“Friendly reminder that you’d both definitely be dead without me,” Reed grimaced. “I need a damn raise.”
Helicopters started to appear overhead, large, black and menacing as they flooded the skyline. Heroes propelled down from them, all dropping onto the buildings around us, likely to evacuate any citizens in the vicinity. But we were the ones on the ground; the targets.
That laugh sounded again and made my blood turn cold. Leo placed me down gently, his hands settled on my hips as we turned. Glitch stood yards in front of us, closer than I’d seen him the last time. I was able to get the details now; just a little more,and I could pull him in. I’d trap the bastard in my daydream, and make him pay.
He stood with a lazy cock of his hip, a grin beneath the bandages across his mouth. Sharp, narrow eyes watched me like a cat that’d found a new toy. Dark and piercing, shadowed by that stark white hair. My belly churned as I scanned his features, a strange sense of familiarity. I blinked as he shoved his hands into his pockets and cocked his head, toying with us as he walked closer. He ignored the chaos around us, those eyes singled in on us—or was it on me?
He stalked around the shields Reed threw up, his head bobbing as if he could spot any weak areas. Our eyes met again as he drew closer, running his fingers along the edge of the warped air. He paused in front of me, that dark gaze so intense that it made my skin crawl.
But there was no shaking the feeling; that sensation in my gut that screamednotto attack. Why was he familiar? The way his long fingers reached out, the way he walked with a gait that was confident but calm.
“Hey there, little dreamer,” his voice was husky, muffled beneath the bandages.
Ringing started in my ears.
“What did you call me?” I breathed.
“Hey there, little dreamer,” Joon patted my head. “Lost in your head again?”
The voice still wasn’t right in my mind, in my memories. I still couldn’t remember.
Joon held an icepack against my head, a smirk on his lips. “Gotta watch where you’re going, little dreamer. You’re a hazard to yourself, you know.”
Was it husky, like Leo’s voice? Or higher pitched, like Reed? How could I not fucking remember his voice? But the nickname—I’d always remember that.
Leo burst between us, smashing through the shield with a blazing fist. He tumbled through while Reed gaped; I didn’t think he was supposed to be able to do that. But Reed was likely focused on keeping Glitch out, rather than Leoin. We watched with open mouths as Leo was a flash of fire and fury, his flames roaring as the heat surrounded us. But Glitch only hopped around, disappearing and reappearing, dodging Leo without even touching him.
Tauntinghim.
“Can you do it?” Reed ground out, throwing out a shield as Glitch appeared behind Leo, a kick aimed for his back. “Can you pull him in?”
I blinked, nodding quickly. “I think so—I need you to get me closer.”
“I don’t think Leo will like?—”
I whirled around, my head spinning as I barked, “Just get me closer!”
When Splinter first attacked, I hadn’t gotten a good view of Glitch. I was too focused on Leo, on his burnout and his flames, his impending death. All I saw were bandages and a hood.
Reed hesitated before finally relenting. He nodded, throwing up a small shield around me, before I raced forward. Blue sparks fell into my vision, and my heart pounded as I tried to catch it all. Glitch was fast, but with every reappearance, I was able to see a bit more. The black, tattered hood that shrouded his face, stark white hair beneath it. A trim jaw beneath bandages, and that crazed smile that peeled through them.
Just a little more,I thought, tracking him with my eyes as I spun in the street.
Black boots, dark eyes, straight brows. I couldn’t focus, couldn’t bring my ability forward.The way his eyes narrowed, like mischief was in the air. His movements; too fast to catch atfirst, but as I studied him, there were patterns. Glitch favored his left side—like Joon used to, too.
“You know what’s the best thing about being a lefty?” he snickered. “Everyone expects you to be swinging with your right.”
The memories made me falter—I’d gotten distracted.
Leo whirled around, and I heard his desperate shout as an arm wrapped around my waist.
“Always so confident,” a voice murmured in my ear. “I’m glad you haven’t lost that.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
LEO
“Alex!”I reached out, my flames extinguished as soon as they sparked in my palm.
