Read Online Strength by Angela B. Macala-Guajardo - Free Book Online

anymore.”
    “Your eyes are glowing,” she said. It was strange to be able to say that to someone else. “Clearly it still does.”
    “Well, it shouldn’t,” Aerigo said sharply, then kinder, “It shouldn’t.”
    Roxie took the not-so-subtle hint and lapsed into silence. They traversed the forest and took a right, headed for Buffalo’s outskirts. Walking loosened Roxie’s limbs, although she felt like she was losing energy, instead of gaining any back. The city engulfed them with cars, people, and daylight everywhere, though incoming clouds intermittently blocked the sun as they plodded deeper into the city.
    “Do you feel well enough to move faster?”
    “You mean, like, a brisk walk?”
    “I mean a a run. All the way to the station.”
    “I was never much of a distance runner.” Roxie hated running.
    “Daio’s still following us. I don’t know where he is, but he has no intention of losing track of us. The sooner we get on the bus, the sooner we’ll be able to keep a safe distance between him and us.”
    “How long do you think he’ll follow us for?” They reached the end of a crowded sidewalk and waited for the crosswalk sign to turn green.
    “Most likely until I do something about it, or he does. But I’d rather just shake him off our trail. Other people will be sent to pick up where he leaves off, so there’s no point in killing him.”
    “But you said you wish you had,” Roxie said over honking horns and the hum of traffic.
    “For other reasons. Don’t worry about it.”
    A couple of cars swept under the red lights as the crosswalk sign turned green. The two started onto the road and took only a couple steps before Aerigo snapped his attention to their left and took a sharp intake of breath. “Run!” He seized her wrist.
    Roxie clung to a strap of her pack as they sped down the sidewalk. They bumped more people out of the way than maneuvered around them. “What is it?” They angled into the street, rushing between parallel-parked cars and moving traffic, and the idle cars made a flicky whooshing noise as she sped by with only inches to spare on either side. Not only that, they were keeping up with the flow of traffic—no, surpassing all the cars to their immediate left! How fast were they running?
    “He’s very close! Don’t slow down; just tell me which way to turn.”
    “Stay on this road. It’s up ahead. You can’t miss it.”
    Aerigo let go and hoisted his pack over his head, then unzipped it and dug around inside. Ahead of them a Camry partially pulled out, blocked by bumper-to-bumper traffic. Aerigo veered back onto the sidewalk as he produced his dagger, and threw his pack back over a shoulder. Roxie followed and lost sight of him in the sea of pedestrians, but she didn’t panic. At the very least they’d meet back up outside the parking lot. She slowed her pace and stuck to the sidewalk, not wanting to chance the street or test her reflexes. Her ability to outrun a car was unreal, but her amazement was dampened by her desire to not give Daio another chance to pancake her.
    “Hey there,” said a voice to her left.
    Roxie stole a glance at a man running alongside her. Bile burned her throat. It was Daio, back down to normal size, but way too close for comfort. She searched for the back of Aerigo’s clean-shaven scalp and didn’t see it anywhere. Another stranger fooled her, but that man was bald as a cue ball and nowhere near as fit. She kept searching.
    “What’s the hurry?” Daio asked, this time from Roxie’s right.
    “Why won’t you just leave me alone?” She shot him a glare.
    He wasn’t there.
    Roxie lost her scowl and began to feel vulnerable, along with a sore need to return to Aerigo’s side.
    “Oh please!” The voice came from her left again, and he was there this time, effortlessly matching her pace and dodging people. “You know why.”
    “Stay away from me!” She swung at his face. He shied away, chuckling, and put some space between them.