Part 30 (2/2)

I focused my energy on that spark. Anger was good. Anger meant I was still alive and not sliding into KarmaGirl.

cold, cold oblivion. I stared at the dazzling waves dancing around Fiona. If only I could reach out and touch that warmth somehow . . . wrap it around myself . . . I might have a chance . . . I had to fight . . . I strained toward the fiery waves . . .

”Now, now,” Malefica said to Fiona. ”There's no need to get all upset. I could have let the poor girl die thinking she was responsible for Tornado's death. Instead, I've chosen to do the n.o.ble thing, the honorable thing, and confess my wicked, wicked sins. You should applaud me.”

”You're despicable,” Sam spat out. ”Rot in h.e.l.l.”

”You first, darling.” Malefica puckered her lips and blew a kiss to the trapped superhero.

Water dripped off my frozen, ice-covered fingers. It puddled in the floor underneath me. Still, I stared at Fiona. The flames around her flickered and dimmed. Her face paled. Somehow, though, I didn't feel quite as cold as before.

Frost circled me. ”Interesting. She should be frozen solid by now. She must be made of st.u.r.dier stuff than I thought. Or perhaps the ambient temperature is slowly thawing her out. It will be too little, too late, though.” He drew his freezoray gun out from the holster on his utility belt. ”Are you going to finish her off, Malefica? Or shall I?”

”You get back to work on the computers. I'll take care of Miss Cole.”

Frost put his weapon away. He took up his previous post in front of the computer and began flipping switches and pus.h.i.+ng b.u.t.tons.

Malefica used her boot to roll me over onto my back. I made no sound, although I stared at Malefica.

The ubervillain paid no attention to the hate burning in my eyes-or to the fact my skin was no longer quite as blue as Frost's costume. Malefica made a grand sweep with her hand, and Sam's two swords rose up into the air.

”I think I'll let Striker's weapons of choice be the means of your demise, Miss Cole. Watching someone die from hypothermia brought on by radioactive goo isn't terribly exciting. There's no blood, no spatter, no real artistry to it.”

”Don't do this, Malefica. Please. She's an innocent. She doesn't even have any powers,” Sam pleaded.

Malefica smiled. ”What's this? Are you begging me to spare her life? She won't last more than a few more minutes either way, you know.” Her eyes glowed. ”Do you actually . . . care about her?”

Sam stared at my still form. He lowered his head.

”You do!” Malefica laughed. ”How ironic. Striker has feelings for the woman who exposed him to me.

How deliciously ironic.”

The swords floated over my body.

”And now, Miss Cole, it's time for you to die.” Malefica snapped her hands downward.

”No!” Sam shouted.

The swords zoomed straight at my chest.

KarmaGirl.

28.

”How ironic. Striker has feelings for the woman who exposed him to me.”

Striker has feelings for . . .

Feelings for . . .

Feelings . . .

The words echoed in my mind. My lips twitched upward. He cared about me? Sam aka Striker Sloane actually cared about me?

The little spark of anger that I'd been holding on to blossomed into something much, much greater. I moved my head an inch. He stood in his gla.s.s tube, a look of utter despair and hopelessness on his handsome face. Sam. The strange, warm feeling grew inside me. The cold receded from my bones.

I moved my head back. The swords hovered above me. Behind them, I could see Malefica, and the waves that surrounded the ubervillain. They looked just like the waves I'd seen around Fiona, except they were black, just like Malefica's twisted soul.

Malefica moved her hand. The swords plunged downward, about to make me the world's largest pin cus.h.i.+on. If I could have put my hands up, I would have. If I could have screamed, I might have done that too.

But I couldn't. I couldn't do any of those things.

All I could do was stare at the black waves and concentrate.

It was enough.

The swords stopped an inch from my chest. They hovered there like long, slender helicopters. Malefica frowned. She waved her hand. The swords backed off, then plunged at me again.

Again, they stopped.

I stared at the ubervillain. Malefica repeated the process a third time.

Again, the swords stopped short of plunging into my cold body.

”What are you doing?” Frost demanded, putting his hands on his thin hips. ”Quit fooling around. Kill her already. We have superpowers to suck, you know.”

”I'm trying,” Malefica muttered. ”I'm trying.”

I wasn't quite sure why I wasn't dead yet. It had something to do with the black waves boiling around Malefica. They pulsated just a few feet away. They weren't hot like the waves around Fiona. These waves had a different sort of power. They felt like . . . the ocean. Perpetual motion. Like all you had to do was just think about something and it would move for you.

The waves around Malefica surged forward, and the swords came at me once more. I stared at the waves and pictured myself using their power to shove the swords back at the ubervillain.

The weapons stopped.

”What-what are you doing? Stop that!” Malefica shrieked.

”Malefica, what's going on?” Frost asked.

”It's . . . her! She's interfering with my telekinesis!”

”Impossible!” Frost scoffed. ”You just aren't concentrating. Focus on the task at hand.” He turned back to the computers.

”Fine,” she muttered. ”I'll do it myself. It's always more fun that way.”

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