Spellweaver

by CJ Bridgeman

  Felicity slipped and fell to her knees again as Hollie’s hold on her arm suddenly weakened and she cried out in pain; the others had restarted their torture, and she was their first new victim. Blood dripped from the wound on her face. Just as Jamie tried to reach out to her, a look of horror painted on his face, he too was struck. He staggered and held a hand to his cheek in shock and disbelief.

  The onslaught continued, and it increased in both speed and ferocity. When Felicity looked up, she saw no less than five red slits tainting Hollie’s perfect face, whilst Jamie was nursing a bloody nose and a split lip. The pair of them looked terrified, and yet they didn’t move from Felicity’s side.

  Hollie let out a scream as another blow came from nowhere, delivering three fresh cuts, this time to her forehead. Her head jolted backwards as she was struck, making her lose her balance and forcing her to her knees. Now at her level, Felicity could see that her face was twisted in an expression of pain. Tears had begun to mingle with the blood.

  The others were killing her. But not just her - Jamie, too. The three of them were going to die together.

  What happened next must have been instinctive, because Felicity was barely aware of it at all. She remembered closing her eyes and praying to anyone who could hear her to help the three of them out of this situation. She thought of God, though she was not a Christian; she called out to her father, though she knew he could do nothing. And finally, an image of her mother appeared in her mind, and she found herself wishing, hoping and screaming for her to save her.

  That was when the bright light appeared. It flashed into existence, lighting up the park as it washed over the three friends and encompassed them in a great, shimmering dome. Felicity watched with wide, unbelieving eyes - her mother had answered her call. She had come to save her.

  The lights trickled down the side of the dome like sparkling water. The others were left trapped outside, prevented from doing the three friends any further harm. Hollie and Jamie, recovering from the attack yet still bleeding and in pain, stared in awe at the shield surrounding them.

  It was only when Hollie spoke that Felicity realised that the magic was coming from her.

  “How are you doing that?” she cried.

  Felicity stared at the shimmering lights above and around her. “I don’t - I don’t know...” she breathed.

  Her arms were outstretched above her head, and though she didn’t know how she was doing it, she could feel the tingling sensation of the spell as it shot purposefully from her palms. It felt warm, as if she had just held her hands against a radiator, except she knew that the warmth was coming from inside her. Her eyes flickered from side to side as a sense of panic convulsed her body. What was going on?

  Her desperate mind clung to one thought and one thought alone. Somehow, her mother had found a way to cast her magic through her daughter. Her power had been absolute - everyone told her so. So that was what it had to be.

  She stared upwards, her entire body shaking from the power of the shield emitting from her hands. “It’s my mother,” she whispered.

  “Huh?”

  A smile broke her lips. “It’s my mother!” she repeated, louder this time.

  Jamie stared, unnerved by Felicity’s smile. “Fliss...” he said under his breath, but he could find no more words.

  When one of the others struck the outside of the shield, Felicity felt it. She grunted and faltered, and the lights surrounding them flashed suddenly and then flickered, weakening under the strain. Instinctively, Hollie and Jamie ducked.

  “Fliss,” Hollie said, her voice shaking. “Are you okay?”

  Sweat had already begun to form on Felicity’s forehead as the strain of maintaining the shield started taking its toll. The spell was draining what was left of her energy, just as the others had been stealing it from her. Her hands and arms began to shake as she struggled to keep up the shield, the only thing between them and the others.

  “I... I don’t think I can do this for much longer...”

  13.

  Felicity’s strength was wavering, as was the shield. With every strike that came from the outside, she could feel the barrier grow weaker. It became smaller, too; Hollie and Jamie had to move closer to their friend just to remain within it.

  “Don’t give up, Fliss,” Hollie said to her friend as she saw her resolve weakening. “Please. You can do this.”

  The light of the shield flickered again as the others continued their assault.

  “I... I can’t,” Felicity breathed.

  “You can!” Hollie cried. “You have to!”

  Felicity could feel her energy being sapped from her body. Every breath and every beat of her heart was surging through her to her open, outstretched hands, feeding the shield that was protecting them. She had already stumbled to her knees as they gave way under the immense pressure. The shield was growing heavier. Every second felt like an hour. At any given moment, she would lose her grip on it and the three friends would be exposed.

  Her eyelids grew heavy. Her lungs couldn’t keep up with the demand for oxygen. The next blow that came would be the last, she knew. She glanced at her friends, and their desperate, hopeful faces stared back at her. It was a bitter feeling, to know that she had failed them.

  And yet, that final blow didn’t come. Beyond the shimmering lights of the magical shield, the three of them were aware of the others breaking off their attack. They swirled in the air as if they had suddenly become indecisive.

  “What’s going on?” Jamie wondered aloud. “Why are they stopping?”

  “Does it matter?” Hollie squealed excitedly. “They’re leaving us alone!”

  “Did you see that?”

  Hollie followed her brother’s gaze. Through the shield, she could see someone approaching. At first it didn’t look to be anything significant - just an unlucky passer-by going for an ill-timed walk - but as she watched, she saw something that both frightened her and lifted her spirits.

