasn’t Kayla’s first choice, but she could let herself go with those beats. When Seth first noticed, he teased her. She teased him back about how he could name the one pop song that came on, a boy band that Kayla used to listen to with Allie and her other ex-friends.

              Seth helped gave her some tips. He also stood behind her and helped her line up her first couple of shots. It made her want to mess up more, just for some more tutoring. She knew that was stupid, but he felt good. It felt good having someone close again, someone she could trust. More than anything, it felt good knowing that he wanted to take her out because of everything else. He didn’t want something from her.

              When he looked at her, Kayla knew that she only saw him.

              It didn’t feel like very long, but the clocks betrayed her by saying it was almost at her curfew. Kayla figured she could jump that imaginary line without much trouble from her parents. Neither parent wanted a potential enemy in the divorce. And it stung more, but Kayla was pretty sure they wouldn’t notice anyway. They’d either be gone, fighting, or sulking. Seth took the cue sticks and balls back to the front counter and came back.

              Seth took her hand again. As hard as she tried, Kayla couldn’t tell what he felt with that gesture. Maybe it was just a touch of humanity he didn’t get from anyone else, like a wounded puppy desperate for any affection. When he touched her mind to teach her how to use her abilities, Kayla saw parts of his life, but she never saw him hug or touch anyone. Or maybe he thought this is how friends spent time.

              “That was fun,” he said, “Thank you.”

              “Hey, you’re the one doing the nice thing. Remember?”

              “Yeah,” Seth said, “but is it really nice if it’s fun for me too?”

              “Oh,” she stopped in mock horror, a hand over her mouth, “Wow. Maybe you’re right. If you like doing something good, then it must not be good at all. So if you had fun, you must be a terrible jerk even if you gave me a whole five hours without thinking about any of the garbage in my life.”

              They both stopped at the front of his car. They had to get in but didn’t. They didn’t say anything even as they both grinned back at each other. This was closer than necessary, closer than most people would’ve liked, but she always savored that sensation of being near him. He was always taller than she expected, stronger, and more intense. She felt her toes quiver as he pressed a little closer.

              He was going to kiss her, she realized. She closed her eyes. She held onto that moment and waited. Only she had to open her eyes when she felt him pull away.

              His stance changed. She turned around and saw why. Sasha stood there with four others behind her. They all wore torn jeans and t-shirts despite the cold. They stared ahead, thoughtless and cold. If the temperature bothered them, they didn’t let it show. But then they probably had more important things in mind like the knives in their hands. Kayla wanted to pull out her phone and call 911, but that wouldn’t matter. Even in the parking lot lights, she could see the blackened flickers of energy along their eyes.

              “Kayla, Seth,” Sasha said with a little nod. “A pleasant evening for a conversation.”

              “What do you want?”

              “A body,” Sasha said and shifted her gaze from Seth to Kayla. Her smile looked feral and revealed her fangs. “Tonight, finally, I’ll get my target.” Kayla felt her skin chill, because she was the target. She didn’t know what to say as she tried to reboot her brain and figure out what she as going to do. Fight, she had to fight. She had to fight and help Seth get out of there. Without thinking about it, she didn’t want him defending her. She didn’t want him getting hurt to protect her.

              Seth braced himself with a fighter’s stance, and Kayla realized he wouldn’t leave her. Not there. Even if he didn’t have a gun or knife, he’d kick and punch through those guys if that’s what it took.

              “You can leave here,” Seth said. “If you don’t. I will kill you.”

              “You think so?” she asked. “Poor little boy. You have potential, sure, but you’re not strong enough to take me. You’re not old enough.”

              “You really want to test me?” Seth didn’t sound scared. Somehow it sounded like a negotiation, two predators circling testing one another. It became a silent contest to determine the stronger and braver hunter.

              “It won’t be a test,” she promised.

