The roof shook once again. Spratlin grabbed my arm. “We can’t stay here!”
We ran downstairs as Jeremy relayed to Creep to meet us at the backdoor. I jumped down the last four or five remaining steps and rounded the corner to my back office. I shoved the heavy steel door with all my weight.
Creep’s van appeared from around the corner. “Get in! Get in!”
A huge fireball scorched the ground barely missing the van. Then another one hit the rear tire melting it instantly. I skidded to a stop right in front of it. My eyes widened. “Shit! Get back inside!” I waved at the van. “Everybody, inside!”
Everyone rushed inside the store. We were all accounted for at last. I hugged Mrs. G as the last spike shook the ground. The windows wouldn’t take any more as they imploded, showering us all with glass.
“Is everyone okay?” So much for shatter-proof glass. Next time I’ll ask for demon-proof. “Back to the roof!”
No one seemed to be hurt, so we all ran back through the store and up the stairs to the roof once again. I knew we couldn’t stay up there, but I had a plan. “If we can make it to Tim’s Hardware, we can secure the windows and hole up there.”
Our fates would be protected by a thin piece of plywood. It was all we had.
Demons tossed garbage cans and decorative benches all around the square as we made our way across the rooftops. There was an explosion nearby and then the sound of cackling. They seemed hell bent on destroying everything and enjoying themselves in the process.
The next store’s roof was about three feet lower than mine. I hung back while my friends helped each other down. I jogged to the edge of the roof in time to see even more demons running down the big, metal chains that draped down from the sky. But that wasn’t the worst part. There was this strange thunderous sound, like when crows suddenly swarm up out of the treetops.
Then, out of the portal—that’s what it resembled, a portal—from within the Hell Gate came a flock of winged serpents swooping down on the demons. Some of them would pick up a demon from the ground, shake it, and then drop it to the ground again like it was some sort of parental figure making sure all the kids were playing fairly.
Screeches, from both the serpents and the demons as they fell to the ground in pain, filled the air.
I turned to run and warn the others, but I was too late. A winged demon, with a snake-like head and body, snatched Mrs. G up by its talons and flew away! I bolted toward the other end of the roof after them. I had no idea what the hell I was doing. I just acted on instinct.
In one smooth motion, I stepped up onto the edge of the roof to give myself a boost and leapt into the air. I couldn’t fly and, Healer or not, if I were to fall to my death while pulling that Evel Knievel-like stunt, Mrs. G would not have been saved. Fortunately, my aim was true and my jump was powerful enough to get me close enough to grab hold of Mrs. G’s waist.
We fell slightly, as if the winged demon had hit turbulence, the jolt nearly causing me to lose my grip. The weight must have been too much for it because we were getting closer and closer to the ground but not at a breakneck pace. Every now and then, our demonic captor would regain altitude and then we’d buck and jolt again.
Why it didn’t simply let us go so it could save itself, I don’t know.
The demon took us up once more, clearing the trees, and I saw something float out of the front of my store. I’ll be damned if she didn’t pull it off. Ivy was guiding the couch from the store over to us.
“Mrs. G, when I give the word, be ready to land!”
“Land? On what?”
I held on with one arm with all my might as I pointed to our left. “That!”
I couldn’t see for sure, but I would’ve bet a lot of money right then that Mrs. G’s eyes grew to the size of lemons. Thank God she didn’t shit her pants instead.
We dipped again. As soon as the couch was underneath us, I yelled, “Now!” and zapped the demon with a bolt of electricity. Its talons released their grip, and we fell. I closed my eyes tightly. It was likely only a second of time, but it felt like an eternity. True Death flashed through my mind right as I felt the couch catch me, swallowing me in its cushions.
Mrs. G was only a half a second later, and I helped guide her safely onto the floating couch as I felt us rise up again. I wasn’t too crazy about going back up, but seeing all of the hungry demons salivating below us, I wasn’t gonna complain.
Fortunately, I didn’t always have to die to save someone.
