us. We turned to see two sets of headlights moving at us much
faster than they should have on a quiet street this late at night. One set of lights
started to pull ahead of the other, tires smoking.
They were headed right for us. Sixty feet away, forty . . .
I whirled around and leaped at Amaris. She was standing there, eyes wide, still trying
to understand the hurtling machines charging at her. I cannoned into her and wrapped
my arms around her waist, head down, yanking her with me out of the street, using
the bulk of the SUV as cover. We rolled onto the pavement.
Tires squealed, and one car zoomed past, inches away from the rear bumper of our car.
The wind from it pushed my hair over my face as I sat up on the asphalt, forearms
and elbows bruised from the impact, but otherwise unhurt. Amaris, who had landed on
her side, was getting up, brushing pebbles and dirt from her shirt, although it now
had a long dark slick of oil across one sleeve.
“Oh, my dear Lord!” she said. That was about as much swearing as ever came out of
Amaris. “Have they found us? Was that the Tribunal?”
I stared at the retreating low-slung forms of the muscle cars as they raced away.
“I don’t think Ximon would approve those modifications on a Mustang,” I said. When
she looked at me blankly, I explained further. “I think they were street racers, not
objurers. Just jerks, not assassins.”
“You saved my life,” she said. “I’ve never seen anyone move that fast!”
“Cat-shifter reflexes,” I said. “Still pretty good in human form. What are you looking
for?”
She had hunkered down, scanning the dark pavement. “My phone. I must’ve let go of
it in surprise. Not that I’m not grateful . . .”
“Maybe it got flung over here.” I bent over to look under the truck next to our SUV.
“Don’t bother,” Amaris said. “It’s no big deal.”
“It’s your phone.” My eyes were good in the dark. I spotted a small square object
near the back tire of the neighboring car. “There it is.”
She knelt down to get it. “Darn, the keyboard’s cracked.” She pressed a few buttons.
“The power’s on, but the buttons don’t work.”
“Bummer,” I said, watching her face closely. “Who were you talking to?”
“Hunh?” She glanced up fast, and then looked back down at her phone. She looked distracted,
but her eyes flickered strangely. Was that guilt? “Nobody. I was listening to music.
I have to hold the phone up to my ear because I don’t have earbuds.”
“Music?” Until about a month ago, Amaris had led the most isolated life possible in
this modern world. The only music she’d ever been exposed to consisted of traditional
hymns. Even the religious symphonies of Handel and Beethoven had been forbidden.
Pounding feet announced the arrival of everyone else, coming at a run. “Are you guys
okay?” asked November, darting over.
Caleb swept up to me, eyes running over me carefully. His concern smoothed out the
frazzled edges in me left over from the adrenaline rush. He gave Amaris a once-over
too, face settling as it became clear we were both okay. “We heard the cars, and the
tires squeal, and then we couldn’t see you.”
“Did they hit you?” asked Arnaldo, pointing to the smear on Amaris’s shirt.
“Dez pulled me out of the way just in time. ‘Speedier than the righteousness of Isaiah
drawing near.’ ” Amaris smiled, as if she’d made a joke.
We looked at her blankly.
Except Caleb. “Isaiah fifty-one five,” he said. “Don’t let the heathens bother you,
Sis. You sure you’re okay?”
“Just shaken up,” she said. “Thanks.”
“Here.” London stepped forward and held out a bottle of water. “Scary stuff always
makes me thirsty.”
Amaris took it with a shy smile. “Thanks.”
Caleb opened the passenger door for me, and everyone piled into the SUV.
“Maybe you can show me what kind of music you like sometime,”
faster than they should have on a quiet street this late at night. One set of lights
started to pull ahead of the other, tires smoking.
They were headed right for us. Sixty feet away, forty . . .
I whirled around and leaped at Amaris. She was standing there, eyes wide, still trying
to understand the hurtling machines charging at her. I cannoned into her and wrapped
my arms around her waist, head down, yanking her with me out of the street, using
the bulk of the SUV as cover. We rolled onto the pavement.
Tires squealed, and one car zoomed past, inches away from the rear bumper of our car.
The wind from it pushed my hair over my face as I sat up on the asphalt, forearms
and elbows bruised from the impact, but otherwise unhurt. Amaris, who had landed on
her side, was getting up, brushing pebbles and dirt from her shirt, although it now
had a long dark slick of oil across one sleeve.
“Oh, my dear Lord!” she said. That was about as much swearing as ever came out of
Amaris. “Have they found us? Was that the Tribunal?”
I stared at the retreating low-slung forms of the muscle cars as they raced away.
“I don’t think Ximon would approve those modifications on a Mustang,” I said. When
she looked at me blankly, I explained further. “I think they were street racers, not
objurers. Just jerks, not assassins.”
“You saved my life,” she said. “I’ve never seen anyone move that fast!”
“Cat-shifter reflexes,” I said. “Still pretty good in human form. What are you looking
for?”
She had hunkered down, scanning the dark pavement. “My phone. I must’ve let go of
it in surprise. Not that I’m not grateful . . .”
“Maybe it got flung over here.” I bent over to look under the truck next to our SUV.
“Don’t bother,” Amaris said. “It’s no big deal.”
“It’s your phone.” My eyes were good in the dark. I spotted a small square object
near the back tire of the neighboring car. “There it is.”
She knelt down to get it. “Darn, the keyboard’s cracked.” She pressed a few buttons.
“The power’s on, but the buttons don’t work.”
“Bummer,” I said, watching her face closely. “Who were you talking to?”
“Hunh?” She glanced up fast, and then looked back down at her phone. She looked distracted,
but her eyes flickered strangely. Was that guilt? “Nobody. I was listening to music.
I have to hold the phone up to my ear because I don’t have earbuds.”
“Music?” Until about a month ago, Amaris had led the most isolated life possible in
this modern world. The only music she’d ever been exposed to consisted of traditional
hymns. Even the religious symphonies of Handel and Beethoven had been forbidden.
Pounding feet announced the arrival of everyone else, coming at a run. “Are you guys
okay?” asked November, darting over.
Caleb swept up to me, eyes running over me carefully. His concern smoothed out the
frazzled edges in me left over from the adrenaline rush. He gave Amaris a once-over
too, face settling as it became clear we were both okay. “We heard the cars, and the
tires squeal, and then we couldn’t see you.”
“Did they hit you?” asked Arnaldo, pointing to the smear on Amaris’s shirt.
“Dez pulled me out of the way just in time. ‘Speedier than the righteousness of Isaiah
drawing near.’ ” Amaris smiled, as if she’d made a joke.
We looked at her blankly.
Except Caleb. “Isaiah fifty-one five,” he said. “Don’t let the heathens bother you,
Sis. You sure you’re okay?”
“Just shaken up,” she said. “Thanks.”
“Here.” London stepped forward and held out a bottle of water. “Scary stuff always
makes me thirsty.”
Amaris took it with a shy smile. “Thanks.”
Caleb opened the passenger door for me, and everyone piled into the SUV.
“Maybe you can show me what kind of music you like sometime,”
Similar Books
