There was a sudden breeze as someone moved—fast—right by me, and my heart leapt up into my throat while my fingers curled tighter around the lock.
For all that I’d battled all kinds of bad guys, it surprised me enough for a startled squawk to escape my lips, and I turned, trying to figure out where the person had gone. This was more than just some jerk screwing around with a girl by herself. This was legitimately dangerous. It wasn’t a David-is-in-trouble feeling, but my Paladin senses were kicking in nonetheless. Not just heart-pounding, blood-racing, normal “I may get killed” stuff, but a sensation like Pop Rocks going off in my chest.
Planting my feet firmly, I drew back the hand holding the lock. In one quick, powerful movement, I shoved out. My hand hit something bony—a shoulder, I thought—but the person didn’t budge.
Even though I knew this wasn’t one of the pool guys, I said, “Last chance to turn on the lights, dude.”
There was no answer.
They’d retreated, I thought, moved back to get a better look, but then, just as I started to turn in the direction I thought they might have gone, there was a sudden shuffle of footsteps, and pain exploded on the side of my head, sparking lights in front of my eyes.
Stunned and in pain, I staggered back, my knee catching the edge of one of those benches after all.
Another sense of movement, and I reached out just in time to catch a foot that had been aiming for my midsection. It was small, but the shoe felt heavy, the tread thick. A boot, I thought, and one that would have forced all the breath out of my lungs had the kick landed.
Using the other person’s weight for momentum, I rose to my feet, still holding her (it was a girl now, I was pretty sure) ankle and giving it a vicious wrench.
The bone didn’t break, but she gave a very satisfying cry of pain. Still, that motion, twisting her ankle, weakened my grip on her boot, and she pulled away, retreating back into the darkness, breathing hard.
My head and knee ached, but I had more than just adrenaline fueling me now. My Paladin powers roared to life, filling me with something almost like giddiness. This may be scary and dangerous and all, but it meant my boring summer was over, and to be honest, the idea of taking out some of my angst on someone who really deserved it seemed like a solid plan.
“Who are you?” I asked, my voice a little hoarse. “I mean, other than the girl I’m about to wipe the floor with.”
There was a laugh, but she sounded breathless, too. “You wish. Clearly you’ve never met a Paladin.”
She lunged then, and I kicked, my flip-flop flying, but my foot connecting with her jaw.
“Um, I am one?” I answered, and I could hear the girl spit on the floor.
“Whatever,” she scoffed, and I reached out, trying to grab her. She moved out of my grasp, but I still moved forward. “No, seriously,” I told her. “Aren’t you noticing how I’m kicking your butt? You think an average girl could do that?”
No answer, and I racked my brain, trying to think how there could be another Paladin. There was just supposed to be me. Well, me and Bee, but David had turned Bee into—
I grabbed for the girl again, my fingers wrapping around a thin, sweaty bicep, and I heard her draw in a shaky breath. “Wait a minute. Did David make you? A blond boy, glowing eyes, terrible dress sense. Have you seen him?”
The girl answered me, but I’m going to skip over what she said since it was like 90 percent profanity and didn’t really answer my question anyway.
David had to have made her. Paladins could only be created when one died, passing his or her power on to another person via this kind of creepy kiss thing. Or, if you had an extra-superpowered-up Oracle—which David was—then the Oracle could make them. David had done that back in the fall, turning a bunch of girls into jacked-up ninja debutantes, but he’d then drained that power from all of them except Bee (she’d been kidnapped before David could get to her).
It was the only thing that made sense. And if David had created this girl, then she knew where he was. Maybe he was even close. He’d have to be. After all, when I’d been David’s Paladin, being too far away from him had physically hurt. So David couldn’t be far.
The thought made something in my throat go tight. “Tell me!” I demanded, giving the girl a shake. My fingers were so tight around her arm, it’s a wonder they weren’t touching. I could practically feel bones grinding, and the girl gave a little whimper of pain.
And then, all at once, it was like the strength went out of my grip. I actually felt it go out of me, like someone had opened a drain. One moment, I was all Paladin Triumphant, and the next, I was just a regular girl, the pain in my head seeming to multiply by about a thousand.