The woman jerked her right hand up.
My left hand, swinging forward, cracked into something solid. I felt the impact jolt through my knuckles and vibrate up my arm. Instinctively, I raised my right arm to protect my face, just in time to take the force of whatever she’d swung at me. It hit so hard my teeth clanked together.
I bounced back, blinking and bewildered. The woman had her hand up, but she held no weapon. I charged forward again.
Crack.
This time my forehead hit something I couldn’t see. My brain bounced around inside my skull. I was flung back like a whacked piñata. It was like slamming into a solid brick wall. Dots raided my eyes. I was confused. I couldn’t see a weapon. The impact must have distorted my vision. I lurched to the right, angled my body sideways and charged again. The pain shot up my shoulder as I barrelled into it. Into what?
Aninvisible wall?
Bewildered and bubbling with rage, I bashed my fists against a wall I couldn’t see, I could only feel, as hard as double-glazedglass. I screamed all the things I was going to do to her once I got through.
“I would stop if I were you, Amelia. Calm yourself or we will be forced to hurt Benjamin again.”
I stopped charging, panting with fury. I glanced back at goth girl. Her fingers rested on another knife with a simmering smile. The kitten’s slashed throat pin-balled in my head.
“I swear to God if you touch him again, I will fucking kill you.”
The woman smiled, a cold smile, between thin, disgusting lips. Like the threat was mildly amusing. “Whilst I admire your bravado, Amelia, you’re not really in any position to make threats.”
I could feel the pressure of the situation closing in around me, if it tipped the wrong way it would end in pain for BJ. A catalyst of emotions and thoughts rampaged through my head. When none of them provided a suitable answer, I began to feel faint. A bead of sweat ran down my back.
I caught BJ’s eyes, his face was twisted in pain, his nose flared with each rapid breath he took. His body shook with small, violent tremors.
“What do you want?” I stammered, tears sliding my face.“Just let him go, you can have me, do whatever you like. Please.”
“We would, except we’ve worked out you have very little self-preservation. Brave to the point of stupidity, Dahlia said. The way to get to you is through the people you care about.” She walked over to the table, picked up a white handled knife and handed it to the girl.
Goth girl ran her fingers along its silvered length, slowly, taunting me.
“Don’t you dare,” I whispered, tears sliding down my cheeks. “Please, just don’t.”
The woman stood quietly, her fingers touching together in front of her, like she was praying. I tried to work out how much longer until they got here. If they got here. My only hope was to stall her. “Okay. Please, don’t hurt him. Tell me what it is you want me to do.”
“All you need to do is accept what you are, Amelia. Use your powers and you’re both free to go,” she said simply, as if she was asking me to pack the dishwasher.
“What? I . . .” I hesitated. I couldn’t say that I didn’t have them again, I knew where the knife would go if I did. I said nothing for a long moment. A cloud crept over the sunlight and a dark shadow loomed across the room like a cloak. The walls seemed to close in.
“Where’s Dahlia?”
“Never mind her.” She fluttered her hand in dismissal. “Move the book, and you both go home unharmed.”
I didn’t know how I was meant to do that. Worse still, I knew I couldn’t. Blood roared through my ears. I stared at the book, at the girl, at the knife. With no weapons within my reach, I had no options. Even if I did physically run towards the knives, with her powers, I knew she would stop me.
Adrenaline pulsed though my body. Everything snapped into focus and seemed to move in slow motion.
Goth girl raised her hand in the air, the silver caught the light from the window, sending a lethal sparkle shimmering down the blade. Her grip tightened.
I saw the fear strike BJ’s eyes, his nostrils flared, and his fingers wrenched around the arm of the chair like dead spider’s legs. Our fate was in my hands.
“Okay! Okay, stop!” I cried out. “Please, just stop.” I took a large step forward. Closing the gap between us, holding up my hands like I was surrendering.
If I could get closer and dive before the woman lifted her hand, maybe I could get there physically. Goth girl put the blade back down by her side. I looked at the book and tried to move it. Breathing deeply, I grunted with exertion and desperation. It stayed stock still.
If I attacked and wasn’t quick enough, they might stab BJ somewhere worse than the leg.
Like the neck.
