“That’s pretty odd, mystics are always partying either way,” Donovan grunts. He holds out his broomstick, and walks me through the dark alley outside of the club.
“I don’t think you need to worry. Who knows how long we were in Serevil compared to the real world.”
“Doesn’t mean a group of mystics aren’t willing to wait to kill you,” he says. Seeing that there isn’t any harm about the area, we walk down the sidewalk. Several cars shoot by, we’re getting closer to the shopping centre.
“Starbucks does sound pretty good, I haven’t eaten anything for a while.” I laugh. “I guess it comes with being half elf?” I hear Donovan’s stomach growl.
“Let’s get somewhere before I pass out.” Donovan smirks. We enter a nearby Starbucks and order our drinks. Sitting down next to a foggy window, I draw a smiley face with my index finger.
“It feels really odd being here now, I can’t really explain it.” I tuck my lingering hairs behind my ear.
“As long as you’re here with me,” Donovan says, wrapping his hands around mine. “We’re together and nothing is ever going to get between us.” Our barista walks over to our table and places down our coffee.
“Thank you.” I grin up at her. Donovan looks at the girl and squints his eyes. Starbucks is quiet. I glance around, there’s a few people here but they’re all getting up, ready to leave.
“Is there a problem?” the girl asks.
“Of course not,” I say. Donovan stands up abruptly, staring into the girl’s eyes. “What’s the matter, Don?” I look around, the customers in the shop are looking at us. Their eyes become black. Crashing into the window is a guy. He manages to choke me to the ground. I scream out, struggling to breathe. The girl in the shop sings, I try to tune her out to the best of my ability.
My hair proceeds to burn. I wrap my hands around the mystic’s neck that’s on top of me. His skin sizzles from my touch, he stumbles off of me. My broomstick plops to the ground. I grip it, turning the weapon on. I slash the singing mermaid’s neck. She falls to the ground and liquefies herself. The mystics rush out of the shop, aware of what I am.
“Donovan?” I look around. “Donovan!” I run out of the shop, cars beeping and people walking around like nothing’s happened. Some are watching me act crazy and some are minding their own business. I’m bumped from behind—it’s Donovan.
“Are you okay? Mystics in plain sight, what the hell is going on around here?” I say.
He’s panting and his hands are placed on his side. I glance down, moving his hands away; he’s bleeding. I know I have supplies to clean him up and possibly help him back at my condo. It’s not that far, we need to get there before mystics smell him from afar. “Come with me, I need to get you back to my place.”
He nods, and coughs. Crossing the street, we hurry down the sidewalk. Lightning strikes through the sky and the trees around us rustle. The wind picks up. I wrap my arm around Donovan, helping him down the block. “Just a few more, we’re getting close,” I breathe. A couple of teenagers watch us struggle by. I press on my broomstick, showing them my purple sword. The group of kids turn away and mind their own business. I can’t take a chance and trust anyone now that I know mystics are out and about and we’re low on witches on duty. Either its glass or he’s been scratched by a mystic, neither are good. The Shade is further than my condo, I don’t know what to do.
“Donovan, stay with me, okay? I’m here with you, I’m not going to let you go.”
“You’ve got it all wrong, Rose, I’m the one who’s supposed to be saving you.”
“Well, I’ve got you this time. I owe you.”
“Look at me,” he says. I look both ways to cross the street with him. “Look at me, babe.”
“Donovan, my house is after these next two, we can make it.”
“I love you.” I stop, realizing what he’s said to me. “When I first saw you in the woods, when you thought you could take on anything, you couldn’t even activate your broomstick. I knew you had fire inside of you. I can’t help how I feel about you, I want to protect you.” He coughs. I release a sigh, walking up the steps to my condo. The door is unlocked. Well, that’s usual. I sit Donovan down on my couch. “Okay, let me see where my mom put that witch cure kit box. I’ll be right back.” I run upstairs, my grimoire is on my bed. Dawn’s door is closed. I stop in the hallway, breathing slowly.
I’m going to find you, Dawn.
