Skylar sat up straight and flashed a worried look at him. "Mason, don't you think you're driving a bit too fast?"
He didn't answer. He looked at the side-view mirror, then the rearview mirror, and switched lanes again. "We're being followed."
"Are you sure?"
"I didn't want to worry you. They've been following us since we left your dorm. I think your boyfriend is unhappy with who you hang out with."
Boyfriend? They? "I don't have a boyfriend," Skylar huffed, narrowing her eyes on him, though he couldn't see what she was doing.
"The dirty blond. He was in the parking lot, trying to hide out with his friend."
Skylar turned to look, but it was difficult to see with all the rain. All she could make out were the headlights.
Seeing what Skylar was trying to do, Mason spoke, "They're in the white truck behind us, trust me."
Skylar was too busy trying to see the driver. With no luck, she turned to face forward and froze in place with alarm. "Mason," she mouthed. Too stunned to speak, she could hardly get a sound out.
Skylar wasn't sure what she was seeing, but if her vision was correct there were three huge trucks in the distance heading straight toward them, one in each lane. She rubbed her eyes, thinking she wasn't seeing clearly. Surely the rain was affecting the view. This couldn't be possible. Nevertheless, when she confirmed what she thought she was seeing, her heart hammered faster than the raindrops.
Luckily there weren't many cars on the highway, but the cars that were in front of them swerved to the far left or right as they tried to avoid a collision. Other cars honked their horns while braking, but those that did were hit dead on. The cars tumbled, flipping multiple times, only to hit other cars trying desperately to move out of the way.
"Mason, MASON, MASON!" Skylar panicked.
"I know. Skylar, hold on tight. I'm going to brake."
"But there are cars behind us."
"We have no choice. Don't worry. I got this." Mason pushed down on the brake pedal forcefully. The car hydroplaned to the right. "Hold on."
Skylar gripped the first thing she could place her hand on tightly. The water from the road jetted up into the air like in a water show, but the car kept gliding sideways, until finally it spun in a full circle and stopped. With no time to waste, Mason turned it to the right and accelerated, hoping to dodge what was coming toward them.
Out of nowhere, a long piece of ice, taking the form of a spear, darted through the trucks' tires and punctured some of them. More ice spears came soaring out of the rain, but this time ten or more sphere-like ice balls followed, denting the sides of the trucks. One went through a windshield. With flat tires, the trucks now glided as if skating on ice, maneuvering from side to side.
"Did you do that?" Skylar asked excitedly.
"No. Must be Poseidon's kids. Where the hell are they?" Mason spread his right arm out in front of Skylar as if to protect her. "Bend down, Sky."
One of the trucks hit another and veered off, hitting yet another one. The crash caused the trucks to flip and tumble, heading straight for Mason's car. With a look of shock, Skylar held her breath. There was no time to move, think, or get out of the car, so she closed her eyes and prepared for the crash.
Just seconds before impact, Mason's car flew up into the air and over the trucks. Somehow, as if by magic, the water created a liquid bridge, guiding the car safely over, and then it thumped hard onto the ground on the other side. Without looking back, Mason sped away as the sound of screeching brakes and metal hitting metal blasted behind them.
"What just happened?" Skylar yelped. "Did you do that?" Everything had happened so fast. Adrenalin had rushed through her body so rapidly, she'd had no time for fear. Now that it was over, she was simply amazed and stunned speechless.
"No, I didn't. Poseidon's kids. It's the only explanation. They can manipulate water. I had it handled. There was no need for them to show off. Lots of civilians are hurt." Mason sounded irritated, perhaps because he wasn't the hero this time around or perhaps he truly did care for those people he didn't know.
Amazed by their abilities, wherever they were, Skylar was grateful they were there. Though Mason claimed he'd had the situation handled, Skylar thought otherwise, but kept her opinion to herself.
