A little girl’s hands glowed bright blue as she pressed them against a dying man’s chest. His lips had turned purple. His eyes rolled back. Black veins crawled up his neck like angry spiderwebs.
“Please don’t die,” the seven-year-old whispered. “Please, please, please. ”
The blue light from her palms grew brighter, hotter. She’d never tried to save someone from poison before.
She’d only healed scraped knees and her neighbor’s sick cat. But this man, this important man in his expensive suit, was running out of time. His heart was slowing down. She could feel it under her hands.
Around them, security guards shouted into radios. A woman in a red dress screamed. Someone yelled, “Get that kid away from him. ”
But Lily didn’t move.
She couldn’t move. Not when his heart was beating so slowly. *Thump. Thump.
Thump. *
“Come on,” Lily said through gritted teeth. Her arms shook. Sweat dripped down her face.
“Come on. ”
The blue light exploded outward like a bomb. —
Six hours earlier, Lily had woken up thinking it would be a normal day. Well, as normal as life could be for a kid who could heal things by touching them.
She lived in a tiny apartment with her mom on the poor side of Silverton City. Their building had cracks in the walls. The elevator never worked. Sometimes the lights went out for days.
But Lily didn’t mind. She had her mom, and that was enough. “Lily, breakfast! ” her mom called from their cramped kitchen.
Lily jumped out of bed and rushed to the table. Her mom had made pancakes, the cheap kind from a box, but Lily loved them anyway. “Eat fast, sweetie,” her mom said, checking her phone. “I need to drop you at Mrs.
Chen’s before my shift. ”
Lily’s mom worked three jobs. She cleaned offices at night, served coffee in the morning, and delivered food in the afternoon. Lily barely saw her anymore.
“Mom? ” Lily asked, poking at her pancakes. “Why don’t you ever tell anyone about my powers? We could make money.
I could help you. ”
Her mom’s face went pale. She grabbed Lily’s shoulders tight. Too tight.
“Never say that again,” her mom whispered, her voice shaking. “You can’t tell anyone. Ever. Do you understand me?
There are bad people who would take you away from me if they knew. ”
“But Mom—”
“Promise me, Lily. Promise. ”
“I promise.
”
Her mom’s hands were trembling. Her eyes looked scared in a way Lily had never seen before—like she was remembering something terrible. “Good girl,” her mom said quietly, pulling Lily into a hug. “Good girl.
”
But Lily felt a secret burning inside her chest. A secret that wanted to escape. She had no idea that secret was about to explode in the worst way possible. —
By noon, Lily was bored at Mrs.
Chen’s apartment. The old woman had fallen asleep watching TV. Lily stared out the window at the tall, shiny skyscrapers across the city—the rich part of town, where people like her never went. That’s when she saw it on Mrs.
Chen’s TV. A news alert. “Breaking news. The Moonlight Charity Gala is happening now at the Grand Silver Hotel.
CEO Marcus Sterling will be donating $10 million to children’s hospitals across the city. ”
Lily’s eyes went wide. $10 million for sick kids? She had to see this.
Before she could think it through, Lily was out the door. Mrs. Chen wouldn’t notice. She slept for hours every afternoon.
Lily ran six blocks to the bus stop. She used the emergency $5 her mom had hidden in her shoe. The bus took her across the city, past the invisible line that separated the poor from the rich. The Grand Silver Hotel looked like a palace.
Golden doors, red carpets, people in dresses that probably cost more than Lily’s entire apartment. Security guards stood everywhere. Lily bit her lip. How was she supposed to get inside?
That’s when she saw the catering truck pulling up to the side entrance. Workers rushed in and out carrying trays of fancy food. Lily’s heart pounded. This was crazy.
This was stupid. She did it anyway. She slipped behind a worker carrying a huge cake and snuck through the door. Inside, the hallways sparkled with crystal lights.
Everything smelled like flowers and expensive perfume. Lily followed the sound of clapping and music. She peeked through a door into a massive ballroom. Hundreds of rich people stood around holding champagne glasses.
