Except the Shinigami wasn’tdisintegratedor dead. The clownish creature shook its head as though it were disoriented, but it was coming back to its senses.
“What the hell?”Krystansaid, panic rising in her voice. “We need Phillip to come back and take it down."
A peel of girlish giggles and gunfire echoed through the mall.
“I think he’s tied up,” I said. We couldn’t go afterPhillip or Astridwithout getting tangled up with the She.We couldn’t leave Sophie thatlong;she’d be dead before we got back. My heart pounded in my chest.We were on our own, and Sophie was helpless and trapped with the Shinigami.
I touched the forcefield but snatched my hand back. The energy had burned me. Looking at my fingers,I sawthere weren’tany marks,butI still wished I had ice to put on them.
“Travis,” Krystan said, her voice a warning.
The Shinigami was looking right as us, grinning as wide as a mile.He was taunting us.
Fuck.
Krystanhit the forcefield with her bat but it bounced right off. I drew my sword and tried too with the same result.We continued to hack away at the forcefield with no effect.
The Shinigami turned its attention toward Sophie.
Sweat dripped down into my eyes from panic and exertion as we banged away at the orange energy field.
“Oh god,it’s going to kill her,”Krystanbreathed.
My sword hit the ground with a clatter as instinct took over. I threw my hands onto the forcefield. It crackled with electric energy and the burning ran from my hands all the way upmy arms to my brain. I cried out as the pain sizzled every nerve ending, but the one solitary thought of getting through to Sophie remained.
“Travis,”Krystanscreamed.
I pushed harder. I believed I could do this. If that’s what made magic, then today I would be a freaking magician. There was nothing that would keep me from protecting Sophie. Not this forcefield, not the scary porcupine clown inside it.
My teethcut againstmy tongue and copper flooded my mouth as my body convulsed. The forcefield was weakening. I could feel it.
Behind me came ashrill giggle and cries for help.I didn’t turn around, still pushing with all my strength.Krystan’swar cry sailed through the air along with the sound of whacks from her weapon.
Was I dying? Every cell felt ablaze, but I would break it if it killed me.
Krystanwas screaming bloody murder behind me. I also heard a rumbling engine I knew better than the beat of my own heart.
The pressure and sizzling electricity gave way as the forcefield broke.A burst of light exploded from the bubble as if raw, pure energy had been building up inside, waiting to be released. My body felt extracrispy,but I was still alive, and whatever the power burst had been, it had given mesomestrength.I glanced at my hands but found they weren’t charred.
The Shinigami had its hand poised overthe still passed outSophie,but its face jerked up to meet mine.
“Hello chuckles,”I said,my words coming out in ragged pants. “You want the girl, you have to go through me.”I managed to bend over and pick my sword back up without collapsing. Digging deep into my rage and need to protect Sophie, I straightened.
You are worthless, and no one needs you.
Unlike the relentless thoughts that had come the last time webattled,this attack came as a mere whimper. Sophie had weakened the Shinigami, and I had grownstrongersince our last meeting.
Flicking aside the thought with the effort of picking off an ant, I took two steps forward and threw my fist into that grin.It stumbled backward, and I threw another punch.By the time it regained its composure, the death demon was snarling at me.
“Aimfor its kneecaps,”Krystancheered.With a cocky grin, she poised Batman for a smackdown.Blood dripped off the nails onto the tile. I guess the She were subdued.“Shall we play the game?”
“You can’t drink remember?” I asked, eyeing the creature. He raised his long arms as if summoning his strength. Dark energy pulsed in the air; it tasted like death.Before it could unleash whatevernastinessit was brewing, I pulled a bottle off my belt and pulled the trigger.“Hey, stop that. Bad clown.”
The beast reared back from the spritz of liquid. The sharp smell of glass cleaner filled the air.I’d distracted it enough forKrystanto come up from the side.
Batman connected with his back, showering the ground inbrittle quills.
“True, let’s bet something else,” she saidbetween hits. “I can name our kid whatever I want if I win.”