Looking behind them, she could see fire and heavy smoke escalating into the sky. The trucks had mostly slammed against each other, except for one. Guilt consumed her, thinking about the innocent people who'd happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. She couldn't dwell on her remorse. She saw the same white truck, now joined by a black truck, tailing behind them. "It's the white truck again, but there's another one behind it."
"I see them," Mason said with a sly tone, looking in the rearview mirror. "Let's see if they can follow."
With a jerk, Skylar fell back into her seat. Mason pressed down hard on the gas pedal, making the car accelerate much more than it had been a second earlier. With a loud screech of the tires, he exited the freeway and made a fast right. The rain continued to pour with no mercy, but it didn't seem to affect Mason's vision.
Swerving in and out of lanes, other drivers honked loudly, obviously irritated as Mason cut them off. He ignored a light that had just turned red and punched the gas even harder. Luckily, the cars on the other side were at a complete stop.
"Mason," Skylar called out softly. She wanted him to slow down.
"We're almost home," he said, concentrating on the road.
When he turned a sharp left, a gush of water caused him to veer sideways to the right, sending a massive wave onto the sidewalk and splashing the pedestrians. They cursed and flipped him off.
"Sorry," he murmured under his breath.
Mason was right. Skylar noted that they were close to his house. She recognized the streets. If they had turned right, she would be headed toward Kayla's house. Looking behind them, the trucks were nowhere to be seen. "You can slow down now. I think we've lost them."
"I don't see them either."
Mason took the long way home, changing lanes and going through several small streets instead of staying on the main roads. When they pulled up into the driveway, the rain had died down to a drizzle. Heaving a sigh of relief, Skylar sat there looking at Mason, trying to comprehend all that had happened.
"Ready to go in? We should find the others," he said calmly, getting out of the car. Vigilantly, he placed his arms around Skylar's waist and scanned the perimeter. Turning the corner toward the entryway, they strode quickly. The narrow walkway forced Skylar to tread behind Mason. With her hand on his back, she focused her eyes on the ground, not wanting the raindrops to fall on her face. Suddenly, she bumped into Mason.
Skylar looked up to see the back of Mason's head as rain trickled down her face. She felt his arms reach behind him protectively. Wondering why he was acting this way, she peered over his shoulder and gripped his biceps in absolute terror. Five vultures were guarding the front door, staring back with their revolting eyes, hissing and snarling, preparing to attack. Slowly, dragging her feet, she backed away, matching Mason's steps.
"Where are Nick, Everett, and Amanda?" Skylar whispered, concerned for their lives and hoping they weren't in the house.
"I don't know, but I need you to listen. When I say run, run to the gate, okay?"
"Okay," Skylar whimpered. Her body was so stiff from fright she was unsure if her legs would budge.
A few seconds later, Mason yelled, "Run!" He snatched her arm, tugging Skylar as he ran as fast as he could with her by his side. They were close to the gate, but stopped when they saw two guys heading straight toward them.
Skylar recognized the dirty blond right away. How the heck had they gotten there? There was little time to consider this as she looked on in fear. With impassive facial expressions, their hands were moving in a circular motion near their chests. What were they doing?
Stuck in the middle, Mason grabbed Skylar's hand and turned sideways, with one eye on the vultures and the other eye on the visitors. "When you get a chance, I want you to run toward the trees and hide."
"No. I won't leave you," she retorted, holding on to his arm, weighing her odds of making it out of there if she ran. But what could she do to help?
"Do what I say," he demanded.
Mason pushed Skylar out of the way when the vultures leapt toward them. Just before the impact, she saw a sharp icicle-like spear, like the one she'd seen on the freeway, headed straight for the nearest vulture. Though the spear punctured its gut, it continued to charge forth.
Strategizing, Mason purposely allowed the vulture to pick him up by his waist so he could place his hands on its shoulders. With his power, Mason zapped electricity through the vulture's entire body. It sizzled, juddered, and then dropped to the ground.