Little Lightning

Chapter 15

Song of the Chapter: Livin Right, by The Score

"Did someone call my name?" Zyan called down. Lyrical had to fight to keep a smile from surfacing at the fact that he was ok. And then anger surged in her, and the urge to smile disappeared. She glared at him. "Whoa, what happened to you, princess?" He asked as the ship landed, glancing over her scuffed and slightly burned clothes. Kirtash stiffened, and Lyrical could basically see the daggers he was shooting at Zyan. Zyan's gaze stopped at her hands, which sat in her lap. She caught his gaze and lifted her hands. She was strong enough now not to do that without to much effort. She gasped.

Her hands were covered in what looked like black lightning. They were more like cracks in her skin, black lines spider-webbing across her hands and disappearing under the sleeve of her coat. The tips of her fingers were completely black, the lines branching off of them.

She had to admit, they looked kind of cool. It was more freaky than anything else, but still pretty cool.

"Come on." Zyan urged. "Lets get out of here."

"What?" Lyrical looked up, surprised, dropping her hands back to her lap.

"I promised I'd take you with me if I escaped, remember?" Out of the corner of her eye, Lyrical saw Azalea turn to her.

"And do you really think I'd take you up on that offer? I don't even know you!" She argued, hurling the words at him like rocks. He flinched slightly, and Lyrical saw a little bit of hurt in his eyes. And was that... disappointment? The emotion was gone in an instant. His eyes hardened.

"Well, it looks to me that you can either escape with me now, and have a chance to get back to your planet, or stay here with the psychopath old people." She gawked at him. "What? I told you I have my ways." Lyrical didn't respond. Honestly, she'd rather go with him if it was just her and Kirtash, but Azalea and Lucas might not be as able to defend themselves if they had to make a quick getaway. Lyrical turned to Kirtash. He was still glaring daggers at Zyan, and Zyan was glaring right back. They seemed to have a conversation with their eyes.

"We don't have much time." Zyan said, offering his hand. Kirtash looked at the hand, then back up at him.

"Will she be safe?" He whispered.

"I swear on my life." Zyan responded, more serious than Lyrical had ever seen him. Lyricals brow furrowed, confused. Kirtash turned to Azalea.

"Go with Lyrical, Azalea. Keep her out of trouble for me, ok?" She nodded. Before Lyrical could ask what he was doing, Kirtash placed her in Zyans arms. "Be careful." He whispered to her.

It clicked. 

But it was too late.

The ship rumbled, ready to move up. With a sudden burst of adreniline induced strength, she pushed herself out of Zyans arms and ran towards Kirtash, grabbing his hand and pulling him aboard. Surprise was the only thing that stopped him from being able to resist. She grit her teeth and pushed him further into the ship with enough force that he stumbled. There was no way he was going to leave her behind. Not on her watch.

The cargo hatched closed, and they stood in silence. Lyrical stood, breathing hard, fists clenched.

"Lyrical, what do you think you are doi-" Kirtash chastised. She stomped up to him.

"There is no way you are leaving me, buster!" She poked him in the chest with a finger. "You promised to protect me, and leaving is not protecting me!" His cheeks reddened slightly. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Yeah, but--"

"There is no but, mister!" She shouted. "You do not get to sacrifice yourself for my sake without my permission! Or ever!" She took a breath, breathing a if she had just finished a four hundred meter swim. "So don't you dare try it, or heaven help me, I will kill you!"

He stared at her, shocked. After a moment of complete and utter silence, his gaze softened. He reached for her hand.

"I'm sorry." He murmured. Almost against her will, her fist loosened at his touch. She looked away. "I won't do it again." She looked back up at him, her eyes not leaving his. Somehow, she didn't believe it. Some part of her knew that where she was involved, he would do anything to keep her safe, even break a promise he made to her.

Huffing, she turned around and stomped off in the direction of the only door in the cargo bay.

Once she was gone, Zyan whistled.

"Awkward." He said in a sing song voice.

"Shut up." Kirtash grumbled, and walked off in the same direction Lyrical had gone.

Idiot! What did he think he was doing? Trying to sacrifice himself to keep her out of harm.

Lyrical stomped down the hall. In an instant, her strength and adrenaline drained away, and she stumbled to the wall to support herself. She leaned against it heavily.

"Whoa there girly, take it easy." A voice behind her said, sounding an awful lot like Zyan.

"Go away, Zyan." Lyrical said without turning, tone cross.

"Zyan? That's my brother." 

"Oh come on, Zyan, I know it's yo--" Lyrical started while turning. She trailed off.

The person behind her was indeed not Zyan, but bore a striking resemblance to him. She had long blond hair that went down to her waist, even up in a high ponytail. Her blue eyes were a shade lighter than Zyan's, blunt bangs going down to her pale eyebrows. She wore a white dress shirt, a pair of business pants, and a long black coat. Just like Zyan, she looked as if she could walk into a high school and blend right in as a student.

"You must be Lyrical." She stuck the hand that wasn't holding a crate of supplies on her hip. Lyrical shook it, then looked up at her. "I'm Zaylee."

"How do you--"

"-know your name?" Zaylee finished, a smile on her face. "Yeah, you're pretty famous around here."

"Famous?" Lyrical questioned.

"Well, yeah." Zaylee tilted her head to the side. "Didn't you know?"

"Know what?" Lyrical asked warily.

"That you're the Bluetiens super-weapon, of course."