Chapter 40

“NO!”

Marisa is screaming, trapped behind a tangle of arms, reaching out to me desperately. I scamper to my feet and catch her wrist, but then arms are circling around me too, dragging me out of the broom closet.

“No!” I scream again, kicking, crying. Doctor Heed stands between us as we are pulled apart. “No!”

My power runs in a hot shudder up my arms, so sudden my mind blazes white. With a cry, I spark the hands holding me. I ignore the bellows of pain behind me and the bruising shocks up my knees when I land on the ground. I pull my focus towards Marisa, but Doctor Heed is in my way, running towards me, reaching out to grab me—

I throw out my hands.

I want him to be gone.

A burning flash of light. A hard bang of thunder.

Doctor Heed screams.

I don’t know what I did to him. I see spots of red, the white of his teeth as he screams, but he’s already falling to his knees, and my eyes are on Marisa.

I gather my fists, concentrating on the hands holding her tight.

Crack!

The goons cry out, letting Marisa go. She sprawls, screaming as she clutches her ribs.

“Marisa!” I run for her, dizziness bleeding into my brain, making me stumble. She manages to push onto her hands, and then to her feet. There are blots of red where the goons were holding her, and I don’t know if it’s Their blood, or if I hit Marisa by accident, but she’s free now, and we’re running, reaching for each other—

Bang!

Marisa screams.

“No!” I hurry to catch her as she falls. Her thigh is bleeding, the red already soaking down to her knee.

Hands grab me from behind, pulling me away, pulling us apart. Marisa cries out in pain when They haul her to her feet, and I scream. Let her go! Stop it! Let her go! All a roar in my ears, blurred shrieking, melding with a terrible buzz, filling my head, filling my body. You’re hurting her! Stop it! Let her go!

I reach out for her. Her fingers almost touch mine.

And then a bag comes down over my head, and they’re taking her away, and my screams become wordless. Fire rises up my arms, engulfing my whole body, pain and pins and needles and a single word searing through my brain—

BURN.