Pyro

Chapter 39

We'd finish her off in one blow.

It was a classic hook, line and sinker plan: I was the hook: Kaz was the line: together we'd sink her.

Hidden a few floors down, on the thirty-eighth floor, I leaned by elevators sitting in the floor's lobby. I forced myself not to shoot glances at the marble structural column looming by the front desk; Kaz, using a chameleon-like ability, melted into it, practically invisible.

The chandelier bathed the fully-furnished lobby in light, illuminating the elevators and lush benches perched in between each one.

I figured, since the assassin hadn't caught up yet, I slid into the seat, relishing the momentary relief. My body moaned. It chastised me for putting it through hell. Mind spinning, I extracted remaining shards of glass from my legs, grimacing at the squelch and warm trickles of blood ebbing down my calves.

It occupied me until she arrived.

The woman, sheltered in inches of thick metal, rounded a corner and snarled. She took one menacing step in front of the other, leaving imprints in the tiled floor.

She absorbed me doddering in a chair, reposing despite blood smearing my clothes. She glanced around, and stopped. "Where's the other one?"

Kaz.

Innocently, I frowned. "What other one?"

"The noodle you brought with you. Where'd he go?" Kaz probably wouldn't like that term. 'Noodle.'

Before I retorted, she shrugged. "Whatever. You're the only one I have to kill."

I grinned. "Good luck with that."

I snapped my fingers and fire ravaged the room, enveloping the chandelier, front desk, chairs, but the woman sauntered through the flames, a smile widening her cheeks. She laughed, and bellowed, "You're gonna have to do better than-"

"Enough!" someone boomed, causing both of us to freeze in our tracks.

I dispelled my fire and both of our gazes dithered to spiraling marble column, where Proditio stood- Kaz.

Thanks to Mr. Cal offering us enough information about Proditio-her true name, birth date, and intimate details-Kaz could copy her. He'd never tried it until now, with Mr. Cal and I advising against it (If Proditio could barely handle her powers, how would Kaz's frail body respond?) but desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Enough of this," Kaz said, sashaying forward, flipping hair out of his eyes. He batted his eyes and smoothed the wrinkles in his blouse, which he'd created using another ability. He pursed his rose red lips, and scrunched his nose in haughtiness.

I wanted to throttle him. Was this how he thought women acted?

The assassin's frown deepened. Still encased in metal, I hoped she relinquished enough of her guard to free up a limb or expose a body part we could sever, burn, attack-anything.

Proditio scratched her chin as the assassin remained aloof. "You're done here," said Kaz, adopting obstinate mannerisms, like angling his head upwards to impose intimidation, resting his hands on his hips, frowning.

The woman's stance melted, confusion furrowing her brows. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Kaz responded, a touch too fast.

That did it. The woman scowled and braced herself. "The real Alexandra Bane wouldn't hire me unless she was serious. Plus, she's aready hired a helicopter to take her out of here- she wouldn't come back to stop me. Nice try though."

I cursed as she catapulted herself at me: I ducked and snapped my fingers. Fire ruptured the ground. Cement and marble crumbled, falling to the the floor below us. As the woman stepped forward, a patch of the floor withered; she plunged down into the darkness, howling, and I stormed over to Kaz-now his lanky self-and snatched the collar of his shirt. "Seriously man? Have you never met a girl in real life?"