“No, I want to know where I’m going!” Summer stepped up beside him. “You were jerking my arm out of the socket, I can’t go that fast. Guide, lead, whatever, just don’t break me. And what the fuck is that stuff?!”
“—You need to relax and approach the situation one at a time, or I’m letting go and you can fend for yourself. In fact, yeah—fend for yourself. I’m already up to my neck in bullshit, people throwing mountain ash in my face notwithstanding.”
Metal scraped against tile from the classroom down the hall. The lion was awake.
She muttered, “Mountain ash,” and looked down at the slight remains of it on her hand. “What is he trying to do? What does he think I am?” Her head jerked up at the sounds. “He’s immune to me. I don’t even know how I’m going to get out of this.” Those words were strained. Fear made a pit in her belly, but she squared her shoulders and turned to the boy. “Thank you. You’ve been more help than you realise. I suggest you run now. You might pull the fire alarm on the way out.”