  The newcomer had powers of his own, and he was using them to hold off the others. The light of the shield made it difficult to see exactly what he was doing, but there was no mistaking the flamboyant gestures that preceded the bursts of light and energy that shot from him to their seemingly mutual enemies. He was like them, but he was fighting against them.

  To Hollie, he was a hero who had come to their rescue. She didn’t have to wonder about his objective, such was her relief. “Fliss!” she cried. “It’s okay! Someone’s come to help us!”

  Normally, Felicity would have been more cautious than to believe such words amidst the danger of the situation they found themselves in, but her strength was almost completely spent. Her arms fell loosely to her sides as she broke off the shield; the lights disappeared instantly. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she collapsed.

  Hollie knelt beside her and placed her fingers on her neck. “She’s okay,” she told her brother. “Oh em gee... her heart is beating so fast!”

  “I can believe that,” Jamie said. He removed his coat, draped it over Felicity and then he looked up at their apparent saviour. “Who is that?”

  It was impossible to make out any distinct features, for the swirling shapes and lights littering the park with their energy were distorting everything. Hollie and Jamie had to squint to see one another, so they had no chance of identifying the newcomer as he battled with the others a few yards away from them. Still... there was something about him that was oddly familiar.

  “You don’t think...” Hollie breathed. “Is that - is that Oliver?”

  She couldn’t tell for certain and nor could her brother; Felicity was lying unconscious on the grass and could see nothing at all. But Oliver was the only other person they knew who could use magic, so it seemed entirely possible. Jamie didn’t like the idea of him appearing as their hero, but when the three of them had been so close to death, he didn’t feel as though he could complain.

  The way in which the newcomer moved was almost poetic. His arms moved round into p
owerful curves, cutting arches into the air above his head with his outstretched fingers. His legs were strong and sturdy, keeping him rooted to the spot, defying his enemies as they attempted to bring him down. One by one the eight malevolent beings were falling victim to his skills, colliding with the sprays of colour he conjured or engulfed in the massive flames he sprayed from his palms. He twisted and turned, ducked and dived, dodging almost every strike that was sent his way. The few blows that did catch him didn’t seem to bother him in the slightest; he picked himself up from every single one, never leaving himself open and vulnerable in the same way again. At the same time, he was somehow able to move his hands and arms in the intricate way required to create his spells.

  It was quite breathtaking to watch. The man was clearly an expert. All this time the three friends, particularly Felicity, had spent worrying and dreading the arrival of the others. Their power seemed absolute, fuelled by their fear and their lack of knowledge. But now this stranger, their hero, had arrived to save the day. He put the powers of the others to shame, such was his strength and skill.

  Though they were intensely grateful, Hollie and Jamie were also wary. This man clearly had great power, and at present there was nothing to assure them that he didn’t intend to use it on them as soon as he was done with the others. As his protective instinct once again kicked in, Jamie wondered if he ought to try and usher the two girls somewhere safe, but he was so caught up in the amazement and wonder of what was going on that he found himself unable to do anything but watch.

  The leader of the others was the man’s last opponent. The indistinguishable shape hovered in the air as if staring down at him, though Hollie and Jamie couldn’t see anything that could pass as eyes. There appeared to be some kind of standoff between the two of them as they measured one another up, and then, just as the newcomer lifted his arms to cast another spell, the leader of the others simply and unceremoniously vanished.

  The rain stopped and the wind died. What had appeared to be a freak storm passed as the grey cloud slowly drifted from the sky, allowing the sun to shine once more; everything was returning to normal. Apart from the snow and slush that had disappeared from the playing field in the rain and strong wind, it was as if nothing had happened.

  As the sunlight filled the park and lit up their surroundings, Hollie and Jamie could see more clearly.

  “That’s not Oliver,” Jamie observed as the man began walking towards them.

  Hollie, who had been kneeling beside a still unconscious Felicity, stood up and squinted at the approaching figure. She was about to open her mouth and ask exactly who the man was when she also recognised him.

  Her jaw dropped.

  Felicity stirred.

  She had been aware of the voices around her before she actually awoke. They had interrupted her peaceful sleep and invaded the dream she had been having; she couldn't remember it exactly, but she was certain it had involved floating. The whole thing had been quite peaceful.

  She opened her eyes. At first she could see only shadowy blurs on a pale background, so had to use her ears to identify those around her. This wasn't entirely helpful; much like her eyes, her ears were not performing to their usual standard and all she could make out were muffled noises. They rose and fell in tone and volume every now and again as they communicated with one another.

  Two of them were instantly recognisable. Only one was female, and Felicity knew it was Hollie; there was no mistaking that hopelessly positive sound. The other was Jamie. The third sounded familiar but without her eyes to aid her, she just couldn't place it.

  It was then that she realised that she was in pain. Her whole body ached and she felt a little sick. With a groan, she raised her hands to her face and rubbed her eyes, movements that took more effort than they should have done.

  "Fliss!" she heard Hollie exclaim, her voice overflowing with concern. "Fliss, you're awake!"

  Felicity groaned again and allowed her friend to pull her into a sitting position. She blinked a few times, trying to restore her sight.

  "You okay?" It was Jamie.

