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

by Michelle Hercules

  I’m about to blow the guy to smithereens, but Phoenix steps in front of him, invading his personal space. “There’s no vote. You have no say over our lives. I don’t fucking care how long you’ve been worshipping Daisy’s ancestor. We’re leaving now, and that’s final.”

  Toby slinks closer to me and pulls on my sleeve to get my attention. “We shouldn’t be going head-to-head with Harry. I’m picking up a lot of bad intentions from the crowd. They’re armed to the teeth with lightning-glass weapons, including throwing stars.”

  “Fuck.” I search the crowd, noticing immediately the change in their demeanor. If they’re all armed, they can overpower us easily. There are too many of them.

  In the distance, I see Rufio running toward us, followed by Rosie and Felicity. He looks agitated, and he’s also missing half of his shirt. Either he knows we’re in trouble or he’s running away from some. Hell and damn. How the fuck did we go from the frying pan into the fire?

  “Phoenix, calm down.” Morpheus pulls him back.

  “Yes, you’d better cool your jets, boy,” Harry replies in a cold voice.

  Rufio has finally reached us. He’s out of breath and sweating like a pig. “What’s going on? What is she doing here?” He glares at Mom.

  “I came because the Neo Gods attacked, and we need every Idol on the streets fighting them off, not holed up in some camp in the middle of nowhere.”

  “They won’t let us go because they want Bryce and Daisy to make a baby first,” Renata adds.

  How can anyone hear that and not think the idea is ludicrous?

  “What?” Rufio, Felicity, and Rosie say together in high-pitched tones.

  “This has to happen,” Morpheus declares, and at first, I think I heard him wrong, but when I catch his gaze, there’s a plea there for me to follow along. But unfortunately, I’m the only one who caught Morpheus’s silent message. Phoenix’s feathers are ruffled, and he’s ready to blow.

  “Let Morpheus speak, bro,” I tell him.

  “Yes, of course it must happen. I’m glad at least someone in Daisy’s party can see the light,” Harry pipes up.

  “It will happen, but there’s something you’re missing. A very important detail,” Morpheus continues.

  Harry sharpens his gaze, rubbing his long beard. “What detail?”

  “In order for conception to occur, Daisy and Bryce must be united by the infinity band first.”

  My stomach bottoms out. I know what he’s doing; he’s trying to buy us time, because only an Idol who is more powerful than the couple can perform the ceremony. Meaning Morpheus is the only one who can do it. But it’s not fair that his vision will come to pass in order to trick some fanatics. I love Daisy with all my heart and soul, and yes, the idea of an infinity band vow doesn’t scare me now as it did when I first learned of Morpheus’s vision. But the circumstances are making me nauseated. This will be the most important moment of our lives, and now it’s been soiled by these fucking hippies.

  “What’s that?” someone in the crowd asks.

  “It’s a powerful magic binding. It lasts for all eternity,” Ophelia replies. “It makes sense that it must happen first.”

  “There’s only one problem,” Harry butts in, looking as amused as a prickly bear. “We need an Idol more powerful than Daisy and Bryce, which means more delays.”

  “No delays. You have someone more powerful than both of us standing right in front of you,” I say.

  Harry furrows his bushy eyebrows. “Who?”

  Morpheus steps forward, letting go of the damper he had on his powers. “Me.”

  Gasps echo all around us as they realize Morpheus is in reality the most powerful being they’ve ever seen in their entire lives. A demigod.

  Harry and Artex shuffle backward until they literally fall off the stage, a fact that gives me great satisfaction.

  “You’ve deceived us,” Harry babbles.

  “A necessary precaution. I’m Daisy’s guardian. Therefore, if I suspect any of you have any ill intentions toward her or her party, you will regret it.”

  “Oh snap,” Toby mutters under his breath. “Lots of cursing popping around.”

  “Do we need to run?” I ask in a whisper.

  “No. Morpheus’s power display has made the most aggressive ones wary. They won’t dare attack now. But they aren’t happy.”

  “That’s absurd. We have no intentions of harming Daisy. She’s our savior,” Ophelia retorts, clearly offended by his remark.

