Page 26 of Stealing Embers
“I’m seventeen. But what the heck does that matter? I’ve been taking care of myself for long enough to know I don’t need you.”
His dark brows shoot up, but so do mine.
He isn’t the only one surprised by that little outburst. In a fight or flight scenario, I’m usually a flight kinda girl. I survived this long by blending in, hiding in the shadows. Being bold isn’t usually my style.
Steel barely gets his mouth open to respond when Sterling cuts him off. “She’s half-phased. We couldn’t get her out any other way.”
“Half-phased?” he asks in disbelief.
“He’s serious,” Greyson adds. “We can see her on the mortal plane, but she’s only experiencing the spirit realm. There wasn’t anything else we could do.”
Steel’s angry glare swings back to me. I force myself not to cower. I’d dealt with bullies before. Steel’s nothing new.
“Phase back,” he orders.
I blink at him, a crease forming between my brows. “Sure, just as soon as you tell me what that means and teach me how to do it.”
A very human growl vibrates in Steel’s chest and he shoves a hand in his hair.
Ash steps in front of me, her head of corkscrew curls almost completely blocking my view of the fuming man-child in front of me.
“Give her a break, man. All this stuff is new to her. And besides, we shouldn’t be arguing about this right now. We’ve got to get to a bunker.”
The breath Steel releases blows some of Ash’s curls. Reaching around her, he grabs my upper arm, hauling me out from her protection.
“Whoa. What is your problem?” I shake free of his hold, but his attention is locked on his brothers.
“I’ll make sure she gets somewhere safe. You guys phase back. Just go straight to Blaze and Aurora’s group to make sure they made it, and stay there.”
When Sterling opens his mouth to argue, Greyson slaps a hand over it and pulls him back. “We’ll meet up with you when this is over.”
Greyson and Sterling disappear into thin air and I shake my head, not used to seeing other people vanish like that.
Ash shifts her weight from foot to foot as she chews her lip, her eyes bouncing back and forth between me and Steel.
“You sure you got her?” she asks.
Steel barks a humorless laugh. “You really worried I won’t be able to take care of her?”
“Conceited much?” I scoff.
Ash’s mouth quirks in a half-smile.
“I’ll find you when the threat has been eliminated, okay?” Her eyes beg me to agree.
I don’t have much of a choice. Besides, it seems that whatever is going on, it’s safer for her not to be in the spectrum world. I may have just met her, but I don’t want her to get hurt.
I answer her with a tight nod.
With that, she disappears too.
Looking down his nose at me, Steel turns on a heel and stalks down the hall. “Keep up,” he throws over his shoulder without slowing.
This is going to be interesting.
Chapter Seven
Istart going cross-eyed the longer I tag along behind Steel. The underground part of the academy is more extensive than I’d realized; my sense of direction is thoroughly jumbled. Without a guide, I’d probably roam the maze of hallways indefinitely.