Broken Knights: A Paranormal High School Bully Romance (Gifted Academy Book 4)

by Michelle Hercules

  Warmth spreads through my chest. Bryce and his love for pie. It might help save Xavier’s life.

  “And what are we going to do with this son of a bitch here?” Phoenix glances at Delta.

  “We’ll hand him over to the Knights. He’s more useful alive than dead,” Morpheus replies.

  BRYCE

  “Slow down. I think I just picked up on Rufio’s signature.”

  “How is that possible? He doesn’t have a signature anymore, and you’re weak as hell,” Toby replies from the back seat.

  “I don’t know how, only that I’m sure I did.”

  “Okay, which direction should I go, then?” Renata asks.

  “Downtown.”

  “Why would your brother be downtown? Do you think the safe house is in the middle of the city?” Toby asks again, getting on my already fried nerves.

  “Gee, I don’t fucking have the answers, okay? So stop asking,” I snap.

  “I’m sorry.”

  I feel like crap now. I shouldn’t have barked at him like that. Damn it, Bryce. Get your head straight.

  A ringtone goes off, breaking the heavy silence. It takes me a moment to realize it’s my phone buzzing in my pocket. I fish it out as fast I as I can, frowning when I read “Poppy’s Joint” on the screen.

  “I’ll be damned.” I press on the Accept Call button. “Hello?”

  “Bryce, oh thank God you picked up.”

  “Daisy? I’ve been going crazy with worry. What happened? Are you safe?”

  “We are for now. You have to come to Poppy’s Joint immediately. Xavier has been hurt pretty badly, and we need your help.”

  “We’re on our way.”

  “Ask her about Rosie,” Toby urges. “Is she unharmed?”

  “We’re all fine except for Xavier,” Daisy answers. “Well, Rufio has a gash on his face.”

  “It’s just a scratch,” he mutters in the background.

  “How far away are you from here?” she asks me.

  “Three minutes, tops.”

  “Okay. I have to go. I’ll see you soon.”

  The call ends before I can reply.

  “You should have told Daisy about your current state,” Toby pipes up. “She’s hoping you can heal Xavier.”

  “I know.”

  “Then why didn’t you?” Renata asks.

  “Because I will heal Xavier,” I reply stubbornly.

  “How? You could barely walk not half an hour ago,” Toby reminds me.

  “My strength is returning.”

  Not a complete lie, but I’m nowhere near recovered yet. If they didn’t take Xavier to a hospital, it’s because they can’t. I’m his only hope, and I won’t let him down. I won’t let Daisy lose another important person in her life.

  Neither Renata nor Toby offer any further argument, but I don’t need to read minds to know what they’re thinking. I’m delusional, making a mistake. Fuck, maybe I am, but I’m not going to simply not help the love of my life.

  “I need directions to this diner. I’m not familiar with it,” she says.

  “Turn right at the next intersection.”

  She follows my instructions, and less than three minutes later, we park in front of the place where everything started. My heart lurches inside of my chest as the memory of the first time I saw Daisy comes to the forefront of my mind. I couldn’t have known how much my life would change that day.

  I’m out of the car before Renata has the chance to turn off the engine. “You should wait here.”

  “Oh, okay. Sure.” Her face falls, but I’m not about to walk in there with the enemy in tow.

  Toby and I stride together toward the diner’s entrance. The neon sign at front says they’re closed, but the door is unlocked. I walk in first, scanning the space. The first person I find is Felicity, Daisy’s waitress friend.

  “They’re in the corner in the back,” she tells me.

  Before I get a visual, I hear Rosie’s low whimpering and Daisy comforting her. Shit. Am I too late?

  Xavier is lying on his back on two tables that were pushed together. The front of his shirt is completely drenched in blood, and his tan skin is ashen, the color of death. But his chest is moving. He’s not gone yet.

  Daisy turns her head in my direction. A gasp leaves her mouth right before she runs into my arms. I crush her against my chest, relieved beyond measure that she’s unharmed. I kiss the top of her head while I drown in her scent.

  “I’m so glad you’re here, Bryce.” She pulls back and gazes into my eyes. “Are you okay? Rufio told me you got hurt.”

