He stood and pushed Zoe out of the way to give himself some room. He only had seconds to perform the move before the rotters would be too close to build momentum, but he had to try.
He’d done this move before, he was sure of it. Maybe not in this lifetime, but it was familiar enough to his soul.
He jumped into the air and spun around, sweeping his leg through the air as he kicked a steady, compressed formation of air toward the group. They flew backward, their backs hitting the brick wall behind in unison.
David repeated the move, this time focusing the kick toward the heads of the rotters. He was hoping maybe the force of his kick would be strong enough to incapacitate them completely, but even with him putting everything he had behind it, the kick only seemed to disorient them.
They recovered quickly and started heading toward him again.
He wasn’t sure he had enough experience with this kind of offensive magic to survive against these kinds of zombies for long. He’d always been more of a behind-the-scenes guy in battle, rarely ever taking to a fight alone.
He could hold his own for a while, but he really needed to focus on getting back to the rest of the group. Once the guardians were all together, it would make all the difference.
The two of them couldn’t afford to get stuck up here fighting for a long time. It was too dangerous, because there could be more of these things on their way. It would also be difficult for Parrish and the others to reach them up here. They’d have to make their way through the whole building, which would be extremely dangerous.
He had to keep moving.
He gathered all of his strength and tried the move one final time, spinning twice in the air and on the final turn, kicking his leg forward. A wall of compressed air spun toward the five rotters, this time knocking them completely to the ground.
He took Zoe’s hand.
We need to get out of here.
She nodded, holding tightly to his arm.
He swirled his hands in front of them, creating a sphere of air around them like a shield, this time careful to cover all sides like a bubble. He ran forward, catching a gust of wind as he jumped to the nearest rooftop.
He wasn’t sure how far the trap that had pulled them down originally extended, but he wanted to be careful not to fall again.
The problem, though, was that the rooftops were now teeming with undead. Just minutes ago, they’d been relatively clear, but whoever was tracking them knew he was close to rejoining with his friends.
As they flew through the air, he could see that the path between him and the guardians was now completely blocked.
Red eyes glowed from crowds of zombies that pressed together, arm to arm on top of the buildings. There wasn’t a single place to land, even if he’d wanted to.
He shook his head, seeing now what he’d failed to see before.
He’d been guided this entire time. Ever since he’d first fled his old apartment with Zoe by his side, the witch tracking them had been leading him toward the same location.
Central Park.
He didn’t think this was the work of the Dark One, though.
This was that witch the others had told him about. Lily.
They’d told him not to underestimate her, but he had. Despite his knowledge and experience, he’d failed to see the patterns. She’d been placing rotters on rooftops, knowing he’d avoid them at all costs, even if it meant going out of his way.
She’d wanted him to fly toward the park and away from the rest of the group. And when he’d changed direction, she’d grounded him and forced his hand.
So, where was she now?
Waiting for him at the end of the path?
He couldn’t be sure, but as he looked across the crowded rooftops, he realized he had only two choices. He could follow her trail and face her head on, hoping the other guardians would be able to reach him before she captured him.
Or he could turn around and head back toward the Bronx, undoing all of his work and taking them right back to where they started and away from the guardians.
At this rate, if he turned around, he might not be able to get this close to them again for days. The witch could track him, so she’d know where he went and try to box him in anyway.
Besides, there could already be traps back the way he came. She would have anticipated that he might turn back if things got too hard.
No, the only way out of this was to face her head on and warn the guardians about what was happening.
We need help, he told them, broadcasting his anticipated location to the other guardians and praying they could win whatever battle they were facing before it was too late. Can you hear me, Parrish?
It took a long time for her to respond, but when she finally did, David nearly cried in relief.
Where are you? Parrish asked. We’re in a bit of a tricky spot ourselves. Can you get somewhere safe and wait for us?
Exhausted, he landed on a rooftop near the park where there were very few rotters to be seen. For a moment, he had a glimmer of hope that they’d be able to hide out here and rest for a few minutes.
I think so, he told her.
Carefully, he walked to the edge of the rooftop in a crouch and looked down on Fifth Avenue.
There, standing on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was a woman with pale skin and a long, black dress that trailed after her in the wind.
Her eyes snapped up toward his, and she smiled.
David gasped, his stomach twisting at the sight of her.
He was finally face-to-face with the witch they’d warned him about, but when he tried to reach out