On stage, a man in a black suit was giving a speech. “And that’s why I’m proud to announce this donation,” the man said. He was tall, with dark hair starting to turn gray. His smile looked kind but tired.
“Every child deserves a chance to—”
He stopped mid-sentence. His face went white. He grabbed his throat. The champagne glass fell from his hand and shattered on the stage.
“Mr. Sterling! ” someone screamed. The man—Marcus Sterling, the CEO—collapsed.
His body hit the stage hard. People rushed forward, but they didn’t know what to do. They just screamed and cried and pulled out their phones. Lily’s hands started to glow.
No, no, no. Not here. Not in front of all these people. But Marcus Sterling was dying.
She could see it. The way his skin turned gray. The way his breathing stopped. Lily’s feet moved before her brain could stop them.
She pushed through the crowd of adults—their fancy clothes, their expensive watches—none of it mattered. “Get back! ” a security guard yelled, reaching for her. But Lily was already on the stage, already dropping to her knees beside Marcus Sterling, already pressing her glowing hands against his chest.
And that’s when the blue light exploded. —
When the light faded, Marcus Sterling gasped. His eyes flew open. The purple left his lips.
The black veins disappeared. The ballroom went silent. Everyone stared at Lily—at her hands—at the impossible thing she’d just done. Marcus Sterling looked up at her, his dark brown eyes, which seemed familiar somehow, locking onto hers.
“Who? ” he whispered. “Who are you? ”
Before Lily could answer, her mom burst through the ballroom doors.
“Lily? ”
Her mom’s face was red from running. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She looked absolutely terrified.
But she wasn’t looking at Lily. She was looking at Marcus Sterling. And Marcus Sterling was staring back at her like he’d seen a ghost. “Sarah,” he whispered, his voice breaking.
“Sarah, is that really you? ”
Lily’s mom started crying harder. “We need to go,” she said, grabbing Lily’s arm. “We need to go right now.
”
“Wait. ” Marcus tried to sit up, but he was still too weak. “Mom, what’s happening? ” Lily asked.
“Why does he know your name? ”
Her mom didn’t answer. She just dragged Lily toward the exit. But before they could escape, Marcus Sterling said something that made the entire world stop spinning.
“Sarah, please don’t take my daughter away from me again. ”
The words hit Lily like a punch to the stomach. “Daughter? What?
” Lily’s voice came out tiny, barely a whisper. “What did he just say? ”
Her mom’s grip on her arm tightened. “Lily, we’re leaving.
Now. ”
“No. ” Lily planted her feet on the marble floor. “Mom, what does he mean?
What is he talking about? ”
The ballroom had gone completely silent. Hundreds of rich people in their fancy clothes just stared, watching, waiting. Marcus Sterling managed to push himself up on his elbows.
He looked weak, but his eyes—those dark brown eyes that Lily suddenly realized looked exactly like her own—were locked on her face. “How old are you? ” he asked softly. “I’m… I’m seven.
”
Something broke in his expression. “Seven years? You kept her from me for seven years, Sarah? ”
“You don’t understand,” Lily’s mom started.
“Then make me understand. ”
Marcus’s voice cracked. He was crying now—this powerful CEO crying in front of everyone. “I had a daughter and you never told me.
How could you do that? ”
Lily felt dizzy. The room spun around her. This couldn’t be real.
This had to be some kind of mistake. “Mom. ” Lily looked up at her. “Is it true?
Is he really my… my dad? ”
Her mom’s face crumpled. Fresh tears poured down her cheeks. For a long moment, she didn’t answer.
Then finally, she nodded. The world tilted sideways. Lily stumbled backward. Her dad—her actual dad—the man she’d asked about a million times, the man her mom always changed the subject about—he was right here.
Right in front of her. “But… but you said he was gone,” Lily whispered. “You said he didn’t want us. ”
“I never said that.
” Her mom’s voice broke. “I said it was complicated. ”
“You lied. ” The words came out flat.
Empty. “I was protecting you. ”
“From what? From him?