The memories in this house weren’t always great, but it was our first time being out on our own together. A sense of independence and adulthood, as my mother would call it. It’s crazy how things have changed so drastically. I rush into my room, shocked that my grimoire is here. I look around my room, wondering where it came from. I open the book, but it feels like the life has been sucked out of me. I fall to the ground, dizzy. It’s happening again, I’m projecting randomly. I close my eyes and allow my mind to wander off. A pulse of energy punches against my chest and it’s hard to breathe. I feel like my throat is swollen and a major migraine headache is approaching slowly.
***
I’m in a room with burgundy walls, it’s dark, and it feels like I’ve been here once before. Cries and moans enter my ears. I turn to my side. It’s Alice, and some of the witches from Vaelle. They’re marked up with elf hickies and fairy slobber, eyes rolled back and mouths open. I’ve projected back in time when I was in Ravamere. My mouth parts slightly and my heart beats, this is the last place I want to be. From the window, Dawn is floating in the air. She floats gently down to the ground, where she meets a group of masked people. They leap into the Ravamere portal, bringing Dawn with them. There’s creaks on the floor, the door in this room squeaks open.
Christian stares down at me, his clothes scratched up and his eyes light purple like my father’s. There’s blood around his neck and he smiles at me, with blood-stained teeth. He tilts his head, his ears twitchy. “Wow, to think I’d see you here again.”
I scoot away from him, bumping into a wall behind me. “You think you’ve trapped me here in this place,” he says, chuckling. “What if that’s what I wanted? To be trapped here.” He sits down in a chair and crosses his legs. “Soon you’ll come back to me.” His eyes beam on and his markings light all over his skin. I’m forced out of the projection, his laughing stuck in my head. I crash against my bed, covering my ears with my hands. I gasp for air and pick up my grimoire from the floor. There’s steps coming up the stairs.
“Donovan, I told you to wait for me. I’m looking for the box right now.” I yell out, looking around my room quickly. The steps stop. “Donovan, I thought I said—” While turning around, I glance up at Dawn. Her pink hair is wavy. She’s wearing tight short shorts, and black combat boots. Her arms are crossed as she walks over to me. Her expression is at first blank but then she becomes ecstatic, we hug one another.
“Dawn? How—how did you—” I’m at a loss for words.
“How did I what?”
I search her face for answers, my mouth open. “How did you escape?”
“What are you talking about?” Her eyes narrow and she holds back her chuckle. “Oh, you mean after I got stolen away from that vampire and no one came to save me? Or was it when you saw me in Ravamere and didn’t want to fight to rescue me?”
“I was trying to—”
“Cut the bullshit.” Dawn rolls her eyes, cranking back her arm and punching my face.
***
My wrists are sore from being wrapped up by leather. I’m tied up against a stake. I turn to my side and grunt. My face is in overwhelming pain from the punch. I can understand that she would be upset with me not saving her. I allow my eyes to gaze around the place, droplets of rain find their way into the shed, splattering onto the hard gravel. I cough.
“Is she the one?” a raspy voice echoes. Boots sound within the shed, Dawn walks under a spotlight with a masked guy.
“Yeah, she’s one of them.” My broomstick is in her grip. I breathe through my nose, underneat
h me is a bundle of firewood bunched together. My heart beats slowly. My head spins with confusion.
“What’s going on?” I say, looking around the shed. “Dawn, let me down. What is this all about?”
She steps forward. “Oh, you didn’t read about us? It’s not in your little grimoire?” She tilts her head to the side. “Wow, Calvin.” She turns to the guy in the room. “They write about the Verel in their little witch book, but not about hunters.” Both of them chuckle. A few other masked people walk into the dark, I can hear their boots squishing around in the little puddles of water.
“Sweetheart, we hunt witches,” Dawn says. “I’ve been taking in everything you’ve told me about you becoming a witch. I’ve learned with you, and all there is about your mystical world.” She raises her hands. “You got me to Ravamere, so I have to say thank you for that.”
“Dawn, we grew up together. We’re like sisters.” I choke up, fighting my way out from the leather around my wrists and body.
“You have your secrets and I have mine. I’m just not stupid enough to tell people everything about my life and who I am.” She paces back and forth. “Since you’re here, I might as well inform you that you’re going to be used as bait.”
