by Cheree Alsop
“Saro?”
I heard Skylar’s voice, but couldn’t turn away from the boy. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I shook it off. Tears clouded my vision, clearing the smoke from my burning eyes. “You’ve got to breathe, boy,” I said. Frustration at the way events had unfolded filled me. We had fallen into their trap. We had left the Galdoni Center unprotected. Koden should not have to pay for that mistake.
I slammed a fist down on his chest. His back arched and he began to cough, drawing in ragged breath after breath. His blue eyes opened. He tipped his head to look at me.
“Thank goodness,” I breathed. I rocked back on my heels. Skylar beamed down at me, her eyes filled with tears. My hands hurt. I tried to ignore them. My Galdoni training to put aside pain seemed to have neglected to point out that burns were a different kind of pain, the kind that was hard to think through.
Kale patted my shoulder on his way past. I glanced up at him. There was determination in his dark eyes and the line of his clenched jaw.
“Where are you going?”
“To make them pay,” he replied in a growl.
I stood. “I thought you were above revenge.”
His eyes narrowed. “They targeted my family. Brie, Jayce, and Nikko were all in the Center when it was hit. They barely made it out. You don’t mess with my family.”
My heart raced. “I’m going with you.”
He shook his head, his eyes on my hands. “Get those taken care of.”
“Wait for me.”
He let out a breath. “There’s no way, Saro.”
I stepped closer to him so that we were eye to eye. “Try to stop me, Kale. They almost killed Alana and Skylar. Koden barely made it. I saw a Galdoni who died in his bed because of this.” I motioned toward the fallen building. “I am going.” My tone left no room for argument.
Kale finally nodded. “Alright, but get those hands looked at first. I’m going to see who can go with us. We leave in ten minutes.”
Skylar helped Koden toward the ambulances. I followed them, cradling my hands against my chest. I couldn’t look at them; it hurt in some places, but in others, the lack of pain concerned me. Dr. Ray’s familiar face appeared out of the chaos.
“Skylar, Saro, thank goodness!” he exclaimed. He picked up Koden and led us to the back of one of the ambulances. “Jayce said you saved him and Alana. I don’t know how to thank you.”
I held out my hands. “Could you re-bandage these so I can go with Kale?”
He settled Koden on the small ambulance bed, then turned back. His eyes widened. “Saro.”
I shook my head. “I don’t want to know. Just bandage them so I can get going. Kale needs someone to watch his back.”
“Someone who can use their hands,” he pointed out. He stepped out of the ambulance. The team hurried inside to help with Koden. Dr. Ray gently picked up one of my hands. I hid a wince at the pain. His voice lowered. “Saro, you need to go to the emergency room.”
“He’s right,” Skylar said. “You’ve got to get these burns taken care of.”
I met both of their eyes, willing them to understand. “I can’t. Kale will leave without me and he can’t take Blade by himself.”
“Blade?” Dr. Ray’s face washed pale. “He’s behind this?”
I nodded. “He distracted us to keep us from coming back. He knew the Center was going to be attacked. We need to find out who gave the orders or everyone will be in danger.” I gave him a searching look. “Is there a safe place the Galdoni can go?”
Dr. Ray nodded. “We’ll secure the hospital; I’ve already contacted the police department. They’ll have it protected when we arrive.”
I held out my hands. He sighed. “As long as you get these looked at when you come back.”
“I will,” I promised.
I sat on the back bumper of an ambulance while Dr. Ray did what he could to protect my hands. Skylar’s hand rested on my shoulder, squeezing once in a while when my muscles tensed at the pain. I looked up at her. The worry in her eyes let me know her fear. When Dr. Ray was done, I wrapped her carefully in my arms.
“I’ll be back,” I said quietly in her hair.
“You promise?” she asked.
I nodded. She tipped her face up and I kissed her. We stood apart from the chaos that swarmed around us. People cried in pain; the wailing of ambulance and fire engines filled the air. We stood in a little bubble for that moment, away from everything that threatened to tear us apart. All I wanted to do was stay there forever, holding her in my arms with my lips pressed against hers. She filled every place I was empty. My heart thudded and I wondered if she could feel it where her hand rested against my chest. I hoped so, because it beat for her.