” Lily pointed at Marcus, who was now being helped to his feet by two security guards. “He seems nice. He donates money to sick kids. What’s so dangerous about that?
”
“You don’t know him like I do,” her mom said quietly. “You don’t know his world. ”
Marcus finally stood up fully. He swayed a little, still weak from the poison, but he took a step toward them.
Then another. “Sarah, please,” he said. “Just give me five minutes. Let me talk to her.
That’s all I’m asking. ”
“No. She saved my life, and now we’re leaving. ”
Lily’s mom started pulling her toward the door again, but Lily yanked her arm free.
“Stop! ” she shouted. “Just stop it. I’m tired of you making all the decisions.
I’m tired of you keeping secrets. ”
Her mom looked like she’d been slapped. “I want to hear what he has to say. ” Lily crossed her arms over her chest.
Her hands were still trembling, but she tried to look brave. “He’s my dad. I deserve to know why you kept him away from me. ”
The silence in the ballroom was deafening.
Her mom’s shoulders sagged. She looked so tired suddenly. So small. “Five minutes,” she finally whispered.
“That’s it. Then we leave. ”
Marcus’s whole face lit up. “Thank you.
Thank you, Sarah. ”
He walked closer, moving slowly, like he was approaching a scared animal. When he was a few feet away, he knelt down so he was at Lily’s eye level. Up close, Lily could see they had the same nose, too.
The same little freckle on the left cheek. “Hi,” he said softly. “I’m Marcus. But I guess… I guess I’m also your father.
”
“Hi. ” Lily’s voice shook. “I’m Lily. ”
“Lily?
” He said her name like it was the most beautiful word he’d ever heard. “That’s a lovely name. Did your mom pick it? ”
Lily nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
“She always did have good taste. ” Marcus smiled, but tears were running down his face. “I can’t believe you’re real. I can’t believe you’re here.
And those powers? Where did you get powers like that? ”
“I don’t know. I’ve always had them.
”
“Since when? ”
“Since I was three. I touched Mom’s plant when it was dying, and it came back to life. After that, I could heal stuff.
”
Marcus looked amazed. “That’s incredible. You’re incredible. ”
Something warm bloomed in Lily’s chest.
Nobody had ever looked at her powers like they were amazing before. Her mom always acted scared of them. “Can I—can I ask you something? ” Lily said.
“Anything. ”
“Why weren’t you there? ” Lily’s voice cracked. “When I was born.
When I was growing up. If you’re my dad, where were you? ”
The smile fell off Marcus’s face. He glanced at Lily’s mom, then back at her.
“I didn’t know about you,” he said quietly. “Your mom left without telling me. I came home one day, and she was just gone. No note.
No explanation. I looked for her everywhere for months—years. I hired private investigators. I contacted everyone we knew.
But she disappeared completely. ”
Lily turned to look at her mom. “Is that true? ”
Her mom’s jaw was clenched tight.
“It’s more complicated than that. ”
“How is it complicated? ” Marcus’s voice got louder. “You ran away.
You took my child, and you ran away without even giving me a chance. ”
“You were engaged to someone else! ” her mom suddenly shouted. The ballroom gasped.
Marcus froze. “What? ”
“Don’t pretend you don’t remember. ” Lily’s mom was shaking now, anger and hurt pouring out of her.
“Victoria Chun—the daughter of your father’s business partner. You were going to marry her to merge the companies. ”
“That was an arrangement,” Marcus said. “I didn’t love her.
I loved you. ”
“But you were still going to marry her. Your father made that very clear. He said if I didn’t leave, he’d destroy my entire family.
My parents would lose their restaurant. My little brother would lose his college scholarship. Everyone I cared about would suffer. ”
Lily’s head was spinning.
This was too much information. Too many secrets exploding all at once. “So you just left? ” Marcus’s voice cracked.
“Without even telling me? Without letting me choose? ”
“What choice did you have? Your father controlled everything—your money, your company, your future.
And I was just the cleaning girl you met at the office. I was nobody. ”
“You were everything to me. ”
“Not enough to fight for.
