Free That Was Then (The Re-Do Series Book 1) by Nia Arthurs

his robes billowing in the wind.
    “See if you can start Lula and get out of here, but keep your head down. Or you will die.”
    I shove the door open and hop out. I need to bring the fight away from the public parking lot. The restaurant is filled with innocent people. Someone could get hurt.
    My footsteps are sure and my limbs loose as I rush at Shadow. His fingers dart into his robes. My instincts take over. I dash to the side as sharp daggers come flying at my face.
    I narrowly avoid the missiles. When I draw close enough to make contact, I drag the knife downward. Shadow moves like a wave, easy and quick. The dagger cuts through empty air. Swiveling fast, I block his punch.
    Both of us are holding on to knives. The tip of his dagger slides through my arm. I ignore the pain, allowing adrenaline to drown out the nerves screaming in agony. Shadow matches each of my moves, par for par.
    I am further suspicious of his origins. He fights as if he too had come under the instruction of a similar teacher. I have no time for admiration, however. Neither does Shadow.
    I have managed to draw him back near the secluded portion of the parking lot. The assassin grunts. I catch a hint of his eyes behind the dark covering over his face before he slams me hard in the back with the hilt of his dagger.
    I cry out and fall to the floor.
    I’m about to give in to the death that I deserve when I hear the screeching of tires. Shadow is flung into the chain link fence and lands on the ground with a thud. I glance up and see the smiling grill of Kendall’s truck.

Chapter 15
    K endall
    The things I know in this moment don’t make any particular sense.
           Someone is trying to kill us.
           Someone is trying to kill us by throwing wicked sharp knives from a huge distance away.
           Alistair is not surprised that someone is trying to kill us. In fact, he seems rather calm about it all.
           Alistair fights like a freakin’ ninja .
           Alistair is on the ground and he’s taking too long to get up.
           Alistair is going to die.
    I don’t have a problem with death per say. I mean, I understand that we’re all going to go eventually. I’m not that naïve.
    Problem is… I’m starting to like this guy. So watching him get stabbed by some whacko in a black robe doesn’t sit well.
    “Come on, Lula.”  I coax my car as I turn the key in the ignition.
    Charlie just gave her a tune up last week. She’s got to have some kind of power left! After the hundredth attempt since Alistair hopped out of the car five minutes ago, Lula finally rumbles to life. It’s too early to celebrate so I simply shift her into gear and press on the gas.
    Keeping my head down for safety, I speed forward. Lula runs into something and she jerks back. I hear a thump and pray I haven’t run over Alistair. Curious and frightened out of my mind, I stomp on the brakes and glance up.
    The night is completely still. Which is weird since–when Alistair and the mysterious guy in a Halloween costume were fighting–their grunts were pretty loud. No one is in front of me so I’m hoping for the best.
    “Are you crazy?” a voice pops up in my ear.
    I scream, wondering if the weird man in the robes is coming to stuff a knife in my head.
    “Kendall, Kendall,” the person opens the door and I finally calm down.
    “Alistair! You’re okay!”
    I’m so relieved.
    “What were you thinking? I told you to start the car and get away from here!”
    “I just wanted to help,” I stutter and then feel anger flash up my spine.
    How dare he yell at me when I put my life on the line to help him out? I could have run away, but I didn’t. Isn’t there a medal for that?
    “Open up the back,” Alistair gruffly commands.
    “What?”
    “Kendall, I need you to do it, okay?”
    I nod and pop open the back of my boxy truck. Alistair disappears. I switch on my head lights. The soft glow