Her First Mistake

Chapter Seventy-Seven: Have Fun With Exile!

   It could have been seconds or days by the time the ringing in my ears faded. The white stars in my vision slowly dissolved, revealing a whited-out sky. My body held no feeling, even though I knew it was torn to shreds. Releasing a soft exhale, I managed to lift my head. 

   Tate leaned over me, his mouth moving, but no sound came out. My eyebrows creased. 

   "...xie? Roxie?"

   I groaned in response. His face sagged as he slumped. "Shit. Do not scare me like that."

   "Did it work?" My voice came out in a rasp.

   "Whatever the hell that electricity was, yeah, it worked." Tate gently helped me sit my head up. We sat in a small crater, small patches of flames eating up debris around us. All nine Dark Star members were unconscious. The carnage continued a little ways out of the twenty-feet range. Only about five Dark Stars were able to stand up. Zain and Mark were both trying to get to their feet.

   "I think we made it," Tate said quietly. His arm went around my upper back. "Captain Lugo has arrived with thirty more Enforcers. It's over."

   So that was where he had went. I looked around blearily. Sure enough, about thirty people were in running from the road. I was a little embarrassed at being seen halfway conscious on the ground, beaten to pieces, and obviously weak, but I ignored that. Hell, I'd just single-handedly taken down Dani Darhk and a good portion of her allies. Screw what people thought.

   "If you think this is over, you're wrong!"

   The voice made my lip curl. Tate helped me to my feet as we faced the woman. My teeth ground at the sight of Dani, free of bonds and leaning heavily on one leg. Blood dripped down her head. 

   In front of her stood Gene. The demon was pale and bruised around his visible skin. It was the first I'd seen of him since the hotel in Philadelphia. Dani held a sword against his throat, seething. Her hair was askew and her clothes torn. 

   "What are you going to do?" I asked, tired. "Kill him? You get nothing out of it."

   Dani opened her mouth to retort when her body jerked. Gene vanished from her arms, taking his escape, and revealing the blade of a sword that protruded from Dani's chest. The mage's eyes widened briefly before Jennifer materialized behind her. The demon tore the blade out of her chest. Like a puppet whose strings were cut, Dani collapsed. I couldn't move from the shock.

   Automatically, I looked down at my arm. Like washing a paintbrush in a sink, the ink ran off of my flesh until it was gone. My tanned -- and bloodied -- skin shone. Not a speck of ink remained. Dani was actually dead. My feet felt rooted to the spot as I looked back up, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

   Gene materialized next to Jennifer before his knees gave out. She cried out. I recognized the mark on his arm and my gut sank. "Tate, he's somebody's source. He was linked to someone."

   "He's linked to me."

   Another dramatic entrance? Really? I turned my head, frustrated. Kingsley stood in the shadows of the nearest building. Not a speck of dirt or blood sat on his clothes. He observed me and tilted his head. "You didn't think I'd take precautions?"

   Captain Lugo and the thirty Enforcers finally arrived, skidding to a stop. Captain Lugo drew a sword angrily. "Give yourself up, and maybe you can escape execution."

   "Doubtful," muttered Mark.

   Kingsley tilted his head. "I won't be dying by your hand, Lugo. In fact, I'm going to walk away from here unscathed. It's a one-hundred percent chance that I am freed."

   Tate gritted his teeth. "He's a seer that can see exact percentages of the future's chances. How the hell are we supposed to stop him? He knows our attacks before we do."

    A smaller figure came walking around the corner. Her boots thudded on the concrete as she came stomping around, folding her arms tightly. "You're wrong, Kingsley."

   The seer scrutinized the girl. I recognized her as the girl at the front desk of the hotel. The seer. The one that had spooked us pretty damn good. I looked at her incredulously. What the hell was she doing here?

   "And who are you?"

   "I'm what you can't predict." 

   "Is that so?"

   A gunshot rang through the air. Kingsley shouted, his back sliding sideways down the wall as he clutched his knee. The girl lowered the gun, scowling at him. "You may see the future, Harold Kingsley, but I create it. That makes me your blind spot." She dropped the gun into her purse. "And the only person capable of taking you down." She glanced my way and winked before returning her focus to him. "Have fun with exile."

   We could only watch, stunned, as the girl walked away. Her hair disappeared around a corner. Tate sagged. "Her footsteps stopped. I wouldn't be surprised if she just vanished into thin air. I didn't hear her coming, either."

   Captain Lugo hardly flinched. Within seconds, he locked Kingsley's hands into a pair of dark blue cuffs. The seer gritted his teeth as he was wrenched to his feet. The rest of the Enforcers began rounding up the remaining Dark Stars. A shifter hauled Karrae to her feet as the angel spat into his face.

   My eyes drifted around the smoking field, as if my brain wasn't working. It couldn't really comprehend what just happened. My gaze turned to the body of Dani, which hadn't moved. I half expected her to get up and start attacking me again. I simply couldn't believe what I was seeing.

   "Is it over?"

   My voice was quiet in astonishment. Tate flinched as he shifted his weight off of his bleeding leg. He sounded tiredly relieved.

    "It's over."