”
They were both crying now. Years of pain and anger spilling out in front of hundreds of strangers. Lily felt tears running down her own cheeks. All this time, she thought her dad didn’t want her.
But he hadn’t even known she existed. “I would have fought for you,” Marcus said quietly. “I would have given up everything—the company, the money, all of it. If you had just told me about the baby, about Lily, I would have chosen you in a heartbeat.
”
Lily’s mom sobbed. “I couldn’t ask you to do that. ”
“So instead, you asked me to live without you. To live without knowing my own child.
”
Before her mom could answer, a slow clapping sound echoed through the ballroom. Everyone turned. A woman stood in the doorway. She was beautiful in a cold, sharp way, wearing a blood-red dress that probably cost more than Lily’s mom made in a year.
Her smile was all wrong. Too wide. Too mean. “What a touching reunion,” the woman said, her voice dripping with fake sweetness.
“I almost shed a tear. ”
Marcus’s face went white. “Victoria. ”
The woman clicked her heels across the marble floor.
Her smile grew sharper. “Hello, Marcus. You’re looking well, considering you were supposed to be dead. ”
The air turned to ice.
“You? ” Marcus breathed. “You poisoned me? ”
Victoria shrugged like they were discussing the weather.
“Well, someone had to. You were about to donate $10 million to charity. $10 million? Do you have any idea how that would affect our quarterly profits?
”
“Our profits? We’re not even married anymore. ”
“No, but I’m still the second-largest shareholder in your company. ” Victoria’s eyes gleamed.
“And when you died tonight—which you were supposed to—I would have inherited your shares. Fifty-one percent total. Majority control. ”
She’d planned the whole thing.
The poison. The murder. Everything. Security guards started moving toward Victoria, but she held up one manicured hand.
The doors burst open, and six huge men in black suits marched in. They weren’t hotel security. They were hers. Her mom grabbed Lily and pulled her behind her back.
“Stay close to me. ”
Marcus tried to step in front of them both, but he was still too weak. He swayed on his feet. Victoria’s smile turned into something hungry and dangerous.
“Here’s what’s going to happen,” she said. “Marcus, you’re going to sign over your shares to me. All of them. ”
“Never.
”
“Oh, I think you will. ” Victoria’s eyes slid to Lily. “Because if you don’t, I’m going to take that cute little girl with the magic hands. Think about how valuable she’d be.
A child who can heal anything. The black market would pay billions for her. ”
Lily’s blood turned to ice. “Touch her and—” Marcus started.
“You what? You can barely stand. ” Victoria laughed. “Besides, I have six guards.
And you have… what? A cleaning woman and a seven-year-old? ”
Her mom’s arms wrapped around Lily so tight it hurt. “Run,” she whispered.
“When I say go, you run and don’t look back. ”
“Mom, no. ”
“Go! ”
Her mom shoved Lily toward a side door and ran in the opposite direction, waving her arms.
“Over here! Come get me! ”
Victoria’s guards hesitated for just a second. That second was all Lily needed.
She ran. Behind her, she heard shouting, screaming—her mom yelling, Marcus yelling, people running in all directions. Lily burst through the side door into a long hallway. Her heart pounded so hard it hurt.
Which way? Where should she go? Heavy footsteps thundered behind her. “Get the kid!
” someone shouted. Lily ran faster than she’d ever run in her life—past doors and hallways and confused hotel workers. Her lungs burned. Her legs ached.
She turned a corner and slammed into someone. Strong hands grabbed her shoulders. Lily looked up, ready to fight, ready to run. It was a woman in a black suit with kind eyes.
She wore a badge that said hotel security. “Whoa, slow down,” the woman said. “What’s wrong? ”
“They’re after me!
” Lily gasped. “Bad people. They want to—”
The woman’s radio crackled: “All units, we have a situation in the Grand Ballroom. Armed intruders.
Possible kidnapping attempt. Suspect is a child—age seven—black hair—”
The woman’s eyes went wide. She looked down at Lily. “You’re the kid who saved Marcus Sterling?
