The Sky is Everywhere

Chapter Forty

Benny stares at us, blinking rapidly. The hand holding the knife is shaking.

"Run," I say to the people around me. "Run."

The message finally seems to hit home, and a couple of kids break formation and race past him, but the rest of us are slower, and another Predator, Bianca, gets in our way. Unlike Benny, she doesn't hesitate.

She charges straight at one of the girls in our group and knocks her to the ground, wildly slashing at her.

Blood sprays on the air.

"Taffy, get the others out of here," I yell, then I throw myself at Bianca.

She's not expecting it, and I lock both arms around her waist and wrench her away from her victim. I don't know where the other girl is injured, but she scrambles to her feet and runs, so I hope it's only a flesh wound.

Bianca tries to throw me off, but I have the advantage of longer arms, and I pin her wrist down. She screams, desperation and fury rolled into one, and I wish that I didn't have to hurt her, because even though she is trying to kill us, I don't blame her. I blame the people who have forced her into this position.

The she throws her head back, catching me on the chin, and though it's only a glancing blow, it's still enough to dislodge me and cause me to lose my grip on her wrist.

She swings her hand up, and I throw myself backwards just in time to avoid the knife. The blade flashes too close to my face, and my heart falls out of my chest, because I've never felt fear like this before.

I know what these knives are capable of.

I know what the pain feels like.

But her swing was clumsy, and momentum carries her too far around, so that her back is almost to me. I seize my chance and barrel into her, twisting my fingers in her hair and slamming her face into the floor.

There's a distinct crunch and she goes limp.

The knife still gleams in her limp fingers, but at first I can't bring myself to touch it.

Until I look up.

Most of the Prey have escaped, and the Predators have gone after them, but Gavin is still here. He's backing Sonny and Priya into a corner.

As I watch, Priya throws herself in front of Sonny, trying to shield him with her tiny frame, and Gavin's lips twist in a smirk.

It breaks my heart.

Priya is small and fragile as a bird; she doesn't stand a chance in this place, but she will die for Sonny, and in my mind that makes her stronger than any of the Predators.

I won't let it happen.

I grab Bianca's knife and climb to my feet.

Sonny pushes Priya out of the way, just as Gavin brings the knife down. It slices a line across Sonny's arm, and blood wells up, bright against his pale, freckled skin.

He yelps and stumbles back, and Gavin raises his knife again, but then I'm there. I press the tip of my own knife to the back of his neck.

"Don't," I warn.

He goes very still.

"Put down the knife," I say.

I think he's going to do it. He lowers his arm, his shoulder angling down as if he's going to put it on the floor, but then he spins, quick as lightning, and I try to duck, but the blade catches my ear.

Pain is hot and quick, and blood splashes onto my neck.

There's no time to see how bad the wound is.

Fury boils through me, and I welcome it, letting it fill me up so there's no room for fear or doubt. I jab forward with the knife, and Gavin bats my arm aside with his free hand, toying with me, but he's not paying attention, and I promptly kick him in the knee.

As he stumbles, I swipe the knife across his chest, opening up a long, deep gash.

Shock flashes across his face and he actually backs off, one hand holding his chest, the other holding his knee.

Gavin has always been a bully, but maybe making the transition from bully to killer isn't as quick as I was starting to think; Gavin seemed gleeful about the idea of cutting down Sonny or Priya, but he's less sure of himself when facing someone who will fight back.

I point my knife at him, and a drop of his own blood falls to the floor.

"If you come after us, I will kill you," I say.

Maybe I should do it anyway, but when he's not trying to kill my friends anymore, it's a lot harder to contemplate killing him.

I'm not a Predator.

But I'm not Prey either.

Sonny and Priya move behind me, and as we make our way towards the back of the room and the entryway where the others disappeared, Gavin doesn't come after us. He just watches us with unreadable eyes.