False Gods | The Prime Archives #3 ✓

twenty-three

Samantha emerged from behind a hedge to intercept them. The girl raised her hands to the sky and conjured up a medium-sized storm cloud. Pellets of ice rained down from the cloud.

It didn't slow them down.

Oscar summoned a ball of fire and chucked it at her storm cloud. It punched through and continued upward before evaporating into smoke. Samantha moved the cloud until it was directly over Oscar and the little girl. They shielded themselves from the relentless hail, which was stopping them from progressing any further through the parking lot.

Stella smiled.

Bringing Tempest along was proving to be a great call.

Out the corner of her eye, she could see Orion climbing through the hole in the motel wall. An angry look had surfaced on his face. He stomped forward, javelin in hand. As he surged past Stella, he prepared to launch his weapon.

Her eyes widened. She stepped in front of him with her arms spread wide.

He looked down at her, eyebrows raised. "What are you doing?"

"You can't kill them!"

"I don't—"

"There's a little girl with him, for Christ's sake!"

He frowned at her. Then his expression went blank. He moved her aside with his arm and readied his javelin,

Her skin went cold as she gawked at him.

What the hell is he doing?!

As she prepared to stop his attack again, he threw his javelin. It sailed through the air in search of its target. With her mouth ajar, Stella watched it fly toward Oscar's back.

The pyrokinetic dodged just in time for it to only nick his forearm. Crying out, he clamped a hand around his bleeding appendage. He and the girl made it to the mustang, though.

Samantha's storm cloud was no longer raining down hail. In fact, it had gotten significantly smaller. While Oscar got the car started, his accomplice stood near the trunk with more heatwaves rolling off her small frame.

The air temperature rose a few degrees with every passing moment. Soon, Stella felt like she had stepped inside of a blazing oven. A rush of dizziness overcame her as she wiped the moisture off her forehead. Panting, she activated her earpiece.

"Neon," she said breathlessly. "They're on the move."

"On it," the speedster replied.

In the distance, she could hear his footsteps approaching the lot. His faint, green energy trail got closer until he arrived at the motel. He skidded to a stop, his blond hair flying around his face.

In a flash of neon green, he appeared next to the car. He reached for the steering wheel just as Oscar began pulling away. Oscar coated his hand in flames before swatting at the speedster.

Zach was forced to back off.

Orion sprinted at the car. He picked up his javelin on the way and prepared to throw it again. Stella flew toward him, determined to prevent him from doing so.

Stopping Oscar from escaping might have been the mission, but she didn't want to kill him. Not unless she had to. She also didn't want the child with him getting hurt; she wasn't sure what spell he had her under, but it wasn't her fault. She didn't deserve to get injured—or worse—for his reckless decisions.

Stella arrived in front of Orion just in time to place to hands around the long handle of his spear. He glared intently at her, a hint of confusion in his eyes.