              On cue, the four guys behind her slogged forward. They didn’t move like hunters. They lacked Sasha’s grace, but their muscles worked just fine. As they thumped forward, Kayla reached out and thought of how Seth saw the world. She remembered his training and channeled his instincts. Energies combined and twisted together. She tightened them in her grip and flicked her wrist. A tendril of energy snapped down. It was invisible, so the first guy didn’t know to dodge it. He was caught in the shins, Kayla heard a crunch, and he tumbled down.

              The other three moved forward. Seth stepped in front of her, and she felt touched that he cared and annoyed he didn’t trust her to fight for herself. She couldn’t see his eyes, but she guessed they’d flicker with that blue energy. Two of the thugs stopped, their blades loose in their lank hands.

              Sasha held her fingertips together to form two thirds of a triangle over her chest. She stared into her followers’ minds and fought Seth for control. Kayla couldn’t see anything, but she felt the sludge and darkness from one side wrestle against the control and heat from the other. Seth started to tremble with the effort.

              One of Sasha’s thugs slashed down at Kayla. She ducked and fell back. A swipe of her hand and force knocked him back, but the second one was there. Kayla felt a wall behind her back, dropped down, and kicked out. She never learned that move from Seth.

              The whites of her eyes simmered back and forth between black and their natural colors. Sasha stepped forward, a little at a time. She reached out with her own dagger. It looked like a curved blade, something good for chopping meat. Seth saw her coming, but he couldn’t hold back her followers and fall back at the same time.

              One of the thugs swung at Seth, but he didn’t duck. Kayla threw out a wave of energy that threw the blade off by an inch, maybe a little more. It still nicked him and a line of red and ripped cloth stretched across his stomach. If it hurt, Seth didn’t let it show.

              Sasha would  win, Kayla realized. She couldn’t fight them all off. She wasn’t strong enough. As Seth held most of Sasha’s attention, they wouldn’t win. And Kayla wouldn’t abandon him. She didn’t care what happened. Kayla wouldn’t let him sacrifice himself.

              Sasha grinned, but her voice strained like she had to hold something back, “Nice try, but you can’t take me.” Sparks of black shifted across her eyes, but Kayla noticed something else: indigo. Seth focused on her, tried . If he could control Sasha, lock out her ability, then these guys would run. They might not even remember why they were coming after them.

              Kayla had to hope. She had to hope he’d be strong enough. Another one of the thugs was up and swung at her. Kayla evaded the blade, but just long enough to hop back. He was still on her. She swung out and knocked him back. When he turned on her again, he had a bruise across his face like he’d been smacked by a hose. Another one of Sasha’s followers closed in on Seth. He didn’t see her.

              Kayla was going to scream for him to duck, to move, to do something, but another one of them grabbed her. He slammed her into the wall, and the breath tore from her lungs. She got something out, a pathetic whisper that he couldn’t even hear. Terror ripped at her because she hated herself because she was going to watch him die.

              Even then, she wouldn’t leave him. Kayla wouldn’t abandon him. He wouldn’t be alone. Kayla swore that wouldn’t happen.

              Sasha held out her knife as the second thug got closer.

              Seth grinned, a note of triumph and the cockiness of someone who knows his plan worked, “You’re not going to kill me.” The guy to his right, the one about to slit his throat, stopped. The black disappeared from his eyes. At the same time, Sasha’s cleared as he let go over her. Stunned for a moment, like someone just stepped out of the way instead of holding her back, Sasha looked dazed.

              In the same moment, Kayla watched Seth take control of her fourth follower. He ran at Sasha and swiped down. His blade caught the Alliance fighter in the shoulder. Now she had her own gash. He tried to swing again, an uppercut that would’ve planted his blade in her stomach.

              One hand against her shoulder, Sasha grabbed the fighter, and their eyes flared back. She hissed with the pain, a curse on her lips. It didn’t matter. Seth had a different fighter. Her focus broken by pain and the idea that he could hurt her, Sasha couldn’t get their minds back under her control. Two more of her followers fell in on her. Kayla threw a wave of force that pummeled her to the ground.

              Sasha hacked through her thugs, Seth grabbed Kayla’s wrist, “We’re out of here. Now.”