King Hall (Forever Evermore, #1)(117)

Antonio stopped their progress and started handing each of them weapons, shouting orders, “Go with the Kings. They’ll need your help.” They looked to Pearl and Jack, and Antonio barked, “They aren’t dead! Unconscious. Not dead. Go!”

They nodded when shots were fired outside on the lawn, adding even more screams.

The Kings and Cahal stared at the doorway. Outside of it, what had once been the hallway was completely demolished. It appeared like part of the building had collapsed.

King Venclaire said to no-one in particular, “There were heartbeats out there.”

As one, the Kings quickly nodded their thanks to Cahal for saving their lives.

Cahal shook his head, and pointed at Antonio, who had ordered it in the first place.

“Time to go!” Antonio barked, pointing at the broken window. “Our exit.”

Curses of rage and screams of suffering were growing nearer, and everyone holding a weapon took a fortifying pause before they started piling through the window. Antonio waited until the last one was gone before he turned to us where we were laying Pearl and Jack in a corner of the office farthest away from the window and any stray bullets.

My heart was racing like mad, scared shitless, and I was heartbroken for my best friends, but there were Mysticals dying out there. My numb shock of this actuality had worn off. It was time to act. To fight.

Antonio moved in our direction. He kissed my forehead, wiping away my drying tears on my dust-gray face. “Don’t go anywhere, Lil. Stay here. Get the gun I gave you this morning, and shoot anyone who enters through that window. Understand?” His voice was quiet, but it held a certain finality you didn’t argue with.

But, still… “I can help,” I jabbed a finger at the window, “out there.”

He bent, face level with mine. “You leave, and Jack and Pearl might die in this room.”

My lips pursed, but I gradually nodded. He was an Elder. In this situation, I trusted the Elder. Plus, he had never steered me wrong before.

He straightened, turning to Ezra, and stared him down. “I once asked you if you were good enough.” Cries of torment flooded the air outside. “You never answered.”

Ezra’s voice was void of emotion. “I’m good enough.” A simple statement of fact.

“Time tells all,” Antonio whispered, before setting a hand on Ezra’s shoulder. He peered at me, but tightened his grip on Ezra. “Do not shoot us. Only anyone that enters through that window.”

I nodded once.

Antonio’s eyes glowed, and they disappeared.

I blinked.

Antonio had just taken Ezra by means of his vanishing act. Transversing. I knew they were outside in the action while I had been left in here. My jaw clenched, but a quick glance to Jack and Pearl and I knew I was in the right place.

Dashing to the desk, I opened the drawer where I had stashed my gifted gun. After grabbing it with only a slightly shaking hand, I positioned myself on the floor in front of Vivian and Mrs. Jonas where they still hid under the desk.

Straightaway, Mrs. Jonas blathered, “He didn’t tell me what to do. I’m getting the hell out of here.”

“Stay down,” I ordered, gun aimed at the window, where I could see Mys and Com attacking each other, their battle coming closer. “You go out there and you’re dead.” It was pure pandemonium. Like a stampede, but with weapons.

“I’m not going to stay in here and be a sitting duck,” she hissed, and pushed out from under her hiding spot, standing. “I’m going.”

“Mrs. Jonas, don’t be stupid. Get under the damn desk,” I pressed, eyes never wavering from my duty.

“Like I’m going to listen to you,” she snarled. A hail of bullets from a machine gun fired from somewhere outside, rocking her body, her blood flying out behind her. Making not a sound, she was dead before she hit the floor.

“Mrs. Zeller,” I hissed, trying hard not to gag, or gawk, at Mrs. Jonas’s corpse, “don’t you f*cking move. You stay right under that desk. If you don’t, I’ll hog tie you down.”

I saw the book that shimmered golden out of the corner of my eye as she held it out, waggling it once. “He gave me a task. And I’m going to do it. Safe does not mean running into bullets or bombs.” She said it so reasonably, too. Logical, scary teacher.

“Good,” I whispered, seeing a Com man race by the window too close. He came back, like I had figured he would. As soon as I saw his head, and gun, peek inside, I pulled the trigger, dropping him, then I stated, “Because I like safe, too. And Ezra would be mighty pissed if I let you die. Safe does not mean you piss off Ezra.”

“I think we both understand what safe is.” She leaned, pointing. “Incoming.”

“She’s, like, thirteen.” I watched in shock as a Com teenager headed toward us.

“She will kill us just the same,” Vivian stated, voice hard.

“I don’t want…” I trailed off, watching the Com girl lift her gun and take aim on an elderly Elemental. “Oh, Jesus.” I altered my aim to her, but before I could fire, she did. As the Elemental fell dead, I pulled the trigger. My heart twisted for all of a beat at ending such a young life, before sanity returned when I saw another elderly Elemental scream and drop on top the dead Elemental. She was holding her chest, and crying out in pain as she passed out.