“What?”
“Do you see what you’ve done to our world? Mystics are taking over because of you.” She points at me. “You trapped some powerful elf in a corrupt place, allowing his mystics to mess up everything out here. Do you think I’m going to let you get away with that? We were never friends. I used you,” she spits.
“Dawn, I don’t know what has gotten into you, this is not who you are.”
“You’ve never known who I am, but Eliza?” She smiles. “I know all about you.”
Dawn takes a match from one of her hunters. She lights the flame, and walks over to me.
“Don’t do this Dawn,” I whimper, tears sliding down my cheeks.
She presses her lips together and chucks the match into the bundle of firewood. Smoke rises before my eyes, my vision blurs. Dawn, my ex-best friend, struts out of the building leaving two hunters, creeping closer, cracking their knuckles and smirking up at me.
Chapter 32
I cough, trying not to inhale the smoke. Sweat slides down the side of my cheek. Where’s Donovan? Did they just leave him behind? The gang members walk out of the old building and a few minutes after they left, a fairy flutters in. The mystic’s wings glitter and its eyes glow, its neck twists to the side at the flames around me. My head droops down, I’m exhausted. Somehow I’m still alive and not burnt up. He flutters toward me, crouching down. His bare feet smack on the ground, but he doesn’t know that behind him is a member of Dawn’s gang.
The fairy screams out in pain as the gang member stabs his back. The fairy twitches on the ground and Dawn steps in. She sticks her dagger in both of the mystic’s hearts. Glittery blood shoots up, she moves out of the way, though. The mystic poofs from sight.
“I don’t know what you want with me,” I cough.
“Well, I don’t really need you, it’s already easy for me to bring in mystics of my own.” She flicks hair away from her face. “I’m going to need that mood ring of yours, and the list of ingredients you have.”
“What ingredients?” I frown.
“You know exactly which ones I’m asking for.” Dawn crosses her arms. “Don’t play stupid with me, Eliza. Where’s the ingredients to cure a pure heart?” Dawn flinches from a loud explosion outside. Whirling around, she takes to the door, peeking out. “Let’s go,” she says, getting her things, looking at her gang. People are screaming, and random car alarms begin to beep. “It’s the Rav mystics, they’re wrecking up the place.” Dawn stops and turns to me. “Leave her.”
Dawn’s gang ditches the building, disappearing into the shadows of rain. “Dawn!” I shout for her. My hands are sore from being held up by the rough leather. My eyes freeze up, and my hair fades into blonde. There’s a burning sensation inside my chest. Roots from underneath the building strike up from the cement and latch around my wrists. I’m cut free, falling down to the ground. The flames around me snap at my face. I lift my gaze, calmly waving out my hands. The flames blink off, ending with a sizzle on the ground.
I stand and walk toward the door, sliding the wood apart. My city is lit up in flames, buildings are crumbled and scattered across the streets. Cars are jammed against one another, glass shattered and tires slit. People are laying on the ground, coughing; the sidewalks are stained with blood. I hold my hair with my hand, the strands fade back into its auburn color. I turn to my side, Donovan limps toward me. He’s still hurt.
I rush over to him, holding his side. “Come on, I need to get you to the Shade.”
In the distance a wolf sprints down the sidewalk. It’s Rissa and the rest of her friends. Aeron glides on top of the rooftops, he flutters down and sits on the edge, watching us from above. Jax appears from behind me. “You guys, Dawn is a witch hunter,” I breathe.
Rissa shifts into her human form. “She’s what? I thought they didn’t exist anymore.”
“Apparently they do.” I shake my head. “Help me get him to the Shade.”
Rissa stops. “Well, that’s what I came here to tell you.”
“Just look at this place. Look at what the mystics have done. Where are all the witches?”
“Eliza, I’m trying to tell you,” Rissa’s voice grows higher than normal. “Most of the witches have been killed. The ones in Vaelle were still learning how to fight against Ravamere mystics.” I didn’t want to believe that, Rissa says most were killed, not all. I can feel my heart drop inside. “We’ve moved the Shade underground, being up here isn’t safe.” Rissa eyes Aeron up on the roofs. He flies away.