  She drops her eyes as she runs her hands down my chest. “Your jacket. It’s covered in blood.”

  “I got into an altercation with a few Idols. I was outnumbered, and they caught me by surprise.”

  “They made you bleed. They used lightning-glass against you.”

  I clench my jaw, waiting for Daisy to come to the inevitable conclusion. When her face falls and her eyes fills with tears, I know she did.

  “The poison. You can’t possibly have recovered from it yet.”

  “I’m much better than I was an hour ago.” I glance at Xavier. “I’m going to help your uncle, Daisy.”

  A fat tear rolls down her cheek, which I hastily wipe away. “Please don’t cry, my love. Everything will be okay.”

  I walk around her to inspect Xavier’s wound. He got shot in his stomach, and it’s a miracle he hasn’t died yet. Those are usually fatal.

  “Don’t look so shocked, kid,” Xavier croaks. “I’m a different kind of Fringe. I heal faster than most.”

  “Different or not, you need my help.” I glance at Phoenix, who is sitting nearby, looking positively wretched. “Have you removed the bullet from him yet?”

  He faces me, blinking several times as if my voice woke him from a daydream. “No, we didn’t want to cause more bleeding or internal damage before you got here.”

  “All right. Can you do it now? I have to save all my strength for the healing part.”

  He rips Xavier’s shirt open, and then with his hand raised above the bullet’s entry point, he furrows his forehead in concentration. Xavier grunts, and fuck me, I completely forgot to suggest we give him something for the pain. I’m not sure what though.

  It takes a minute for Phoenix to remove the bullet. He had to go slow, and that probably made the experience much more painful. But the damn thing is finally out.

  “Is it a normal bullet?” Rufio asks.

  “What do you mean, ‘a normal bullet’?” I look at him.

  “Xavier had a gun loaded with lightning-glass bullets.”

  “Are you shitting me? I thought you could only make blades with those.”

  “It’s a prototype that Gunther has been working on for a while. Those bullets are difficult to make, impossible to mass produce,” Xavier replies.

  “I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not,” Rufio mutters.

  “It killed Agent Torrance, so right now, I’m glad it exists,” Phoenix pipes up.

  I shake my head, attempting to regain my focus. I’m going to need every bit of concentration and strength if I’m going to save Xavier from dying in front of us. I place my hand next to the wound. Warmth concentrates on my palm, and then it spreads up my arm. But the light that comes with my healing gift is weak, dim. Shit.

  “It’s not working,” Rosie whimpers.

  “Shh. Don’t distract him,” Daisy replies.

  She’s right, it’s not working. There’s only one thing I can try. If that doesn’t help, then I’ll fail.

  I close my eyes to search inside of myself for the flame that represents my power. It’s small now, but it still flickers brightly. I’m not sure what the lightning-glass poison did to it, but if I use my gift to heal it back to its full capacity, then maybe Xavier will have a chance.

  I imagine a bright light enveloping the flame, filling it with more power. It begins to grow and burn brighter little by little, infusing me with hope. As the f
lame rises, my strength returns. I keep going until the flame itself surpasses the bubble of light.

  My hand on Xavier becomes much warmer, and I feel the flow of energy whooshing from my fingertips. I don’t dare move a muscle until the entire room is enveloped in a big ball of light. I lose track of time, but slowly, the light begins to fade, my power recedes, and I open my eyes. Xavier’s wound is closed, completely healed.

  I turn to Daisy, cracking a smile. Then she vanishes from my sight, and darkness takes over everything.

  18

  Daisy

  I can’t believe my eyes. Bryce, despite being weakened by lightning-glass poison, just healed Xavier completely. Elations surges within me, only to be crushed when Bryce collapses.

  “No!” I yell.

  Phoenix, who was standing right next to him, stops the fall, catching him in his arms.

  “I knew he should haven’t done that. He could barely walk an hour ago,” Toby says.

  “Why the hell didn’t you tell me!” I shout.

  “How could I? If he didn’t try, you would lose your uncle. How could I possibly put you in the position to choose?”