  Morpheus’s tough-as-nails expression doesn’t waver. “You’ve been warned. The ritual will take place tonight. I suggest you return to your duties in the mines.”

  “Why at night and not now?” Harry asks.

  “This is the way. Don’t argue with me.”

  Artex’s eyes widen, and almost immediately he clutches his brother’s arms. I can sense Morpheus is using his fearmancer gift on the weaker link of the duo.

  “Listen to him, Harry. We should definitely listen to him,” the man says.

  “Fine. We’ll reconvene here after sunset.”

  The crowd disperses, but their footsteps are slow and lacking enthusiasm. It makes me wonder how many are truly working the mines voluntarily.

  “I must finish cleaning up your bungalow. We can’t have a demigod sleeping in filth,” Ophelia declares, bolting up the path with three other members.

  “Do you need anything for the ritual?” Artex asks through a shaky voice. Morpheus hasn’t released his grip on him yet. Good. I wish it were Harry who was suffering, but his time will come.

  “No, just peace and quiet. I don’t want anyone bothering us until nightfall.”

  Harry grunts, openly glaring at us. “As you wish.”

  He and his brother soon depart, and it’s not until they disappear from our sight into the forest that Phoenix whirls around and jumps on Morpheus.

  “What the hell was that all about?”

  “Phoenix, babe, relax. It’s all going to work out.” Daisy touches his back.

  “So, what’s your plan?” Rufio butts in. “Surely you’re not going to wait until nightfall to escape this camp from hell?”

  “Of course not. But I had to get rid of that mob before they turned against us.”

  “If we displease those fools, we can say goodbye to our supply of lightning-glass weapons,” my mother pipes up.

  “Are you saying those religious freaks have complete control of all the lightning-glass mines?” Felicity asks.

  “I believe so,” Xavier answers in a somber tone.

  “That was fucking smart.” Rufio crosses his arms.

  “I guess we’ll have to make do with the stock we have now,” I say.

  “Where’s the rest of your shirt?” Renata looks closely at Rufio.

  “I had to improvise.”

  “Did you manage to collect lightning-glass in its raw form?” I ask.

  “Yeah, but we had a problem. Two miners caught us in the act, and we had to fight them off.”

  “What happened to them?” Daisy stares at the trio, wide-eyed.

  “We knocked them out,” Rosie replies. “Then we hid them in the forest gagged and bound.”

  Xavier rubs his face. “They’ll miss those workers. We can’t linger.”

  “I’m sure they’ll be guarding the parking area,” Phoenix says.

  “I have a plan for getting rid of any watchdogs they have, but first we must have a place to go,” Xavier replies.

  “I’ll call my mother,” Morpheus says. “She has connections in the Fringe community.”

  “They confiscated my phone before they allowed me into the camp, but…” Mom bends over, and retrieves a small device attached to her ankle and hidden under her pants. “I came prepared.”

  Morpheus quickly takes the phone from her hands, but a string of curses follows.

  “What is it?” Daisy asks.

  “There’s no service.”

  “What? That’s impossible. That should work in the most remot
e areas. It’s a satellite phone.”

  “It’s the miasma. I bet it’s interfering with the connection,” Toby chimes in.

  Xavier exhales loudly, resting his hands on his hips. “I guess we’ll have to call her after we get away from here.”

  27

  Morpheus

  I follow Xavier’s line of sight, catching him staring at Harry and Artex’s trailer. “They didn’t go that way.”

  “No, but I need to borrow some clothes from Harry first.”

  “What for?” Phoenix asks. “Even if you had a wig and fake beard, you couldn’t pass for the man.”

  Daisy grimaces, fleetingly glancing at Jodie first before switching her attention to Xavier.

  “Don’t you get your panties twisted in a bunch, Daisy. I know about his secret,” Jodie deadpans.

  “I’ll explain how I plan to disguise myself as Harry later. Toby and Morpheus, you two come with me. Everyone else should return to their bungalows and stay put.”

  “What about the miners we left in the forest?” Felicity glances in the mountain’s direction.

