King Cave (Forever Evermore, #2)(4)
“Connecticut?” Jack’s blue eyebrows furrowed, and sounding incredulous over the erupting gunfire outside, he shouted, “You mean through the Sound?” He shook his head roughly, his blue hair rustling with the sharp movement. “I thought King Cave was a myth!”
Antonio pointed to me, ignoring Jack’s outburst. “Go north. Once you hit land, there will be vehicles waiting for you, keys in the ignitions.” Rubbing his hand agitatedly over his face, he grumbled, “That’s what took me so long to get here.” A weighty sigh, and then a shake of his head. “Go east along the beachfront. Don’t stop. You’ll see a golden protection barrier. Head for it. When you pass through, there will be an Elder waiting for you. He’ll lead you the rest of the way.”
We all stilled at the uproar of jets flying far overhead. The noise was unmistakable.
Antonio rolled his shoulders. “That’s my cue.” A slow, feral sneer crept across his handsome face, and without a doubt, I knew why he had been named one of the most malicious Mysticals in history. “Bombs can be incredibly pleasurable to misguide.” Racing toward the window, he chucked the tube of lipstick to me and barked, “The Kings, Elders, and I will be there soon. Don’t forget to keep your focus steady.”
My jaw was gaping. Gawking. That wouldn’t do, so I quickly snapped it shut, pocketing the lipstick and compass and watching as Antonio dove out the window, his body beginning to shimmer golden. I couldn’t help my tone, my voice a bit flat as I said, “We’re going to Connecticut.” A deep inhale. “Via a pond dome.” I blinked bit by bit. “Through the Sound.” I rolled my shoulders. “I think I should have paid better attention when Mom took me to Sunday school classes.”
Pearl snorted, swiftly walking to stand beside me while I tried hard not to stare at the slash of lipstick on her forehead; Antonio’s spell was the only thing keeping her together right now. “Bloody hell, Lily, at least you went to church and know how to pray properly.”
“He’s crazy,” Jack muttered, grabbing from the floor two of the guns Antonio had left behind. “Do you know how many hours of intense concentration that will take?”
“Probably more than what he trained us for.” Ezra handed my gun back to me, pulling another gun out of the back of his waistband, which he had taken from Antonio’s arsenal bag earlier. “But it’s doable.” He jerked his head at his mom. “Time to go.”
Vivian stuffed Antonio’s glowing, brown leather book inside her purse and zipped it tight before readjusting the strap over her head so it wouldn’t fall from her shoulder. Crawling from under the desk, she, too, kept her eyes averted from the lipstick marks on Jack’s and Pearl’s foreheads. “How are we going to get to this pond?”
“By force,” I muttered quietly, and my jaw hardened as I took a deep breath. Using my Shifter strength, I bent at the knees and launched myself across the room and out the window headfirst. No time like the present to get into the action. I ducked, flying over the pile of Com carcasses, and rolled as I hit the grass. I let my body continue with the motion and ended in a kneeling position. Wasting no time, I immediately opened fire and shot any and all Coms near our window, my gifted spelled gun never running out of silver bullets.
Wind whipped around me as Ezra arrived in a blur. He fired his gun while standing directly behind me with his legs straddling mine. He secured the right side, and I safeguarded the left. Pearl exited next, aiming one of the guns Jack had previously been holding. She targeted the Coms in the middle, squeezing her gun’s trigger at will. Jack dove through the window, as agile as the rest of us, and motioned for Vivian to get her ass moving as he fired at the Coms dwelling on top of the rubble that used to be the administration building; their vantage point had been chosen because it was better to pick off Mysticals.
And yes, only the room we had been in was still standing; the rest of the building was a mere pile of stone, wood, and bricks. Mrs Jonas’s room had most definitely been spelled. At the very least she had been smart on that account. It had saved our lives.
Another rush of wind rustled my distinctive red hair, and Vivian was suddenly in front of us, sinking her descended fangs deep into the neck of a Com and brutally ripping out his throat.
I actually stopped shooting for a second, merely blinking. I wasn’t sure what shocked me more: seeing Vivian, the woman who had raised Ezra, his mother, rip out someone’s throat, or witnessing a — albeit scary — school teacher rip out someone’s throat. Either way, it shocked me for a second. But reality swiftly intruded my mind’s numbness when I saw a Com taking aim at a Mys child, who was barely old enough to walk but was standing in the masses, her bitty mouth opened wide, screaming from fear.
My heart stalled. I may have a crazy dislike for brats, but I’m not completely heartless like the Com bitch that was about to murder the tiny air Elemental. My wolf growled instinctively, and I sprang at the Com. Falling on her rapidly, I viciously twisted her neck, damn near pulling her head clean off. The goddamned sadistic Com had it coming. Throwing her body aside, I swiftly lifted the air Elemental and held the whimpering munchkin close.
Ezra’s spring green gaze met my own ice blue one as the child threw her arms over my shoulders and cried heated tears against my neck. He raised his gun directly over my head. His eyes never left mine.