“You need to go home; your mom and brother will be worried.”
“I will,” she said, blinking up at me. “Please be careful.”
“I will.”
She nodded and stepped back just as Kale and three other Galdoni landed.
“I’ve sent everyone else to the hospital to keep the Galdoni and staff who were injured safe while we’re gone,” Kale told us. His gaze shifted to Dr. Ray. “I told them you’re in charge. If you feel there’s a threat, don’t hesitate to evacuate.”
“Will do,” Dr. Ray replied. He held out a hand. Kale shook it. “Take care of yourself.”
“I will,” Kale promised. He tipped his head to indicate the Galdoni behind him. “Saro, you already know Goliath. Varo and I fought together in the Arena, and this is Lem.”
My eyes met the Galdoni’s and memories crashed forward.
“Scream for me, SR029,” Blade had said with glee in his voice.
I couldn’t help the scream as he sliced my side open with his blade. When he walked away to leave me bleeding on the ground, Lem was the one who had stepped forward.
“Want me to cut his head off?” he asked.
I saw Blade’s smile through the darkness that crowded my mind. “Leave him. His death from that wound will be slow and agonizing, just the way he deserves it.”
I blinked, willing my eyes to focus. “LH308.”
Lem stared at me for a moment; soot was smeared across one cheek and his red hair was streaked with it. His eyebrows pulled together, and he nodded in recognition. “You’re the one Blade killed in the Arena when you were pinned by five other Galdoni. I guess should say almost killed. You had your revenge.”
“And you wanted to cut my head off,” I growled.
Kale stepped between us before I could attack him.
“Lem’s different, Saro. All of us are.” His gaze bored into mine. “He’s been with me for the last year.”
“He was one of Blade’s cronies,” I argued.
Kale nodded. “Back when we were all trained killers and fought to survive. It was a different world.”
Lem held up his hands, his green eyes wide. “I just want to help. I’m sorry about the past. Blade had to take you when he had the advantage to keep from fighting you when he didn’t; he was a coward like that.”
I shoved past Kale and stood toe to toe with the orange-winged Galdoni. “You would have killed me when I was already dying.”
Lem met my gaze without flinching. “Call it mercy.”
My chest heaved as I stared at him. I wanted to take him down. He deserved to pay for all he had done at the Academy under Blade’s tutelage. Who was worse, the monster or the one who followed him and did everything in his name?
A hand touched my arm. Goliath spoke, his deep voice rumbling through the night. “We don’t have time for this, Saro. Every moment we waste takes us further away from catching Blade and finding out who is at the bottom of the attack.”
The giant Galdoni’s reasoning found its way through the red haze that filled my mind. I let out a breath and nodded. “Fine.” I pointed at Lem. “But we’re not through.”
He shrugged, his eyes already on the sky. “I’d get the ground crew clear in case the Center collapses,” he told Kale. “That was quite the fire.”
My hands balled into fists. I winced at the angry pain, but it worked to clear my mind. “I’ll find you at your house when we’re done,” I told Skylar.
She nodded, her eyebrows pinched together and her gaze shifting from me to Lem. “Are you going to be okay?”
I gave her a forced smile. “Don’t worry. We’ve got bigger things to worry about than settling private battles.”
The other Galdoni rose into the air. Skylar stood on her tiptoes and kissed me. “Come back to me,” she whispered.
I smiled at her and lifted my wings. We flew through the smoke and left those on the ground far behind.
Chapter Twenty-seven
“Watch each other’s backs,” Kale commanded when we reached the building. “Get what information you can. We need to find the female Galdoni and any links from AC to the attack on the Galdoni Center.”
