Strength by Angela B. Macala-Guajardo Read Free Book Online Page B

enough.” He got to his feet and loomed over her like a skyscraper.
    Roxie twisted, freeing one leg at the hip, followed by the other. On her hands and knees yet again, she went wide-eyed and her vision blurred as weight bore down on both patella. She dropped into the fetal position with a squelch and hugged her knees. Getting squashed like a bug must have torn every tendon in her knees.
    “Uh oh, looks like someone’s down for good this time,” Daio said. “What a shame.”
    Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of beating her, Roxie gritted her teeth and forced herself to her hands and knees, and then to her feet. Her ankles felt no better than her knees. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she brushed them away, but couldn’t clear her vision.
    “Shoulda stayed down, girlie. Now I can hit you again without feeling bad.” Gasping, Daio snapped his gaze to his right. Aerigo was running right at him. He reached for Daio’s near leg with both hands and grew to the height of Daio’s knee. Daio yanked his knee out of reach just in time. Aerigo lunged for him again and shot up to the height of Daio’s waist as he missed. Daio kneed Aerigo in the jaw, sending him backpedaling until he regained balance. The ground quaked under his footfalls.
    “Looks like I’ve worn out my welcome,” Daio said. The ground vibrated as he jogged to Roxie. Smiling, he raised a booted foot behind him.
    Roxie tried to run but the sticky mud and the pain in her limbs allowed her only two steps before something huge kicked her in the back and sent her flying out over Lake Erie. The lake and the sky took several turns in being below her until she hit the water shoulder first, sending her body into a series of cartwheels, and then totally underwater. She flailed and popped back to the surface, coughing and spitting water. She slipped back under, too tired and beaten to tread water. Roxie flailed again, but took in more water than air when she came back up. She knew how to swim yet lacked the strength to put her knowledge to use.
    Roxie’s body rose with a swell of water, then plunged back under like an anchor after it passed. She reached for the surface, but the last of her strength had finally given out. Her lungs burned for air as she fought against her reflex to inhale.
    A strong pair of normal-sized arms grabbed Roxie under the shoulders and hoisted her to the surface. Roxie gulped in air and feebly paddled her arms.
    “I’ve got you,” Aerigo said. “Just relax.”
    Roxie grabbed hold of the arm wrapped around her torso and rested her head against Aerigo’s neck. Next thing she realized they were gliding through the water as if they were tied to a motorboat cruising at medium speed. The strange thing was Aerigo had his legs fully extended and still. His free arm was stretched ahead, reaching for the shore a couple hundred yards away. They were trolling along way faster than humanly possible. Magic, she surmised.
    When they reached waist-deep water, Aerigo took Roxie in both arms. Roxie let out a cry and reached for her legs. “Aerigo, my knees! Put me down!”
    “We need to get back to your house as quickly as possible. I have a healing balm in my pack.” He ran for the forest, his feet padding along the sand, then the tall grass superhumanly fast.
    A healing balm sounded great. But facing her grandmother? Not so much. “Is she okay? I didn’t mean to hurt her.”
    “I know. All she has is a headache. You surprised her more than anything.”
    Guilt welled in her battered chest. “Your eyes are glowing red.” Was he angry with her for her carelessness and running off?
    “I’m furious with Daio; not you, if that’s what you’re worried about. I shouldn’t have let him live last night.” They entered the forest and Aerigo sped along the path. The canopy flew by in a blur of greens, browns and splotches of light. Roxie shut her eyes so she wouldn’t get dizzy.
    “You must’ve had a good reason to.”
    Aerigo kept quiet a