”
Lily nodded frantically. The woman’s face hardened. She picked Lily up and started running. “Hold on tight, sweetie.
I’ve got you. ”
She carried Lily through a maze of hallways, through a door marked Staff Only, down a set of stairs. Behind them, Lily could hear Victoria’s guards getting closer. They burst through a door into the hotel’s underground parking garage.
The security woman put Lily down next to a black car and pulled out her keys. “Get in the back. Lie down on the floor. ”
Lily scrambled into the car.
The woman jumped into the driver’s seat, and the engine roared to life. Tires squealed as they shot toward the exit. Through the back window, Lily saw Victoria’s guards burst into the parking garage. One of them raised something that looked like a gun.
“Get down! ” the security woman yelled. The back window exploded. Glass rained down on Lily.
She screamed and covered her head. The car swerved wildly, tires screeching as they burst out onto the street. Horns blared. People shouted.
But they were out. They’d escaped. Lily slowly lifted her head. “Where are we going?
”
The security woman’s hands gripped the steering wheel so tight her knuckles were white. “Somewhere safe. I hope. ”
“What about my mom?
What about Marcus? ”
“I don’t know, kid. I don’t know. ”
Lily looked back through the shattered window at the hotel, disappearing behind them.
Her mom was still in there. Marcus was still in there. And Victoria—the woman who tried to kill her father and now wanted to kidnap her—was still in there, too. Lily’s hands started to glow again.
But this time, the light wasn’t a soft healing blue. This time it was angry—burning—red like fire. Because somewhere in that hotel, her family was in danger. And Lily was done running.
—
The security woman’s car screeched around a corner, throwing Lily against the door. Glass from the shattered window crunched under her. “We need to go back! ” Lily shouted over the roar of the engine.
“My mom’s still there. Marcus is still there! ”
“Too dangerous. ” The woman’s eyes were fixed on the road.
“Those weren’t regular security guards. They had military-grade weapons. You saw what they did to my window. ”
“But—”
“No buts, kid.
First rule of security: get the target to safety. That’s you. ”
The woman glanced in the rearview mirror. Her face went pale.
“And we’ve got company. ”
Lily twisted around to look through the broken window. Two black SUVs were weaving through traffic behind them, getting closer fast. “Hold on.
” The security woman yanked the steering wheel hard. They shot down a narrow alley, barely missing a dumpster. “What’s your name, kid? ”
“Lily.
”
“I’m Officer Chen. No relation to the crazy lady, I hope. ”
“I don’t think so. ”
“Good, because she’s seriously bad news.
”
Officer Chen’s radio crackled with frantic voices: “All units, hostage situation at the Grand Silver Hotel. Two civilians being held by armed suspects. ”
Lily’s heart stopped. “Hostages?
Who? Tell me who! ”
Officer Chen turned up the volume. The dispatcher’s voice came through: “Hostages identified as Sarah Martinez and Marcus Sterling.
”
“No! ” Lily screamed. “We have to go back! Right now!
”
“Lily, listen to me—”
“They’re going to hurt them! Victoria said she wanted Marcus’s company shares. What if she—what if she—”
Lily couldn’t finish the sentence. Couldn’t say the horrible thing she was thinking.
Officer Chen’s jaw clenched. She grabbed her radio. “This is unit 47. I have the child secure.
Requesting backup at—”
Her radio exploded in a shower of sparks. The car swerved. Officer Chen swore and threw the smoking radio out the window. “They’re jamming our signals.
These people are serious. ”
The black SUVs were right behind them now. One pulled up alongside. The window rolled down, and Lily saw a man with cold eyes raise a gun.
“Down! ” Officer Chen screamed. Bullets punched through the side of the car. The windshield spiderwebbed.
Officer Chen yanked the wheel, and they crashed through a chain-link fence into an empty construction site. The car bounced over rocks and rubble. Lily’s teeth rattled. Her head smacked against a seat.