Next, I felt my feet touch down on the rooftops. I would have gotten down on my knees and kissed the roof, but we needed to get inside before round two happened. My friends surrounded us wanting to make sure we were okay. “Help, Mrs. G! I’m fine! Just watch your backs!”
I grabbed Spratlin’s hand and led him over to the rooftop door of the hardware store. “One… two… THREE!” We blasted the knob with a powerful burst of water and a hot shot of fire. If one of us didn’t force the knob off, the other would melt it.
Spratlin looked at me, shocked at what I’d just done.
I prided myself on getting things done. When something needed fixing, I found a way to make it work. When someone needed saving, well, apparently I would jump off a building to save them. But if there was one area I needed to work on—and let’s face it, there was more than only one—it was self control.
I was a Lightning Mage who just shot fire out of her fingertips.
Spratlin’s jaw clinched and his nostrils flared. He could have spit fire himself.
17
My friends and I rallied together and boarded up the Tim’s Hardware storefront best we could. We triple stacked plywood against the windows and doors using the heaviest gauge nails we could find. Then, Jeremy cast protection spells all around the place.
It wouldn’t last forever, but it would give us a moment to breathe.
As usual, I had impeccable timing, choosing that moment to show off my newfound fire elemental skills. Wanting more than anything to keep the demons out, now I was trapped inside with eight people, most of which, did not know I could produce magic outside of my natural element.
It was also at the moment when I realized everyone was staring at me. That part wasn’t so bad. It was when I noticed the physical distance between me and everyone else that I got nervous. Whether it was done subconsciously, or not, I suddenly felt the most alone I’d ever been in my life.
“Before we address the elephant in the room, is everybody okay?” Maybe if they saw that I still cared about them, they would be a little more understanding.
Several nods and a yes later, I said, “Good. Ivy, that was some mad levitation skills. Thank you.” Nervous, I ran my hand through my hair and sighed. “I’m sure you all have some questions.”
Spratlin was the first to speak up, no surprise. “How long?”
“The first time was on the mountain.”
He was silent for a moment. Then, he shook his head and said, “You’ve been lying to me all this time.”
“What? No. It just happened. I had no idea.” I touched his arm as he walked away, but he shrugged. “Fuck!” As usual, in true Zee fashion, I let my emotions get the best of me and force-pushed a box of nails drilling them deep into the plywood that was covering the store windows. While that would have been totally useful earlier when we were hammering nails, now wasn’t the best time to demonstrate how anger affected my abilities.
All eyes were on me. Shocked, amazed, but mostly frightened, the emotions ran the gamut. I shook my head in embarrassment. “Sorry,” I mumbled as I walked away.
I wandered down random aisles, not hoping to land anywhere specific. I stopped by the paint section and leaned against the counter.
Mrs. G appeared.
“Careful. Wouldn’t want anyone to think I’m gonna set you on fire or shoot nails at you.”
“Well, at least you’re on a safer aisle. Can’t do too much damage with paint swatches.”
I chuckled. Mrs. G had a way of di
sarming any pent up rage that I may have had.
“Tough day, huh?”
“One of my more memorable,” I replied.
Mrs. G limped on her right leg as she walked down the aisle toward me. “Are you sure you’re okay? Why don’t you go sit down with the others?”
“Now, listen here, Mackenzie Adams. I’m a grown woman, and I know when I’m feeling fine and when I’m not.”
Gee, where have I heard that before? I smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”
“You did a pretty neat thing today.”
“What? Shoot fire at a door? No one else seems to think so.”
Mrs. G patted my hand. “They’ll come around. It’s not every day that your best friend starts evolving.”
“Is that what this is? My skills are evolving?”
“Not everyone has the talent to control, much less produce, other elements. You’ve got her skills. You know what this means, don’t you?” I shook my head, and she continued, “You’re becoming an Archmage.”