  "We were really worried about you," Hollie said.

  As the shapes hovering in her vision became clearer, Felicity could finally see everything in detail. Hollie was leaning over her, her face a picture of worry. Without looking around - for it didn't seem to be the best idea to move more than was necessary - Felicity could tell that they were back at Jamie's house and that she was resting on the leather sofa. She couldn't tell how long she'd been unconscious but it was still light outside; the afternoon sun drifted lazily through the curtains.

  She couldn't recall much about what had happened. She remembered going out to the park to draw the others away from Hollie and Jamie, and how the two of them had turned up to try and save her. She even remembered conjuring the magical shield that had protected them, though thinking about it just made her headache worse. She recalled how close she had come to death.

  She blinked the uncomfortable memories away and squinted at her friend. "What happened?" she croaked.

  "You don't remember?" Hollie asked, surprised.

  Felicity shook her head weakly.

  "Oh, um..." Hollie shuffled awkwardly, her eyes shifting from left to right.

  "What is it, Hollie?"

  "Uh..." She seemed to give in; her shoulders slumped in defeat and she looked intensely uncomfortable. "I think uh, maybe he better explain things to you."

  She gestured to the other side of the room.

  Mr Oakley, the counsellor of Greenfields High School, sat in the armchair, though he stood up when Felicity strained to turn her neck towards him. The sight of him both confused and surprised her, and upon remembering her experience with him in the corridor after she had taken her mother's journal from his office, she recoiled and began to panic.

  Hollie was back at her side in an instant. "It's okay, Fliss," she soothed her. "Mr Oakley, he's the one that saved us. He can do magic. He's -"

  "Like you." The counsellor finished Hollie's sentence.

  Felicity shook her head. "But - that's not - I don't understand..."

  "I'll explain everything," Mr Oakley said assuringly, though it did little to comfort Felicity. Still, there was a strange kindness in his voice that felt somewhat out of place. He turned to Hollie and Jamie. "Would you mind if I talked to her alone?"

  Hollie nodded and looked at Felicity. "We'll just be outside," she said. "Really, Fliss. Everything's fine. He saved us."

  Felicity didn't doubt Hollie's interpretation of events, but she had seen far too much to trust this strange man who had asked such odd questions about her mother and who had had the journal in his possession. Not only that, but the way in which he had demanded it back from her had been frightening. He had cornered her, cut off her escape route and threatened her. Though it seemed trivial compared to the other things she had faced, she was still apprehensive about his presence.

  But she was also curious. That only made things worse, as it seemed that it was her curiosity that got her into so much trouble.

  As her friends left the room, her body tensed up.

  There didn't seem to be anything threatening about him as he sat there looking calm and quizzical. To anyone else he looked like an incredibly ordinary person. He still sported the smart-casual look that Felicity had first seen him wearing during her counselling sessions - corduroy jacket, jeans and canvas shoes, the kind of look (so Hollie had said) that was just screaming mid-life crisis.

  Several moments passed, during which neither of them spoke. Mr Oakley appeared to find making eye contact with Felicity somewhat of a difficulty; every now and then he would look up at her, but the glance lasted merely a second or two before he averted his eyes to the floor. He looked unsure, even nervous, and Felicity found herself beginning to calm down when she realised that she felt exactly the same way.

  And then he sighed and shook his head, his brow locked into a frown. “I don’t know where to start,” he said.

  Fe
licity didn’t know either. There were many, many things she wanted to ask this man, but she was still apprehensive; now just didn’t seem like the appropriate time to sit down and have a little chat.

  “You look just like her, you know.”

  Her eyes snapped up; he was looking directly at her.

  “Your mother. I don’t know why I didn’t see it before,” he added, as if she didn’t know what he was talking about.

  “It’s taken me years to find you,” he continued. “I searched everywhere. But your mother kept her secrets much better than I ever gave her credit for. She covered up every trail, hid every piece of proof that you existed. She thought of everything.”

  Felicity didn’t have any words to respond to what this secondary school counsellor was saying to her. Not yet, anyway. Her brain was formulating question after question, but somehow its signals weren’t getting through to her mouth.

  “She changed her name, of course. I should’ve thought of that.” He sighed. “But... well, we’re here now.”

  Without taking her eyes off of Mr Oakley, Felicity slowly and laboriously began to push herself into an upright position. Seeing her difficultly, the counsellor moved towards her to assist her, though not without hesitation. Felicity’s body tensed at his approach, but for some reason she allowed him to help her.

  It was then that she found her words. “How did you know my mother?”

  “She didn’t tell you about me?” He looked surprised and slightly disappointed, but recovered himself quickly, as if he didn’t want her to see his reaction. “We were part of the Tower together. Before we fled, of course.” He noticed Felicity’s blank stare. “The Tower of the First Order,” he clarified, as if that explained everything. “In Deepworld.”

  So now Felicity had a name for the other world that Oliver had referred to, the world he said that he and the others had come from. Presumably, Mr Oakley originated there, too.

  And so did her mother.

  He watched her process this new information, and his surprise was impossible to conceal. “Your mother, she... she didn’t tell you, did she?”