  “Maybe he will come back with the smell of a freshly baked blueberry pie,” Felicity suggests.

  “Those damn desserts aren’t magical,” Rufio retorts angrily.

  I throw him a hard look, hoping he catches the message in my eyes to shut up. Felicity is just trying to help. He does clench his jaw, but he stares right back at me with guiltless eyes.

  “Sure, Fefe. We can try the pie. He’ll be hungry anyway when he wakes up.”

  My dear friend hurries back to the kitchen. Poppy’s Joint claims their pies are fresh, but the truth is they buy them from a baker and keep some frozen just in case they run out. If Bryce ever finds out, he’ll be crushed.

  “Where should I put him?” Phoenix asks.

  “He can take my place.” Xavier slides off the table.

  Phoenix sets Bryce there. He’s so pale that he looks like a ghost—or a person who already has one foot in the grave. Shut up, pessimistic thoughts. Bryce is not going to die. I cup his cheek, which is cold to the touch. “Oh, Bryce. You should have told me the truth. I can’t lose you.”

  His eyebrows furrow together, and a moan escapes his lips.

  “How can he build an army of Idols if every time he uses his healing abilities, he collapses like that?” Rosie asks.

  “I don’t know.” I shake my head, fighting the tears in my eyes.

  “Do we really need an army of new Idols?” Rufio pipes up. “We have Morpheus, and if we can get more of those special bullets manufactured, anyone can fight.”

  Xavier’s face turns into a grimace. “As much as I would love to put power in the hands of Norms and Fringes, not all of them are honorable. This weapon in the wrong hands could be catastrophic for everyone, us included.”

  “Getting my brother killed is not an option either!” he retorts angrily.

  “I’m not going to die,” Bryce replies softly.

  His eyes are still closed, but the color has returned to his cheeks. I place a hand against his forehead, exhaling in relief when I don’t find it cold to the touch anymore. He flicks his eyes open, searching for my gaze.

  “I’m okay, darling.”

  “Is that Bryce I heard?” Felicity asks from the front of the restaurant.

  “Yes, he’s awake.”

  “Great. Just in time for some—”

  “Pie,” Bryce finishes the sentence.” Blueberry pie.” He smiles from ear to ear, and it’s an effort to keep my shit together and not kiss him senseless. But with the audience, I don’t dare.

  “Help me up, please?” he asks. “I’m still a little woozy.”

  I take his hand and lift him to a sitting position. But sneaky Bryce slings his free arm around my neck and brings my mouth to his. There’s no chance I’m going to pull away from the incendiary and heady feeling of being kissed by him. I surrender without putting up a fight and only break apart from him when Xavier clears his throat.

  My cheeks are on fire, and for that reason, I keep my head down, refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

  “Where should I set the pie?” Felicity asks. “It’s piping hot.”

  “You can set it at this table. I don’t think we need to use it as a makeshift bed anymore.” Bryce hops off and then pulls up a chair. It’s clear he intends to eat the entire pie by himself.

  “You baked that pie pretty fast,” Rufio points out.

  “Well, I just had to warm it up. What’s going on with that girl outside? Why didn’t she come in?”

  “What girl?” I ask.

  “The girl in the red sports car,” Felicity replies.

  I notice the exchanged glance between Bryce and Toby and the sudden tension in both of them. “Who is she?”

  “Uh, you’re not going to like the answer.” Toby rubs the back of his neck.

  “Why?” I’m leery in an instant.

  “It’s Renata Pomme,” Bryce replies. “She helped us escape the Neo Gods.”

  “What? You brought that snake here?” I yell.

  “I didn’t bring her here on purpose. She was our driver,” Bryce replies with a fork in hand, ready to dig into the pie.

  “Wait. Is she the one who broke your arm, Toby?” Rosie asks.

  He drops his gaze to the floor. “Yeah.”

  My sister’s face turns bright red, and her eyes sparkle with fury. I know that look very well. She turns on her heels and sprints toward the diner’s exit.

  “Rosie, wait!” I run after her. As much as I’m livid that Renata is here, I don’t want my sister to get anywhere near that Idol. As furious as she is, she’s still a Norm. Not a match for Renata.

