"Run in pairs," Gray instructed, still on his authoritarian kick. "I've got a couple guys scouting the streets, but I don't want you all seen together. Different paths too. None of this staring at Hayley's ass nonsense."
"Boo. Then I'm out." Z shook his head before he turned and stomped back up the steps. "I'd rather sleep."
"Lazy!" Andros called after his cousin.
But Z just flipped him off and disappeared around the corner, a loud yawn trailing behind him.
I stifled a laugh. Of course he was only in it to get some ass. Typical Z.
Evan and I paired up to run together. Malcolm and Andros did the same. I didn't expect anyone to recognize me in Connecticut, but we could never be too careful. Medeis Academy students lived all around this part of the country. Anyone who knew me would most likely know Evan, so it made sense for us to run together.
We set off with one final wave. And then it became the scuff of our sneakers against the pavement, the puffs of our breath in the air, the sounds of songbirds who didn’t worry about vampires. I tossed in my earbuds and flipped over to the news.
The broadcast was already in progress and I only caught the tail end of it. “—due to the mayor’s foresight to issue a curfew, only sixteen deaths were reported last night. But the latest breakout has lawmakers on both sides of the wand talking. Solutions are being evaluated while outcry from the anarchist group Superstition has people marching in the streets, claiming the Pinnacle hasn’t done enough. Sources inside the Pinnacle, who wish to remain anonymous, state that Superstition members are under investigation for possible involvement. The reality is that the source of all these vampire breakouts is unknown. Here’s vampire expert, Professor Derby Wolfe, who’s studied the topic in detail for over a century. Derby?”
“Thank you, Charles.” Derby’s crisp British voice resonated in my ear and for a second, I was brought right back to Academie Metamorphose. He continued, “Yes, since the establishment of Institutes as a humane alternative to euthanizing vampires, there has never been a breakout of this magnitude. It’s historically unprecedented.”
“What do you, as a vampire expert—with twelve published books on the subject, suppose is the cause behind this?” Charles asked.
“Now, that would be speculation on my part. But, I can tell you about an Institute in Japan that was damaged due to a massive earthquake twenty years ago. Similar attacks happened when several vampires escaped.”
“And how did Japan deal with this problem?”
“Euthanization.” Derby didn’t even get to the second syllable of that word before a chill ran up my spine.
I forced a shutdown of any mental picture of Matthew immediately. I was not going to let myself imagine that. “Fuck,” I muttered under my breath.
“Joining us this morning, for our Magical Sunrise program, we have the leader of prominent rights group, Humans, joining us. Teddy Hall, welcome to the program.”
“Morning, Charles. I just want to start off by reminding everyone that vampires are humans. Despite their magical disorder—”
Digby interrupted. “Their DNA is magically altered, so I’d dispute that claim.”
Teddy, Malcolm’s newest friend, shot back, “Well, perhaps that’s what the Pinnacle wants you to think.”
“I’ve done studies—”
“So have they! The very first attack happened on Pinnacle grounds. My legal team has poured over copious documents and there’s no legislation or Council order that allows them to secretly corral vamps for nefarious purposes—”
“You don’t know they did that!”
“If it’s a government secret, trust me, it’s nefarious,” Teddy replied. “And to propose wiping out an entire sector of humanity because containing them is inconvenient is nothing short of genocide.”
Shouting started. I couldn’t take anymore. I turned that shit off. I had no idea what Callum was doing. But he was making shit harder for both of us.
I could have throttled that vampire if I’d seen him in the street just then.
I wished Teddy had posted that video I’d taken of Muller, but he hadn’t thought it was enough to go viral. So we were stuck with Callum making things worse and the stupid pinheads closing in.
There was already too damn much on my plate. Mom’s face flashed through my mind and I cringed; the pain flashing across my chest was as intense as a whip. I was going to have to tell Dad about her soon. But if he showed up and couldn’t remember anything … I just couldn’t handle that right now.
One step at a time. Literally, I coached myself.
I focused on breathing as we ran another mile. We ran through the neighborhood and then past a couple industrial warehouses until we hit the three-mile mark. Then I slowed to a walk, because I was only trying to burn off the shakiness in my system, not kill myself like Lundy would have. Evan reluctantly slowed too, though it was obvious he could run for eight million more miles.
"You can keep going," I pointed ahead to the road and then watched in horror as my forearm shrunk. It grew skinnier and shorter until it was roughly a foot long and only about three inches in circumference. And then suddenly, my elbow and my normal upper arm clamped down to my side.
"What the hell!" I reached for my tiny right arm with my left only to see my left arm shrinking too. My forearm got tiny and then my upper arm clamped to my side. I wouldn’t be able to fight anyone like this.
"Hailstorm! What's happening?" Evan's tone wavered, sounding as freaked out as I felt.
"I dunno." My eyes scanned the streets. Had we walked into a spell? Was Muller somewhere nearby? Was this what he did to people? Is that what Z and Andros meant by the fact that the Pinnacle had sent a dirty cop after us? My heart jackhammered at my ribs, trying to break them.
I was a sitting duck like this.
"Fuck. We gotta get back. Can you run?" Evan asked, running a hand through his hair and he turned in a circle. “I really fucking want to shift right now.”
I shook my head. No way he should shift midday in norm territory. I turned and tried to run. But When my legs pushed off, I had too much forward momentum. My tiny arms couldn't provide any counterbalance. I ended up flying face first onto the concrete, my nose smashing against the ground. "Owww!" I cried, rolling onto my back, unable to use my stupid enchanted arms to pull myself up.
"Shit. Shit!" Evan scooped me up and bolted down the road, carrying me bridal style.
Blood gushed down my nose and little silver flecks flew around in my line of sight—I was dizzy after hitting my face so hard. "Damn."
"Watch our backs," Evan ordered. "Someone's fucking with us."
I leaned up and peered over his shoulder as directed. No one was behind us. At least, no one I could see. But I didn't have a bird's eye view.
"Get your phone! Call Gray!" I snapped. The guys needed to know. If we got captured. If something happened to us. They were too far away to help. But they needed to know.
Evan started to reach into his pocket to grab his phone but that made me slide backward. My tiny arms reached out and pinched his shirt, pulling tight, but they were so puny they couldn't hold up my body weight. I started to tilt backward, head first, careening toward the pavement.