They skidded to a stop behind a half-built concrete wall. Officer Chen turned around, breathing hard. Blood trickled from a cut on her forehead. “You okay?
”
Lily nodded, even though she was shaking all over. “Good. Because we need to run. Now.
”
They burst out of the car just as the two SUVs roared into the construction site. Officer Chen grabbed Lily’s hand, and they ran into a maze of concrete pillars and construction equipment. Behind them, car doors slammed. Heavy boots hit the ground.
“There! By the crane! ” someone shouted. Officer Chen pulled Lily behind a pile of steel beams.
They crouched down, trying to stay quiet. Lily’s heart pounded so loud she was sure the bad guys could hear it. “We can’t keep running,” Lily whispered. “There’s too many of them.
”
“I know. ” Officer Chen checked her gun. “Only six bullets left. But I’m not letting them take you.
”
“Why are you helping me? You don’t even know me. ”
Officer Chen smiled sadly. “My daughter would be about your age.
Would have been. She died two years ago. Leukemia. ” Her voice cracked.
“If someone like you had been around—maybe you could have healed her. ”
Lily felt tears sting her eyes. “I’m sorry. ”
“Not your fault, kid.
But maybe I can make sure you survive this. Maybe that counts for something. ”
Footsteps crunched closer—multiple sets, spreading out to surround them. Officer Chen’s hands tightened on her gun.
“When I start shooting, you run. There’s a hole in the fence on the east side. Get through it, and keep going until you find people—real people, not Victoria’s goons. Tell them everything.
”
“I won’t leave you! ”
“Lily. ” Officer Chen looked her dead in the eyes. “Your mom is counting on you.
Marcus is counting on you. The only way to save them is to survive this. Understand? ”
Before Lily could answer, a voice echoed across the construction site.
“Officer Chen! ” It was a man’s voice, smooth and oily. “We know you’re here. We know you have the girl.
Make this easy on yourself. Hand her over, and you can walk away. ”
“Like hell,” Officer Chen muttered. “We don’t want to hurt you.
You’re just doing your job. We respect that. But that child is worth more money than you’ll make in ten lifetimes. Why die for her?
”
Officer Chen didn’t respond. She held up three fingers. Then two. Then one.
She jumped up and started firing. “Go! ” she screamed at Lily. Lily ran.
Gunshots exploded behind her. Someone yelled. More shots. She didn’t look back.
Her legs pumped. Her lungs burned. The hole in the fence—there. She could see it.
She was ten feet away when someone grabbed her from behind. Lily screamed and thrashed. Strong arms lifted her off the ground. She kicked and punched, but it was like fighting a brick wall.
“Got her! ” the man holding her shouted. More of Victoria’s guards appeared from the shadows. Five of them.
Six. All converging. Officer Chen ran toward them, gun raised, but she was too far away. One of the guards raised his weapon.
“No! ” Lily screamed. Something inside her exploded. Red light burst from her body like a shock wave.
The man holding her flew backward, slamming into a concrete pillar so hard it cracked. The other guards stumbled, shielding their eyes from a blinding light. Lily dropped to the ground, her whole body tingling with power she’d never felt before. Not the gentle healing blue.
This was different. Stronger. Angrier. A guard reached for her.
Lily’s hand shot out instinctively. Red light wrapped around his wrist. He screamed and jerked away, staring at his hand in horror. It wasn’t hurt, but every muscle in his arm had frozen solid, locked in place.
“What is she? ” someone yelled. “Forget what she is. Grab her!
”
Three guards rushed her at once. Lily threw her hands up, and the red light exploded again—brighter this time. The guards flew backward like they’d been hit by an invisible truck. Officer Chen stared at her, mouth open.
“Kid, what—”
Lily stared at her own glowing hands. Red light danced across her palms like fire. “I don’t know. I—I don’t know.
”
The last two guards pulled out their guns. Lily’s hands moved before her brain caught up. Twin beams of red light shot forward, wrapping around the weapons. The guns glowed red hot.
