“They’re at Chay’s. Can’t you smell the sulfur? They’re at Chay’s. I have to go…”
And then I was running, my dad keeping in step with me. We jumped the fence and zigzagged through yards, around swing sets and kiddie pools, until we reached Chay’s.
I walked to Chay and stood silently next to him. He reached for my hand. Our fingers intertwined in silent reassurance. I kept my expression neutral, showing no emotion in front of the other group. What I really wanted to do was grab Chay, hug him, kiss him, and make sure he was all right. But I forced myself to stand stoically by his side.
It wasn’t long before the rest of the group showed up. Jeff from behind, Jen and Drew from the sides, and Muriel hopping the fence with my Uncle Rory.
The two groups stared at each other. I wasn’t sure how long we stood silently staring at each other. It could have been seconds—it could have been minutes. It seemed like hours. The longer we stood there, the bigger the lump in my gut grew. Something was going to happen. I could feel it. It swirled in the air. A whispered threat. A promise. And the most worrisome, it showed on Chay’s face. He knew. He could feel it. His arm and neck muscles were corded, and tension rolled off him in waves.
My heart was skipping every other beat. It was almost like it had forgotten how to beat. I felt hollow. The beats of my heart echoed against the empty walls of my chest.
I saw it. A pretty blonde shifted her weight. Her tell.
They ran all at once. We braced ourselves and readied for the attack. They came at us in a “V” formation or what looked like an arrow. It wasn’t a random free-for-all like usual, but a planned attack—with a specific goal.
“What the hell are they doing?” Chay yelled.
Jeff watched them and shook his head. “Dunno.”
They got closer and closer, still in formation, running at us in eerie silence. They ran across the sidewalk and on to the yard.
“Get in front of Milayna!” Drew yelled.
Chay didn’t question Drew’s order. He reached out and pulled me behind him just as the lead demi-demon, Edward, plowed into him. They both landed hard on the ground, fists flying.
The second line of demi-demons attacked, and then the third… I paced back and forth, feeling useless as I watched my friends fight while I did nothing.
“Dad! Let me help them!”
He shook his head and blocked me from leaving his and Chay’s dad’s protection. “They were aiming right at you tonight, Milayna. You aren’t going out there. In fact, I should take you home.”
“No! That’d put Mom and Benjamin in danger if one of them went to the house after me. Not to mention, I’d have no protection there. This is my fight. This is where I belong.” I flung my arm toward the vicious fight between my friends and the wicked-assed demi-demons.
My dad turned toward the fight just as the demi-demons broke through our line of defense. The demi-demon tackled my dad. I ran to help when someone grabbed my arm and pulled me to a stop.
Turning, I looked at the guy that held me. I didn’t know him, had never seen him before that night. I was distracted when he backhanded me across the face the first time. The second time he raised his hand, I was ready. I blocked his blow, jabbing the hand on my other arm into his side. He roared in pain and swung at me.
Holy freaky angel powers, Batman!
His swing came at me in slow motion, like time had slowed. I took advantage of the warning and kicked his arm away, getting in a palm-heel strike to his face, slicing open his lower lip. Blood dripped down his chin; his lips stretched into a slow smile when he wiped it away with the back of his hand. His teeth were stained pink, and he spat out a wad of blood and saliva. I watched it leave his mouth, and move, little by little, through the air and land next to my foot.
I was stupefied. Everyone around me was on slow motion, but I was on real time. I had absolutely no idea how I managed to tap into the power, but it was definitely one of the better powers I had, especially during a meeting with the demi-demons.
I was deep in concentration, fighting off the attacks of the demi-demon in front of me. He was relentless, coming in with jabs and punches one after another. All in the same slow motion as the others. I deflected his hits easily.
The sound of the others fighting was deafening. The groans of pain as flesh hit flesh, the smack of fists as they made contact, the howling of frustration when a blow didn’t connect.