“Need me?” Ziya looked to Alli. “Does all that stuff make her crazy?”
“I—not that I know of.” Alli shrugged. “We haven’t known each other long. But I trust her. She’s proven her knowledge in this more than once. And I’m not going to let anyone take Marilyn, Ian or the others away again. I’m no fighter, Ziya. But sometimes even people like us have to stand up for the greater good. Today’s that day.”
“You keep saying you have a girlfriend. Baba always says women that love other women are the worst kind of infidels. I’m supposed to avoid people like you, lest they corrupt me as well.”
Alli rolled her eyes. “Great, this isn’t what I need.”
Kaihime rested a hand on her Alli’s shoulder. Quietly, she said, “Talk to her. Clearly she understands you better than me.”
Alli nodded, then turned her attention back to Ziya. “I can’t say I haven’t corrupted a few girls in my time, Ziya. But that’s not what we’re here for. I have a girlfriend and you’re a little young to be my type. Also if you’re straight, I’m pretty much out of luck. I don’t know your father, but don’t let outdated bigotry keep you—and him—from safety.”
“I still don’t know. Please, can you just take it away. I don’t want this. I don’t even know how to control it. I can summon the light, but if I get scared, it explodes out of me. I—my house is demolished. How will we ever fix this?”
“Ziya, you need to stay with me.” Alli stepped forward, but the debris shifted beneath her feet. “Please listen to me. Can I come up there? Can we talk more closely? I promise if you want us to leave afterwards, we will.”
Ziya’s skin glowed brighter for a moment. But it faded in just a few short seconds. She nodded.
Alli turned back to Kaihime. “It’s going to be a lot easier if you fly us up the hill. I don’t need to add tetanus to my problems today.”
Kaihime grabbed Alli under the shoulders a moment later. Alli yelped as they came up off the ground. Though their destination was only a few feet away, she acted as though she flew miles up in the air.
Seconds later, Kaihime touched them down on what used to be a hardwood floor. Alli stumbled, clearly a little rattled by the experience of flying.”
“Let’s try not to do that again,” Alli said. She turned back to Ziya. “Like I said, we’re all new at this.”
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