I looked up at her, not sure what to say. A breath, I didn’t know I was holding, escaped through my mouth. Archmage? I thought back to what Spratlin told me about the different ranks. Never in a million years did I expect this. Archmages were powerful beings, not some lowly witch like me who could barely control her temper, much less another element.
“It’s a nice thought, but let’s not get too crazy.”
“Growth is painful, dear. Part of you is dying off so that the new you, the more powerful you, can be reborn.”
I glanced up the aisle and caught a glimpse of Gaylin hanging around the others. “I don’t want to be reborn at the cost of my friendships.”
“Be true to yourself and trust them to see the real you. If they’re truly your friends, they’ll come around.”
I let my eyes wander down the aisle, staring at the paint colors, the ceiling tile, not focusing on anything specific. I just didn’t understand why people had to be afraid of me or be jealous of me. I was the most unassuming and least power-hungry person in the world. Mrs. G was right. My only job was to be me and be the best me possible.
Mrs. G’s voice broke me out of my daze. “Can you produce any other elements?”
“I’ve never tried.”
Mrs. G grabbed my hand and pulled me back up the aisle. “I think now is a perfect opportunity,” she said as we stood in front of everyone once again.
“Wait, what are you doing?” I pulled my hand away from her.
“Zee, why don’t you try producing a different element.”
Again, everyone stared at me with various expressions of fear and amazement. “Here? Around so many people?”
Mrs. G smiled. “What better way to teach you self control.”
“Self control? I don’t want to accidentally send us all into oblivion.”
“Have some confidence.”
Everyone was still staring, waiting to see what I would do. “Not if it’s gonna make anyone uncomfortable.”
“Look, your friends were all supportive when you ran off to the mountains. But now we’re all here. Let us help you,” Mrs. G pleaded.
Spratlin appeared from a few aisles over. Even though he was pissed, the lure of the show of the week was too strong to ignore. Either that or he wanted to see me fail miserably.
Gaylin was the first to speak. My stomach tightened at the fear of what she’d say, so it was a great relief when she said, “I’d like to see more. I think it’s pretty cool.”
“Well, there is one that I think I can do.” I forced a smile to my friends. “And it doesn’t involve shooting nails.”
“Show us, dear.”
I took a deep breath. Mrs. G and Gaylin may have been encouraging, but I still wasn’t too sure about everyone else. Not to mention how Spratlin would react when he saw what I was about to do. I took another breath and grabbed the glass jar from the counter that was used as a pen holder. I dumped out the pens and held up the jar.
Making eye contact with everyone in the room only made my stomach tighten more. When I finally got to Spratlin, I pleaded internally for him to be sympathetic. I suppose he was going to find out sooner or later. Might as well be on my terms.
Raising the glass, I closed my eyes. I hesitated, not wanting to do it. Not wanting to be a show monkey. Once word got out, the Council would strengthen their efforts to shut me down.
No, they could not control me. No one need fear me. I would own up to whatever my skills would evolve into. I stared at the jar. I would own this moment, too. I looked up at Spratlin one last time, and then I held my right hand over the jar and produced a small, controlled burst of water.
Everyone gasped. Including me. It was like the tension had just been let go. Clapping from a few of my friends brought me back into the moment.
Creep was the first to congratulate me. “Z-Dawg, that’s amazing!”
Mrs. G pressed on for more. “What else can you do?”
Since I hadn’t cleared the room yet, and everyone seemed to still be interested, I raised the jar again. This time, I zapped it with my native element and watched the electricity arc around the glass.
That got a couple of ahhhs, but I knew I could do more. I felt it internally yearning to get out. To be set free. I raised the glass to my face, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath letting the energy build. I blew out icy breath turning the water to solid form right before everyone’s eyes.
I smiled at their amazement and caught Spratlin watching me. I wondered how he felt about what I was doing. What I was capable of doing. The edge of his mouth twitched slightly and he nodded for me to continue.