He pulled his dark wings tight against his back and dove. Goliath followed close behind, his huge form dwarfing the rest of the Galdoni. Varo spun to the left, using his gray wings to guide him in a tight circle. Lem motioned for me to go next. I shook my head, unwilling to let an enemy at my back. Despite the time away from the Academy, our training and my instincts held true. Lem shrugged and dove, holding his light orange wings along his body to streamline him through the drop. I let out a breath and followed.
Uncertainty filled me. It didn’t feel right to return to the building. Blade no doubt knew we were coming back. Blade was never unprepared; we were flying into a trap.
At the last minute, Kale pulled back and dove through the glass above the floor we had previously entered. He motioned for the other Galdoni to hit the windows on either side. I smiled at that. He also knew it was a trap. The others broke windows along the same floor but in different rooms so they wouldn’t be cornered if there was an ambush. On impulse, I chose the same window Kale had used.
I tucked my wings and rolled when I hit the floor. I came up in the middle of a firefight. Bullets hit the floor around me. Men with ballistic shields swarmed from the doors on either side of the large room. I could see Goliath and Varo taking down guards in the next room.
I grabbed a shield, throwing the guard who held it into two more. Kale held two shields on the other side of the room. He spun, taking down three guards before throwing one of his shields into a forth. I searched for Lem. The Galdoni was nowhere to be found. Uneasiness filled me at his absence. If he was on Blade’s side, our backs wouldn’t be protected.
Bullets peppered my shield. I ran forward, barreling the guards who shot at me into the room from where they had attacked. I shoved them back and pulled the door shut, then used the shield to snap off the door knob. Pounding followed gunshots; the door wouldn’t hold long.
A roar of rage tore through the air. I looked back in time to see Blade dive through one of the windows closest to Kale and grab him in a tackle that took them both through a wall to the next room. I was about to follow when three more Galdoni flew through the window, barring my way.
I recognized the first as PF220, one of the Galdoni who had held me down when Blade sliced through my side. I recognized the other two from the Academy, one who shaved his head and always had a bit of drool down the lopsided right side of his face from where Blade had broken his jaw, and a Galdoni close to my age with white and yellow wings. I had fought both of them before; Picasso was definitely the biggest threat.
“Wrong place, wrong time, boys,” I said.
PF220 popped his knuckles. I rolled my eyes at the cliché. “Ready to die, SR029?”
I couldn’t take all three of them together. Kale might have, but he was bigger and stronger. My scrappy style would only protect me for so long. I had to separate them. “You tried to kill me once before; I don’t think it’s happening now.”
“Wanna bet?” PF220 asked.
If I had owned a coin and the use of my hands in order to flip it, it would have been a great distraction; however, given my limitations, I had to work with what I had. I dove out the window.
I glanced back to see the three Galdoni exchange surprised glances before jumping out after me. I pushed my wings hard, ducking around the building just as they cleared the window. I expected them to split up. Training at the Academy taught us to head off an escaping enemy. We had often practice in the Arena, swooping the wide dome and tackling the Galdoni who branched away from the protection of their team.
Common sense said two would pursue me while one went the other way to catch me off-guard. If I could eliminate one, I would have a much better chance with the others. I glanced back in time to see the yellow-winged Galdoni and PF220 fly around the corner. I pushed my wings harder, holding as close to the building as I dared. Picasso was huge. Timing would have to be on my side or the attack would turn into the worst decision of my life.
I surged forward, giving one last hard push with my wings. Picasso appeared a second before I reached the edge; his eyes widened. I hit him, slamming the Galdoni into the building. A snap sounded as one of his wings broke under the force. He screamed as we dove through a window. Glass shattered around us, glittering off the marble floor. I shoved him away from me and glanced back to ensure that he was no longer a threat. He huddled in the corner, his broken wing a tattered mess beneath him.
I was about to jump back out when a form barreled into me, slamming me to the floor. I struggled against PF220’s grip. Yellow landed close behind him. PF220 punched my face, then my ribs. I felt them give.
“That all you got?” I forced a laugh.
Anger colored his face. He grabbed one of my wings. “You hurt Bulldog, this is what you get!” He bent my wing in his hands; I screamed at the pain of my protesting joint.
