~Zirah~
A feral growl tears through my throat, and I watch, mesmerized, as warning lights blink in unison. The first beep breaks the spell, a jolt of power surging from within me, the force coiling around my fingers like an electric snake. All at once, they launch, the barbed wires sailing rapidly toward me like a flock of metal birds.
The angry bellow that escapes me fades to a low whimper when Zeke steps forward and slams me against the shopâs glass, trapping me between his body and the window. Zekeâs scent, sickeningly sweet with fury, fills my nostrils just before he groans. His muscled frame takes on a life of its own as roaring electricity courses through him, causing his veins to bulge and his face to contort in agony.
I am unable to move as he absorbs every shock, standing like a shield between me and danger. His teeth grit in pain even as his knees give out beneath him, yet still, he pushes back against the onslaught for my sake. As I try to catch him, his weight is too much for me to bear, but his eyes lock with mine; his pain is obvious, but his anger is palpable.
âGet in the car,â he breathes as my eyes move to the drones, sucking up the wires that ripped free of his skin painfully. They sliver back to their metal bodies like tentacles. Sweat coats Zekeâs forehead as he struggles to catch his breath. Slowly, I rise to my feet when Zeke grabs my wrist.
âPlease, get in the car; I donât want you hurt,â he whispers, also getting to his feet. Little puncture holes tear at his suit, his skin bleeding and oozing.
âIâm fine; leave it,â he tells me, and I grit my teeth and nod. Watching the drones, I hear the woman cry out; my eyes move to the guards, her son wailing at her when I see the drones turn on them. The little boyâs back is suddenly turned green with little dots, and so is the woman, and Zeke gasps.
âNo, wait!â Zeke tosses his hands out, but they take aim, their wires flying toward the woman and boy. I donât think I react. My heart skipped a beat at the thought of the volts traveling through that little boyâs tiny body.
The wind suddenly shifts with my rising temper, their sensors being knocked, their lights flashing, and the humming growing louder as they battle the winds of my destruction. âZirah.... more will only come, stop,â Zeke warns, but I am furious that this is how Regan polices his people. The electric tentacles are forced to retreat but donât give up, instead turning against the wind to face me.
I track them as they struggle against the winds Iâve created, taking in all the drones around me.
Everywhere I look, I see a new set of eyes fixated on me, like theyâre trying to study and learn from my every move - but this time, it will be different. Channeling an electrifying mixture of anger and power outwards sparks fly in vibrant colors as threads of wind dance between them- anger floods me, sparks flying from my fingertips, carried on the wind, jolting Reganâs robotic police, taking them down.
A silent pulse of energy radiates outward, and the drones slow then stop mid-air, engines cutting out and squealing as they fry until finally, they stop moving altogether. The energy ebbs away, and Reganâs robotic police force crashes to the ground in a pile of metal bones, wires, and lenses.
I help Zeke to his feet, hearing Gnash, Hunter, and Shadow whine as they try to squeeze out the open window. A second later, it explodes as Gnash slams his body against it. Glass covers the ground as he leaps from the window and rushes to me and Zeke.
Yet my attention is elsewhere. Now itâs the guardsâ turn. They instantly backed away from the woman when I set my sights on them. âYou wonât be touching her,â I warn them. The stall-holder sputters, but one growl from Gnash has him ducking to hide behind his stall. âNow, someone better tell me what the fuck is going on here!â I scream, my heart pounding with adrenaline.
The guards back away, hands up as the ground rumbles beneath their feet; my anger is enough to crack the earth wide open, the woman glances at me, and I nod toward her son, watching the guards who seem conflicted about obeying their iron-fisted king and the woman whoâll destroy him when I get my hands on him.
âThank you,â the woman gushes as she moves to her son, scoops him up in her arms, and rushes off.
The guards move, choosing to risk their lives than face their king, interesting.
However, Hunter, Gnash, and Shadow thwart their attempts to chase her, stepping in and snarling. The crowd gasps, and a flurry of whispers erupts.
âThatâs the kingâs wolf,â someone murmurs. âWhy does she have him?â another person chimes in. Their terrified faces only fuel my anger. Regan has a lot of explaining to do.
When quiet falls, I glance around at the kingdomâs people, their shock and fear evident. âShow me where you were going to take her,â I demand as Zeke approaches me from behind, his hand falling on my hip. He hesitates, exchanging glances with the guards. Theyâre afraid of me, but I donât care right now. âDo as she says,â Zeke tells them.
They lead me to the fenced compound, suffused with silence, Zeke brooding, me seething. The iron gates leading into the fenced compound open with a hauntingly loud creak, piercing the stillness of the air. I freeze as my eyes take in what lies beyond; in the compound stands a multitude of souls, their faces blank with fear as they gaze upon us with hollow eyes that reflect their desperation, men, women, and even children confined to an area like cattle, all cowering in fear.