  “Ah, shit. Mini Daisy is out for blood,” Phoenix pipes up, coming along too.

  Once outside, Rosie is already banging on the driver window. “Get out, you stupid bitch!”

  “Rosie. What are you doing? She’s an Idol,” I remind her.

  The car door opens and Renata steps out. She doesn’t look like she’s about to break every bone in Rosie’s body though. She seems subdued. Remorseful. Whatever. She was part of Drusilla’s posse. She tried to kill me with Silver-voltage. I’m not going to pretend she’s okay just because she helped Bryce and Toby get out of campus. Too much bad blood to forget.

  “I’m out. What do you want?” she asks Rosie.

  “This.” Rosie pulls her arm back and swings a punch at Renata’s nose. Her head snaps back as she staggers against her car.

  “Holy shit! Rosie is savage,” Phoenix exclaims.

  He’s enjoying this a lot, but I’m actually mega worried that Renata will retaliate. Things can get ugly pretty quickly.

  Renata straightens up, touching her nose. There’s no blood there, obviously. Rosie is only a Norm. I notice she’s now clutching her hand against her chest and fighting back tears. Fuck. I hope she didn’t break her hand. Bryce can’t heal anyone else anytime soon.

  “I suppose I deserved this,” Renata says. “You must be Toby’s girlfriend.”

  “You stay away from him,” she barks.

  “I’m not the despicable person I was before.”

  I come to Rosie’s side, glowering. “We don’t fucking care if you’ve had a revelation. Your job here is done. You can leave now.”

  “Daisy, maybe we shouldn’t be so hasty in dismissing her,” Rufio butts in. “We need as much help from Idols as possible.”

  I glance at him, ready to lash out. But through the red haze of rage, I catch the true meaning of his statement. He can’t offer his help, so he’s trying to compensate for it. First with the desire to use the Idol-killing bullets, and now accepting Renata as an ally. My anger deflates as clarity shines through.

  “How do we know she’s not a spy for your father?” I ask.

  “She’s sincere,” Toby replies. “I can’t read her thoughts, but I could tell if she were lying.”

  “We can decide this later,”
Xavier chimes in. “The most important thing right now is to get off the streets.”

  “Where are we going now? Agent Torrance knew where we were before. It’s possible you have a traitor in your midst,” Phoenix replies.

  Xavier’s gaze turns darker, worried. It’s the first time I’ve seen him unsure of himself.

  “What about the Knights? They brought us to a secret location in the woods after we took care of Mr. Westbrook,” Rufio says.

  No sooner does he bring them up than a black SUV pulls into the parking lot. Every fiber in my body becomes tense. More fucking cops. How did they find us?

  Xavier puts a hand on my shoulder. “Relax, honey. I called Gunther a few minutes ago. Those are his associates. They’re here for Delta.”

  Two men wearing a military-style dark uniform and mean attitudes to match their ensemble step out of their vehicle and head our way. I’m blasted immediately by the potency of their powers. They’re definitely not trying to hide anything.

  “Xavier. You’re looking rough,” the tallest of them says.

  “Getting shot in the guts will do that to a man.”

  “Where’s the prisoner?” the second Knight asks.

  “He’s inside. We put him in the storage room,” Felicity answers.

  Both men switch their attention to my friend. One keeps his expression impartial, but the tall one has the trace of a smirk on his lips. “We?”

  Felicity’s eyes bug out first and then narrow. “Well, I was the one who suggested sticking him in there.”

  “I hope you did more than lock him in a room, Xavier,” the first Knight says.

  “Fuck off, Rick. Who do you take me for, an amateur?” Xavier heads back to the diner but stops at the door to look over his shoulder. “Are you coming or not?”

  Rick and his friend get moving. Since we already dealt with the reason for us being outside, we should follow them and get back inside too. We’ve been out in the open for too long.

  “What should I do?” Renata asks.

  “Leave,” Rosie replies angrily.

  “Rosie, come on,” Toby says. “If I can forgive Renata, why can’t you?”

  “Dude, just shut up,” Phoenix tells him. “You’re digging your grave here.”