I rolled toward him and punched, using the momentum of my roll to drive my fist into his face. He staggered back, one hand on his jaw and the other thrown back to keep his balance in the crouch. I dove at him; his head hit against the marble floor. He kicked, shoving me backward toward the gaping hole that was once a window. I staggered back in the hopes of escape, but Yellow grabbed me in a bear hug from behind, pinning my wings and arms.
PF220 lowered his head and slammed into my stomach like a battering ram. I gasped for air. Stars danced in my vision. I felt him hit my face and my stomach, but I couldn’t draw in enough breath to fight back. Each blow made it worse; I was suffocating. He was going to kill me. I couldn’t protect Kale; I wouldn’t keep my promise to Skylar.
A blur tackled PF220. I elbowed Yellow in the stomach, followed by an elbow to the jaw. He spun and dropped. My vision cleared enough for me to see Lem trading punches with PF220.
“Protect Kale,” Lem yelled over his shoulder.
I jumped out the window trying to grasp what had just happened. The Galdoni I had thought was my enemy had attacked PF220, the scum he used to hang out with at Blade’s side. He had saved my life. I flew around the building with my thoughts spinning. I had to focus. I had to find Kale.
I flew back into the main room where we had started. It didn’t take long to follow the sounds of fighting to Kale and Blade. Room after room showed the effects of their battle. Doors had been broken off hinges, bodies of guards lay motionless on the floor, and drywall was everywhere. I entered the last room in time to see Kale motion for Blade to attack. The room was the size of the lunchroom at the Galdoni Center and had the same linoleum floor and tables pushed to either side. A few guards lay hapharzardly among the white tables without moving.
Both Galdoni looked as though they had received the beating of their lives. Kale limped and blood ran down the side of his face. One of Blade’s wings was missing enough feathers to make flying difficult, and his left eye was swollen almost completely shut.
“Enough with the guards,” Kale said. “Finish this with honor.” He threw down his shield.
“I can do honor,” Blade replied. He threw down his shield as well and gave a smile I recognized.
Blade didn’t have honor. The scar along my side was a testament to that.
“Don’t trust him!” I yelled. The ceiling was too low to fly. I ran toward the pair, dodging tables and bodies.
Kale walked to meet Blade, his fists up and a look of expectancy on his face. Blade’s smile mirrored the toothy grin he had given me as he pulled the sword through my skin.
“No!” I shouted.
Two shots rang out. Kale stumbled backwards. He looked from Blade’s gun to me.
I tackled Blade against a table. The table collapsed beneath us, sending both of us to the ground as the gun flew from Blade’s grasp. He hit me in the head twice. I slugged him in the jaw, then drove my forehead against his with a sharp crack. Lights exploded behind my eyes. I stumbled backwards and saw Blade’s eyes roll back. He shook his head and tried to rise.
A hand grabbed my shoulder. “Get Kale out of here!”
I met Varo’s eyes. The Galdoni’s right wing hung crookedly against his shoulder. His face was pale with pain, but his gaze was stern. “Get Kale to safety.”
I nodded and ran to the black-winged Galdoni. He moaned when I touched him. There wasn’t time to see where the bullets had hit. A glance showed Blade getting back to his feet. Varo stood in the way but Blade looked ready to tear through the Galdoni to get to us.
I slid my bandaged hands beneath Kale’s knees and behind his shoulders.
“Don’t you dare leave, SR029,” Blade growled. He dove at us, but Varo tackled him. Blade grabbed the gray-winged Galdoni by the throat. Varo kicked him in the groin.
“Fly, Saro!” he yelled.
I jumped out the window.
Chapter Twenty-eight
Kale was heavier than Skylar. It took all of my energy to push my wings hard enough that we could soar. I flew high above the dark buildings. I didn’t know where to go. I only knew that Blade would be after us soon and it would be best if I found a place to hide Kale. My shirt grew sticky with his blood. I didn’t know where he had been shot, but I could tell by his ragged breath that it was taking a heavy toll on him.