  “It’d be nice if one of you could scramble minds, change memories,” Rosie says, surprising me.

  “Mind alteration is forbidden, against the law,” Jodie replies.

  “That didn’t stop Dad from using Sweepers to save my ass,” Rufio retorts bitterly.

  “There’s no sense wishing for something we don’t have. Let’s get going before the brothers return. The plan is to be far away from this place when those miners are discovered.” Xavier steps forward.

  Toby follows him, but I stop briefly to talk to Daisy. “Are you okay?”

  “I will be once we’re on the road. I can’t believe they turned out to be evil like that. Is there anyone we can count on?”

  “You can count on us.” I glance in Jodie’s direction. “Well, most of us.”

  Our former principal narrows her eyes to slits but doesn’t offer a retort to my barb. She really can’t say anything in her defense that won’t sound like a half-baked excuse.

  Daisy pecks me on the cheek, making me forget the woman in an instant. I’d grab her face for a proper kiss on the mouth, but Xavier and Toby are almost at the trailer. “I’ll be back.”

  I hurry after them using my Idol speed—not the supersonic, bodiless demigod kind. I’ll save that for emergency situations.

  “All right. What are we doing here?” I ask once I stop next to them.

  “Can you use your gift to conceal us? I don’t want anyone to know what we’re up to.”

  “Sure.”

  I barely need to concentrate to bring forth my shadows. In the blink of an eye, they cover the three of us, concealing us completely from curious glances. “It’s done.”

  Xavier tries the door, finding it locked.

  “Maybe we should have asked Phoenix to tag along too. He would be able to open that for us,” Toby says.

  “No need. I can do it,” Xavier replies.

  A second later, we hear the lock turn.

  “Have you always possessed telekinesis, or is that a new perk from Bryce’s work on you?” I ask.

  “A new perk. I’ve never wished to be an Idol, but I can’t complain.” He opens the door slowly, maybe afraid there’s an alarm or booby trap. We know there’s no one inside.

  I’m the last one in, closing the door softly. “Phew. It reeks in here.”

  “Are you surprised?” Toby scrunches his nose in disgust as he peruses the messy interior. The small kitchen sink is full of dirty dishes, and there are piles of trash and clothes scattered everywhere. “This place is a pigsty.”

  “You said you need clothes, right?” I lift one garment that I could have mistaken for a burlap sack. It’s so dirty, it’s stiff.

  Xavier covers his face with his arm. “God, I’ll throw up if I have to wear that. Let’s look for something less filthy.”

  “Maybe he keeps his clean clothes in a closet.” Toby veers toward the end of the trailer where a small bunk bed is pushed against the wall.

  “If there is one,” I mumble to myself.

  I knock into some boxes, sending them to the floor. Several lightning-glass daggers and flying stars spill from one of them. “No clothes, but these could come in handy.”

  “Let me see that.” Xavier picks up the box and searches inside. “Son of bitch.” He pulls out a plastic bag filled with bullets.

  “Are those made of lightning-glass?” I ask.

  “I’m betting they are. Fuck. These guys are not playing around. We have to get out of here.”

  “I think I found something that doesn’t smell like someone died in it.” Toby returns to the main room, holding a yellowed tunic and loose brown pants.

  Xavier sticks the bag with the bullets in his jacket pocket, then grabs as many daggers and flying stars as he can from the floor.

  “Are you changing now?” Toby asks.

  “No, let’s get—”

  “Hey, are you done in there?” Phoenix asks from outside. “Harry is coming this way.”

  “Shit!” Xavier puts the weapons back in the box I dislodged, deciding to take the whole package with him. “Open the door, Toby.”

  Toby and I go out first on high alert. Phoenix is bouncing on the balls of his feet, filled with jittery tension as he stares ahead. I can see his powers are engaged, ready to be unleashed. Xavier stops next to me, closing the door of the trailer with his new powers.

  “Are we still invisible to the world?” he asks.

  “Yes. But we need to stick together.”

  We move as fast as we can, and when Harry finally reaches the door of his trailer, we’re already near our bungalow. I hope he doesn’t notice one of his boxes is missing. Hopefully he won’t see anything is amiss in that mess.

