Page 31 of Virgo Queen
Lev Uranus, who’s big as an orc and about as intelligent, steadies the crossbow against his hulking shoulder and squints along the wicked bolt at Zara.
I square my own shoulders and march right over there, bare legged in the snow, swimming in my puffy parka and moon boots.
Time to interrupt the cycle of violence.
“Hey, you!” I use my hall monitor voice, the one that makes the freshmen nervous. “Knock it off, Uranus. Having a weapon like that on school grounds is a violation of the Academy Codex.”
Lev lowers the crossbow a hair and lumbers around to face me. When he finally works out who’s challenging him, the slack look on his thick features hardens into meanness.
“Mind your own business, McSnicker,” he snarls.
Crap. Of course, that big lug isn’t afraid of me. He raises the crossbow, steadies it on his shoulder, and takes aim. Zara’s zipping straight toward us, trying to get between Max and his targets.
Lev’s going to get a clean shot.
“Don’t even think about ignoring me.” I’m clumsier than usual in these moon boots, but I break into a clunky run—straight toward my horrible bully. “I’m reporting you to the Dean, Lev Uranus!”
That’s the worst threat I can think of, because the Dean is much scarier than Mistress Aggie.
But my threat only seems to annoy my bully.
“You freak.” He scowls and swings around to retarget that crossbow—straight at me. “Maybe I’ll do the school a solid. No one’ll even miss a skinny, spotty, know-it-all nobody like you.”
I’m never graceful, even under the best of circumstances. Encumbered by this snow gear, I’m even slower than usual. There’s no way I can reach Lev in time.
But I can still buy crucial seconds for Zara.
Because, with my enhanced eyesight, I can see there’s only one arrow notched in Lev’s flight groove. If he fires at me, he’ll need to reload. And I bet that takes time.
“Take your best shot, Uranus,” I yell at top volume (because a little help would still be good). “I dare you.”
Lumbering along at my fastest run, I pump my arms with effort and churn through the snow toward my bully on a burst of adrenaline and fear fueled by anger.
How dare this jerk threaten my friend?
This time I’m not running away and hiding.
Even if it kills me.
Like Lev just said, I’m a nobody. I’m a joke. I’m a freak who can’t even claim my power.
But I can still make a difference.
By now I’m two yards away from the guy, way too close for him to miss. In what seems like slow motion, Lev’s sausage-like finger tightens on the trigger.
Right next to his ear, a blur of motion explodes through the window with a howl of wolfish rage.
Oh my gosh. That’s Jae.
Leaping to my defense.
He’s shifting from man to werewolf in midair.
Bestial and snarling, sprouting fur and claws and barely bipedal, Jae collides with Lev’s big body at full force.
Under the bone-crunching impact, my bully yells in surprise and rage. The crossbow bolt discharges with a hum. The bolt thunks harmlessly into the side of thedomus.
Propelled by the blind fury of Jae’s maddened werewolf, the two guys fly sideways through the air. The crossbow spins out of reach to one side. On the jumble of rocks at the cliff’s edge, slippery with snow and ice, I glimpse a confused scramble and thrash of limbs as those two locked bodies tussle for advantage.
