Niko pulled one of his swords halfway up, revealing the shimmering blade. “Perhaps I should make it clear:no onewill get by me.” He pushed the sword back in place.
Viktor gripped Gem’s shoulder. “I need you to get us inside like we talked about.”
Gem’s fingertips sparked, and she seemed to stand a foot taller. “I won’t let you down.”
Viktor addressed everyone in the group. “I do not want one child hurt. Not a single one. Do whatever you must—I give you permission to send those devils straight to hell, but protect the children first. We must get them out.”
Blue took a deep breath, and we all stole a moment to ready ourselves. This wasn’t a delicate operation with a lot of moving parts. We didn’t have to collect sensitive data or capture someone alive. This was a rescue mission, and the only ones leaving alive were the children.
Shepherd drew his gun. “Let’s roll.”
We marched up the street like vigilantes. The building was located in a desolate industrial area. No streetlamps, no traffic, and no witnesses. The weeds had taken over the sidewalks and random potholes.
“No movement on the roof,” Christian confirmed. “No cameras that I can see.”
Gem’s purple hair bobbed up and down like ribbons as she jogged to the front of the line. Blue light dripped from her fingertips like broken spiderwebs dancing in the breeze. When we reached an oversized garage door, everyone stood aside and let Gem do her thing.
She smiled blithely and widened her stance. “Watch this.”
Gem cupped her hands in front of her until they began to shake. As a Wielder, her energy balls were typically blue. But this time, a powerful orange light illuminated her hands.
Blue took a giant step back. “Maybe we should pick the lock instead.”
Gem’s hair stood on end, charged with static electricity. Remembering how her energy could reduce an immortal to nothing more than charred remains, I put more distance between us.
“Worry not,” Christian said. “The wee lass has improved her aim.”
Gem’s hands were spaced apart, and between them formed a blinding orange ball. Once the light was as big as a softball, she gripped it in one hand and swung her arm like a pitcher. I drew in a sharp breath.
The metal door exploded. I shielded my face with one arm as hot sparks shot out and quickly dissipated before hitting the ground.
“Holy Toledo,” Wyatt said. “That’s a perfect hole.”
Shepherd held up his gun and marched forward. “Save that line for your next date.”
When Shepherd disappeared inside, we heard rapid gunfire. Everyone rushed in at once and immediately split up in different directions.
I jumped over a body by the door and jogged up a set of metal stairs, a dagger in hand. As I rounded a corner, I ran into a Shifter. It was tempting to toss him over, but he’d only become someone else’s problem. I sliced his neck and delivered a powerful electric shock to his chest, knocking him unconscious. He would bleed out before waking in time to shift.
The walkway on the second floor looped all the way around, but you could easily shortcut across the bridge. Below, I saw people scrambling and heard screams. Without overhead lights, it was difficult to make everything out. I noticed a playground, a seating area, and a kitchenette. Focusing on the second level, I busted open the first door on the right.
A man shot up from a chair. “What the fuck?”
Christian barged past me, scooped a young girl off the bed, and put her in my arms. “I’ll be right with you.”
When the door closed, I heard nothing but bloodcurdling screams.
I set the girl down, who looked to be around six. I still had a dagger in my hand and no idea what to do with her. She screamed and covered her ears when gunshots went off.
Panicked, I scanned the building. On the other side, Shepherd kicked down a door, Wyatt behind him with two kids in tow. A wolf lunged at Shepherd, who brandished a large knife.
I cupped my hands around my mouth. “Wyatt!”
Then I took the girl’s hand. “Come on, sweetie. Don’t be scared. We’re the good guys.”
She jogged alongside me in a daze, tears streaming down her face. When I reached the walkway that crossed over, I ran to the center to meet Wyatt. “Take her.”
I turned back and spotted a man running toward a door in the back. I flashed down the walkway and came up behind him. “Where do you think you’re going?”