I follow Rissa, her friends help Donovan and I down the sidewalk. We cross the street and around the corner of a building. We’re brought into the woods again, my markings glowing in the darkness. I can hear Donovan’s grunting, he’s in pain. If there’s anything I could do to ease it for him, I would.
Clearing my throat, our boots snap the twigs and move around the foliage. We stop in front of a large opening against the side of a hill. Moss decorates its top and the opening is covered by branches and leaves found around the forest. Rissa moves the obstacles around, she turns, checking her sides and around the woods in case we’ve been followed.
“Okay, get inside, hurry. We need to get him some aid,” Rissa speaks in a hushed tone.
We travel inside, the moist dirt mushing along with us. There’s different tunnels inside. The noise we make echoes. One of Rissa’s friends stays behind and covers up the entrance. “Take the right one, it’ll lead us to the center.” I nod my head and help Donovan along the way. We’re standing on the edge of a bowl-like space. On the very bottom is a crowd of humans and mystics working together. We move to the side, taking Donovan down to get help.
Alice steps in. “What happened to him?
“A mystic got to him earlier,” I say. Alice presses her lips and gets him to a mat to lay on. The fairies take him and start checking him out. They move his shirt away, exposing a purple wound that’s gashed just at the bottom of his ribcage. One of the fairies glances up at Fabian, the main mystic doctor available.
“This doesn’t look too good,” the fairy nurse says.
“What do you mean it doesn’t look good?” I croak.
“Well, he’s been stabbed by a corrupt mystic, being that the ones in the city are from Ravamere,” the nurse’s voice trails off, Fabians steps in.
“It means he’s going to slowly die if we don’t get him back to Ravamere,” Fabian says.
“What will Ravamere do for him? It’s going to make him worse. He’ll turn corrupt there. He’s too weak in this state.” My eyebrows furrow, my lips trembling.
“Eliza, Donovan’s going to need the same treatment we’re doing for Jared,” Alice says, moving her weapons aside and fixing her dagger against her thigh strap. I twist to her.
“The cure? I thought
that was only for pure hearted people?” Alice shook her head.
Charlotte came forward. “The cure is so pure that it can help anyone who’s close to death. If he was attacked by a corrupt mystic, then the cure will work on him.” Her voice is soft and calm. My hands raise to my face. I walk off, back up the path to the tunnels.
“Eliza!” Charlotte and Rissa run up to her.
“I’m not sticking around. First my brother and now Donovan, two of the people I love the most.” I can feel the tears coming. “I’m going to get the damn ingredients and cure both of them.” Rissa and Charlotte didn’t say a thing. Jax and Aeron walked up to the three of us.
“We know, we weren’t going to stop you. We’re coming with you.”
“All of us are,” Jax says and Aeron nods.
“Well, we better get going. Jared and Donovan don’t have much time.” Rissa shifts into her wolf form, Jax runs through the tunnel and Aeron flew, following them both. Charlotte hugs me, she tells me it’s going to be all right.
***
First things first on the list of ingredients is fairy’s blood. My group and I rush through the forest and onto the sidewalks of the city. Smoke rises up into the air. I cover my mouth with my hand. We step on sharp gravel, there’s a kid on the ground crying. I make my way through the chaotic scene. Kneeling down to her level, I ask, “Are you okay?” The girl glares up at me, and coughs. “I’m here, no need to be afraid.” I smile down at her, her face goes blank. She catches movement from behind me.
“Eliza, watch out!” Charlotte shouts through the crackling flames.
I whirl around, blocking a fairy’s swipe for my face.
The little kid gets up and runs away down the street. I glance her way, afraid for her life. I need to worry about mine. The fairy’s teeth are sharp and her slobber is dripping down on my face. She carries me up into the sky. I clench my jaws.
Aeron flies up and attacks the fairy. I drop from her grip, crashing against the street. Releasing a grunt, I watch Aeron and the fairy flutter around. He conjures up a glittery orb in his hand and shoots it through the air at the fairy, but she blocks it with her wings.
Magical (Mystical Series Book 3) Page 22