A few Prodigium had staggered to their feet, but the rest stil lay inert on the ground. One, a witch who was about my age, blinked at me in confusion. And behind her, I could see a group of Eyes rushing toward the exit, daggers drawn.
"Jenna, go with Daisy and Nick,"I said, without taking my eyes from the hole.
"Sophie-"
"Go!"I said, more sharply than I'd intended. "I'l catch up."
She hesitated for a second before turning and fol owing Daisy and Nick.
I didn't know how much magic I had left in me, but I gathered up al my strength and raised my hands toward the men in black. There was no spark or flash of light, but I could feel the attack spel -one of Alice's-surge from my fingertips. The Eyes dropped like rocks, and my knees hit the pavement. No magic in six months, then two heavy spel s within seconds of each other. How stupid could I be?
Even though my head was fuzzy with magic and exhaustion, I forced myself to my feet. I had to get to the others, had to make it to the road. I could see the three of them just ahead as they passed under a streetlamp. Jenna glanced over her shoulder and skidded to a stop when she saw how far back I was. I managed to lift my arm and wave her on. She stood stil , but Nick nodded at me and grabbed her arm, pul ing her out of the al ey. I noted that the three of them headed left, and struggled to catch up. Running was out of the question, but I walked as fast as I could, my heels slipping and sliding on the damp street.
Stil , I was too slow.
I was nearly to the end of the al ey when an arm snaked around my waist and yanked me backward, out of the light. I wasn't sure if it was an Eye or a Prodigium, or just your run-of-the-mil ra**st/scumbag type, but it was definitely a guy. He was several inches tal er than me, and I could hear his ragged breathing in my ear as he struggled to hold me. There was no way I'd be able to do a spel on him: I was too tired and too frazzled. But while I didn't have magic, I did have a whole bunch of the Vandy's Defense classes on my side.
Skil Nine, you asshat, I thought as I drove my elbow back, while at the same time attempting to drive my boot heel as hard as I could into his instep.
He blocked both easily, pul ing his torso back from my elbow even as he tightened his grip on my waist, lifting me slightly off the ground so my heel came down harmlessly on thin air.
For a second I felt real panic. Anyone who could block Prodigium Defense moves was a lot more dangerous than some random pervert. I was about to try Skil Fifteen, which involved both breaking his nose and potential y ending his chances of ever having kids, when my captor bent down and whispered in my ear, "Don't even think about it, Mercer."
T his is not happening.
That was the only thought in my mind as Archer set me on my feet and released my waist.
This was some kind of mistake. There was some other guy running around England who just happened to know Defense and cal ed me Mercer.
Because there was no way that tonight, of al nights, could also be the night I came face-to-face with-
I turned around.
The light was dim in this section of the al ey, but it was definitely Archer Cross standing there. He looked a lot rougher than he had the last time I'd seen him. There was dark stubble covering the lower half of his face, and his hair was longer. More than that, though, he looked older. Tired. And stil , seeing him again was like being punched in the chest.
There were so many emotions rushing through me that it took me a while to identify them: fear, definitely. Shock.
But underneath those, there was something else, a feeling I wasn't sure I wanted to give a name to.
It felt a little bit like joy.
But I stamped that right the heck down. The shock was wearing off, and I remembered that the last time I'd been alone with Archer, he'd pul ed a knife on me. I wasn't going to stand around and see what he had this time.
I gathered up my last reserves of strength to do some kind of magic. I may not have been able to manage a transportation spel , but a quick lightning bolt would probably be pretty effective. I could feel the magic start to creep up from the soles of my feet, but it was weak. I'd be lucky to throw a couple of sparks at him.
But before I could even do that, he grabbed my arms and pul ed me farther into the shadows, spinning me so my back was pressed against the wal .
I brought my knee up. It was less of a defense skil and more of a girl instinct, but it didn't matter. He dodged that too. Then he stood in front of me, his hands clamped around my wrists as I tried to get away.
"I'm not going to hurt you,"he muttered through clenched teeth. "But I can't say the same for the others."
I stopped struggling as I remembered just how many members of L'Occhio had been in Shel ey's. Just then, I heard a young-sounding voice yel out,
"Cross!"
Archer glanced over his shoulder and angled his body so I was hidden from view. "It's not her,"he cal ed back. "Just a human girl, wrong place, wrong time."
The guy rattled off a string of words in a language I guessed was Italian. At least it sounded like it. I couldn't understand what he said, obviously, but whatever it was, it made Archer mutter a very recognizable word under his breath before replying in the same language, the words sounding strange in his familiar voice. I heard the slapping sound of footsteps running off into the distance.
Archer dropped my wrists and braced his arms on the damp brick wal behind me, but I held my body stiff, afraid that if I relaxed even an inch, we'd inadvertently touch.
He sighed. "That makes, what? The second time I've saved your life? Third, if you count that thing in Defense with the Vandy. Speaking of which, you're stil thrusting your elbow too high on Skil Nine."
I swal owed twice before I was able to answer. "I'l work on that."
I waited for him to move away. I needed him to move away, because I'd already started shaking. But he stayed right where he was, so close that I could see the violet shadows under his eyes, and how gaunt his cheeks were. I tried my hardest to keep my gaze at a spot somewhere over his right shoulder. I had pictured meeting Archer again so many times, and there were a mil ion things I wanted to ask him, like why he had saved my life tonight, how long had he been working for The Eye.
If he'd only pretended to like me.
Instead, I just said, "So did The Eye come here tonight looking for me?"
"Actual y, we came because we heard it was free corn dog night. Imagine our disappointment."