What is she trying to say? We’re all looking at her now. The guys seem as puzzled as I feel. And she’s not meeting our gazes, fiddling with the hem of her top instead.
“Zoey isn’t happy with me,” Jason finally says. “But even a crazy bitch like her wouldn’t try to kill me and then date me, right?”
“You never know,” Mia whispers but a smile tugs at her mouth.
“Also, she’s human,” he goes on. “Her family would have to pull some serious strings to get a powerful caster to magic the arrows.”
“So you all have nothing you feel sorry for?” She finally looks up. Her cheeks are red, her eyes too bright. “Are all four of you so perfect, you can’t imagine why anyone would wish you harm? Bullying others. Chasing after girls and then dropping them like hot potatoes the next day. Breaking hearts. How can you…?”
Her voice cracks.
I’m on my feet before I know it. “Mia.”
She’s on her feet, too, fists trembling. Something’s wrong but I can’t think what it is. Why is she so upset? “Get off your high horses. Who do you think you are? Maybe I should go away and let whoever did this to you finish the job.”
I reach for her, but I’m not the only one. Emrys, Jason, Sindri, they’re all on their feet and standing around her, reaching for her.
She stands, frozen. The air feels electrified, lifting the hairs on my arms, on the back of my neck. It sort of… ripples.
Interesting.
Strange.
What the hell does it mean?She’s an Apollinari, I think, as the ripple hits me and bounces back, as all movement seems to slow. Time slows to a stop.Is this her power?
But then the ripple goespoofand vanishes, and she darts between me and Emrys, throwing my door open and vanishing through it.
“What the hell was that?” Emrys grunts.
“Kraish.” Sindri stumbles backward, grabbing for the bed rail, missing it, and sliding down to the floor.
Jason is standing there, head bowed, breathing hard.
I turn and go after her.
“Mia. Wait.”
She only walks faster and it’s kind of funny and kind of cute, too. Her dark hair is coming out of its ponytail and her bangs look fluffed up like the pelt of an angry cat. “Go away.”
“What happened back there? What did you do?”
“Nothing.”
“I felt something,” I insist.
“It’s your imagination.”
“You overestimate my imaginative powers. Look—”
“What part ofgo awaydon’t you understand?” She throws her hands up in the air. “We talked, looked at the frigging arrow, agreed I need some time.”
“To research.”
“That’s right.”
“Will you wear the clothes Emrys got you?”
She stops, turns around. Her cheeks are reddening. “How is that any of your business?”