The guards yelped and dropped them, clutching their burned hands. Then, just as suddenly as it came, the red light flickered and died. Lily swayed on her feet, exhausted. Using her powers like that—so much, so fast—had drained her completely.
Black spots danced in her vision. Officer Chen caught her before she fell. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you.
”
“My mom,” Lily’s voice came out weak and slurred. “Have to save—”
“I know, sweetie. I know. ”
The sound of sirens wailed in the distance.
Real sirens. Real police. Finally. Victoria’s guards heard them, too.
They exchanged glances, then started backing away. “Boss isn’t going to like this,” one muttered. “Boss can deal with it,” another snapped. “I’m not getting arrested for this.
”
They ran, leaving their weapons and their unconscious friend behind. Officer Chen sank to the ground, still holding Lily. “It’s okay. Help is coming.
You’re safe now. ”
But Lily wasn’t thinking about being safe. She was thinking about her mom’s face when Victoria’s guards grabbed her. She was thinking about Marcus, still weak from the poison, trying to protect them.
She was thinking about all the horrible things Victoria might be doing to them right now. “Not safe,” Lily mumbled, fighting to stay conscious. “Not safe until—until they’re safe. ”
Officer Chen stroked her hair.
“Then we’ll save them. Somehow. I promise. ”
The sirens got louder.
Red and blue lights flashed across the construction site. Car doors slammed. People shouted. A police officer appeared, gun drawn.
Then another. Then a whole team. “Officer Chen! ” one of them called out.
“Are you all right? Is that the girl? ”
“Yeah—” Officer Chen called back. “We’re okay.
But you need to get to the Grand Silver Hotel now. There’s a hostage situation. ”
“We know. SWAT team is already en route.
” The officer knelt down next to them. “Are you hurt, sweetie? ”
Lily tried to answer, but the world was spinning. She’d used too much power.
Her body was shutting down. “She needs a hospital,” Officer Chen said. “She’s going into shock. ”
“Ambulance is two minutes out.
”
“No hospital. ” Lily forced the words out. “Hotel. Need to get to—”
Then the darkness swallowed her whole.
—
When Lily opened her eyes, she was moving. Bright lights flashed above her. Someone was pressing an oxygen mask to her face. “She’s awake,” a paramedic said.
“Lily, can you hear me? ”
Lily tried to sit up. Strong hands pushed her back down. “Easy, honey.
You’re in an ambulance. You passed out. Just rest. ”
“My mom—”
“Your mom is going to meet us at the hospital.
The police are handling everything. ”
Liar. Lily could see it in the paramedic’s eyes. They didn’t know if her mom was okay.
They were just saying what they thought she needed to hear. Lily’s hand started to tingle again. The healing blue this time—not the angry red. But even that felt different now.
Stronger. Like something inside her had unlocked. The ambulance took a sharp turn. Lily heard sirens—lots of them—all heading the same direction.
Back to the hotel. Back to Victoria. Back to her family. “I need to get out,” Lily said, pulling at the oxygen mask.
“Honey, no. You need medical attention. ”
“I need to get out! ”
The blue light exploded from Lily’s hands—not attacking, just pushing.
The paramedics stumbled backward. The ambulance doors flew open. Lily jumped out while they were still moving. She hit the pavement hard and rolled.
Pain shot through her shoulder. She ignored it and started running. Behind her, the ambulance screeched to a stop. The paramedics yelled at her to come back.
She kept running. The hotel was only three blocks away now. Lily could see it. See the police cars surrounding it.
See the SWAT team setting up barriers. See the smoke rising from the top floor. Something was burning. Lily’s heart seized.
She ran faster. Her feet pounded the pavement. Her shoulder screamed in pain. She didn’t care.
A police officer tried to stop her at the barrier. “Kid, you can’t—”
Lily ducked under his arms and kept running. More officers shouted. Someone grabbed at her jacket.
She twisted free. She made it to the hotel entrance. The golden doors were shattered. Glass crunched under her shoes.
Inside, the beautiful lobby was destroyed. Chairs overturned. Blood on the marble floor. Bullet holes in the walls.
What had happened here?