  I don’t dare to breathe easily until we’re inside. Everyone is here, and the room feels much smaller.

  “What do you have there?” Bryce points at the box in Xavier’s hand.

  “Weapons.” He pulls the plastic bag from his jacket, setting it on top of the box. “And bullets. It seems they weren’t difficult to manufacture after all.”

  “Lightning-glass bullets?” Jodie arches both eyebrows, moving closer to the bag.

  “Yes, Jodie. But don’t get any ideas. I’m not giving you any,” Xavier retorts.

  “Why did Mr. Silverstone believe they were difficult to mass produce?” Daisy asks.

  “I believe he’s been lied to,” Xavier replies. “More and more, I suspect the members of this church don’t want equality at all. They want all Idols gone, either by the stripping off their powers or death.”

  “That’s horrible,” Felicity mumbles. “We can’t go from one oppressing race to another.”

  “We won’t. Not if I have anything to say about it.” Daisy curls her hands into fists, getting into warrior mode. Damn, I love this side of her. I’d pull her into my arms and kiss her senseless, but now is not the time for bold, romantic gestures.

  “What’s next?” Rufio asks.

  “We head to the main building and pretend we’re going there to eat. It will give us a chance to scope out the parking area,” Xavier explains.

  “And then what? Fight and flee?” Rosie asks.

  “I’d like to avoid a confrontation. It will most likely draw attention we don’t need,” he says. “Now, can I please have some privacy while I change into my disguise?”

  When no one moves a muscle, he makes a circular motion in the air with his hand. “Turn around.”

  “Oh, sorry,” Felicity says, getting red-faced.

  Xavier’s transformation doesn’t take that long, maybe two minutes tops, including the change of clothes.

  “Okay, I’m ready. How do I look?”

  I turn and can’t help dropping my jaw. “Son of a bitch.”

  “Holy fucking shit!” Phoenix exclaims. “What kind of power is that?”

  “Xavier is a Morph. A rare ability, but quite handy,” Jodie replies with an air of ar
rogance.

  “Okay, stop gawking already.” Xavier looks at Toby and me. “Let’s get this shit show over with. Besides the stench, these clothes itch like crazy.”

  “What should we do with these weapons?” Renata asks.

  “Divide them among yourselves, but no bullets for Jodie.”

  “You’re beginning to piss me off, Xavier.” She glowers at him.

  “Beginning? Damn, I guess I’m not doing a good job, then.”

  With a clench of her jaw, she turns to the others. “Careful not to cut yourselves with the sharp blades. I don’t have the antidote for lightning-glass poison with me.”

  As we predicted, the parking lot area is heavily guarded. There are at least six big fellows standing at attention, all carrying visible guns that I now know are loaded with bullets that can end my friends. I don’t know what being hit by one will do to me, but I’m not about to volunteer for a test. I’m not immune to the fumes in the cave, so I have to assume those bullets will also hurt me.

  Xavier stops before they see us and turns to Toby. “Any information you can pick up from those men, now is the time to tell me. Names would be useful.”

  Toby stretches his neck out to take a peek at the guards. “I got one name. Peter. I’m not sure who’s called that though.”

  He grumbles. “Okay. It’s better if I don’t speak much.”

  The watchdogs visibly tense when they see our big group approach. The largest of the lot, a burly man with skin as dark as coal, steps forward. He doesn’t look like a hippie. In fact, none of them do. Those men are militia. Fuck.

  “Harry, what are you doing here?”

  “I have to feed these kids. Teenagers are always hungry,” Xavier grumbles.

  The watchdogs relax their stance a little, but the big guy is still watching us intensely as we enter the building.

  “What else did you learn from those men?” Xavier asks Toby.

  “They’ve been ordered to shoot anyone who tries to steal Daisy away from camp.”

  “I’m so angry right now, I could break things,” Daisy grits out. “They’re as bad as the Neo Gods.”

  Rufio moves to the window, which, thanks to the grime, provides us some privacy. “Their eyes are trained on the building. How are we going to take them down?”