Oblivion by Lauren Barnholdt, Aaron Gorvine Read Free Book Online Page A

stop them? I’m tied to Raine,
    powerless.
    I strain against my bonds, and as I do, a surge of
    anger and hatred rushes through me. It’s like nothing
    I’ve ever experienced before. I don’t even know what
    it is exactly, but for in this instant it’s as though I’m
    able to take in whatever energy is around me and
    use it.
    My body feels like a high-tension wire -- pure
    electricity, strength, and intensity.
    I wrench my arms, and the ropes holding Raine and
    me together snap like they’re nothing more than a
    couple of pieces of string. I’m up instantly, launching
    myself across that stage. It doesn’t matter that Reed
    steps in front of me. I knock him aside and he lands
    on his ass.
    For a split second I look down at his stunned face.
    I told you I’d knock you on your ass, dickhead.
    I continue across the stage toward the guards.
    They’re al looking at me now with expressions of
    shock. I can’t blame them, since I’m in shock, too.
    But I don’t have time to wonder how I’m able to do
    any of this. Al I know is that for the first time in a long,
    long time, I feel strong.
    When I reach the first guard, I literal y toss him off the
    stage and into the crowd.
    The other two guys hesitate, not sure what I’m
    capable of. I just glare, since I stil can’t seem to talk.
    Natalia sits up, looking dazed. Now the only one
    between us is the guy who hit her in the first place.
    Phelps. He takes two steps back, his face ashen.
    I move forward, then grab him by the throat and
    squeeze. He sinks to his knees, his face slowly
    turning a shade of light purple. It occurs to me that I
    have the strength to kil him, to actual y crush his
    windpipe.
    But I’m not one of them. I don’t just kil people for the
    hel of it. Instead I toss him aside like a bag of
    leaves, and he rol s into the corner, gasping and
    choking.
    The audience is up and buzzing now, some of them
    moving toward the stage. A few of them are
    clustered around Reed, and I know it’s only a matter
    of time before they come after me. Raine’s
    col apsed on the floor, not moving, maybe even
    dead.
    Reed stands up and stares at me, his face unable to
    mask his hatred. And something else as wel . Fear?
    Yes. Reed is terrified of me, terrified because he
    didn’t plan for this, didn’t see it coming at al .
    You underestimated me, buddy.
    “Campbel , you’re not helping anybody, least of al
    yourself!” he cal s out, starting to walk towards me
    with a smile suddenly affixed to his face. Like he’s a
    real y helpful guy now, like he wasn’t just trying to
    murder me a few seconds ago.
    I don’t respond. I can’t respond. Instead, I bend down
    and pick up Nat, hoisting her over my shoulder and
    starting to back away.
    Reed glances back at the audience. It’s almost total
    pandemonium now, with everyone looking around
    and trying to figure out what’s happening.
    And then noise starts coming from the forest.
    Voices. Yel ing.
    Some of the audience members are turning and
    pointing away from the stage, toward the trees at the
    left of the theatre. A few people scream, and there’s
    a stampede as everyone tries to get away from
    whatever’s coming. Suddenly, an explosion rings out
    from nearby. I turn just in time to see a firebal
    incinerate two people on the far side of the
    amphitheatre.
    I blink, disoriented, and watch as about twenty
    people emerge from the forest, an actual phalanx of
    soldiers. They’re dressed in strange black suits, like
    they just came off the set of The Matrix. And they’re
    absolutely destroying everything in their path.
    Reed sees the carnage and cries out. He looks back
    to me. “Get her out of here, now!” And then he holds
    out his hands and an enormous blue bubble shoots
    across the stage and toward the people emerging
    from the trees.
    I don’t wait around to see what happens next.
    I start running as fast as I can in the opposite
    direction, away from the fighting.
    Natalia is slung over my shoulder, but