His approval meant more to me than I realized. I made a mental note to tell him that if we ever got out of that situation alive. I took another deep breath and then melted the ice with a quick burst of flame. That one got a nice drawn out whooaaa from Jeremy.
Once I was done, Mrs. G hugged me. Then, I made my way over to Gaylin. I wanted to tell her personally how much her support meant. When she hugged me, I almost lost it. “Thank you,” was all I could muster.
Gaylin pulled back and nodded her head toward Spratlin. “Go to him. Listen to what he has to say.”
As I walked toward Spratlin, I didn’t take my eyes off his. The fear and pain weren’t as strong as they were before, but I didn’t want to take any chances. I walked past him, hoping he’d follow me further into the store so we could have some privacy. When we reached the back of the store, I started to say, “I’m-,” but he held up his hand to stop me.
“You have nothing to apologize for. It’s me who’s sorry. I told you I would start treating you with more respect, and I failed.”
“I understand,” I said as I wrapped my hands around his.
“No, there’s something I need to say. I’m not afraid of you. I’m afraid for you.”
“And you’re totally right to feel that way. Truth is, I’m scared to death.”
I paced around the small corner, trying to give myself room to think. I had to come clean with Spratlin. About everything.
“I saw something in the Dead Woods. It was when we were separated. I saw myself, only I was dead.”
Spratlin rushed to me and rubbed my arms for comfort. “That’s not going to happen. You’re too damn hardheaded to let that happen.”
I hoped more than anything that he was right, but I continued, “And then the wise mage on the mountain.” I hesitated for a second, gathering strength to say the next part. “He told me about True Death… and the Blue Devil.”
Spratlin’s face turned serious. Now he understood.
“At first, I thought it was Malek, but as time went on. Talking to the old man, Jasmine… I’m afraid I’m becoming the Blue Devil and I’m scared to death of dying.”
Spratlin pulled me into a hug so warm and comforting, I wished we never had to part. “It’s okay. We can handle this.”
I pulled back a little, surprised at what he said. “You’re okay with this?”
“I’ve been sus
pecting something was up ever since that first night in the square. Not just anyone can turn their arm into a weapon. And when you asked me what a Blue Devil was, and then seeing how you turn to anger to deal with things, well, I’ve been putting the pieces together.”
“I’m so sorry. I wasn’t actually gonna kill Jasmine.” I wanted to, but I would have stopped even if Spratlin hadn’t barged in. Right?
“Hey, hey,” he brushed the hair out of my eyes, “you’re a good person. I know that. You can handle this. You don’t have to be scared. But you do need to be careful.”
“I know, I know. When witches gain a lot of power all at once, the pull toward dark magic is hard to fight. I know that. But I also know who I am in here.” I pointed to my heart. “Any decision I make is mine. It’s not because I feel a pull from one side or the other.”
He smiled. “Good. I hope you’ll let me be there for you.”
“You’d better be,” I teased and reached on my tiptoes to gently kiss him.
“I admit. I’m a tinge jealous that you can produce other magic. The student has definitely surpassed her teacher.”
“Nah. There’s still a lot I need to learn. I’m glad you’ll be around to teach me.”
Before our makeup session could get too lovey-dovey, we were interrupted with Jeremy yelling that the Enforcers had rolled into the square.
“Looks like the cavalry has arrived.”
“Ready?” he asked.
I blew out a deep breath. “Time to fight… with everything we have.”
18
Hoping to avoid having targets on our backs if we rushed out the front door to join the fight, we sat back and devised a plan. Despite our better judgment, we decided to split up. Better to have something happen to one or two of us than all of us at once. Or some bullshit like that.
I didn’t like the idea of splitting up. I felt I couldn’t protect everyone if we were all scattered about. But here we were. Gaylin and her boyfriend, Jason, went with Jeremy and Dan. Ivy and Creep went another direction. Me, I was with Spratlin and Mrs. G. Our first order of business was to get Mrs. G to safety.
Rogue Witch (Daughter of Darkness Book 2) Page 11