by Lucia Ashta
“I hope by that you mean you’ve got to do something, because I still have no ideas. I turn into a bobcat, and I barely get that right. There’s not a single thing I can do to help either one of our friends. It’s entirely up to you.”
My panic must have shown on my face, because he added, “I’m sorry, Rina, but you’ve got to try something. Anything is better than nothing at this stage, and I’ve got nothing.”
“But what if I make things worse? I was joking earlier, but seriously, what if I set Wren on fire or something? Or what if I hurt Wren trying to move her, assuming I can even figure out how to do that in the first place? I have no idea how to do any kind of magic, and I’m still damaged from losing my lion. I’ve literally done mage magic like three times. And now I’m supposed to use it to save our friends’ lives?”
I huffed and blew a few stray strands of hair from my face. “I want to help them, Dave, obviously I do. But … how do I do that when I have no clue how or what to do?”
He smiled sadly and shrugged. “You do that the way you’ve done everything else since I’ve met you. You give it your all and hope for the best. That’s all we can do. I’ll help in any way I can, you know that. If there’s some way to assist you in using your magic, I’ll do it.”
I nodded, knowing there was nothing he could do. He was right. He barely managed a full-on bobcat shift on a good day.
I continued nodding repeatedly, hoping to psych myself up to do this … whatever this might turn out to be. Squeezing Jas’ hand once more, only to feel it limp in mine, I stood. “All right. What do you think I should try first?”
Dave stood as well. “We need to get Wren off Jas before anything else. What do you think would be easier? Trying to hover Wren, or maybe rolling her off?”
Narrowing my eyes at the massive girth of the tree trunk, I frowned. “I think rolling would be easier. It seems like all I’d have to do is give a little push or whatever. Lifting seems like I’d have to know what I’m doing more, because I’d have to be holding up some mass with my brain, or magic, or shit, whatever. If I roll it, then I’m just shooting a pulse of my magic.” I nodded as I managed to convince myself. “Rolling definitely sounds easier. Damn, but wait…”
“What if that hurts Jas more?” Dave asked. “Yeah, I was just thinking that. Sorry, Rina, but I think you’re going to have to lift Wren, and I’ll pull Jas out from under her.”
I rubbed both hands across my face. “This sucks, Dave.”
Right away he was at my side, pulling me into a hug. “I know, girl. You’ve had more than your fair share of bad shit happen to you since you first set foot on this campus. But you’ve got this, you so do. Every single time you’ve been cornered, you somehow found your way out of the situation. Hey, you saved your brother, didn’t you? That’s huge. You’re a hero.”
I snorted, and tears threatened to spill. “Some hero I am. I’m probably the least qualified person on this campus to fix anything.”
He smiled, blurry through my tears. “But that’s not going to stop you from trying, right?”
I forced myself to smile in return. “No, I can’t let it. And we’re wasting time neither of our friends has, especially if this really is like some horror flick and it’s some kind of borderline apocalyptic scenario out there. Then we’re the only help they’ve got.”
“That’s it, girl.” His smile grew. “I’ve got your back.”
I shook my hair out, rubbed my hands together like I was warming up, and I was ready—or as ready as I’d get for whatever was coming.
When I’d broken the power-blocking collar from Ky’s neck, I’d simply pictured it being done and sent a blast of my power behind that intention. Or something like that—I wasn’t paying close attention, what with the dual-kidnapping and all that had been going on. But if I could build enough power and shoot it into Wren, I was more likely to push her or roll her than hover her, but maybe I’d surprise myself and find some control. Or maybe I’d blow her up, or I’d blow all of us up.
I gritted my teeth against that train of thought. We had nothing left to lose at this point. McGinty and the others had been gone far too long. If they came back at all, it’d be too late.
This one was on me.
11
“Why couldn’t I have started with hovering a stick?” I grumbled. My arms and hands shook from the effort, and I was sweating, soaking the underarms of my uniform shirt. And still the massive trunk of Wren’s willow tree hadn’t risen from the gymnasium floor—or Jas’ leg.
Dave flitted around me nervously, searching for a way to help while flicking continuous looks toward Jas, who looked even paler than before, which I wouldn’t have imagined possible. There was also a lot more blood pooling beneath her; it had soaked the entire back of her skirt and started to creep up her tucked-in shirt. Which meant she was losing far too much blood. I had no idea how much blood a human could lose and still survive. I had much less of an idea about the survival odds for a paranormal creature. Whatever they were, my friends were running out of time. They couldn’t afford to have me fail.
Aaaagh…
I grunted and shook out my hands in front of me. “Why isn’t this working, Dave? I think it’s what I did when I broke Ky’s collar.” I roughly shoved the loose strands of my long blond hair behind me. When my hair immediately got in my way again, I rummaged for a hair tie in my skirt’s pocket and pulled my hair into a high ponytail.
I couldn’t let anything get in my way. I had the gnawing sense that this would be my last chance to help Jas, and possibly Wren, before it was too late for either of them to fully recover from this.
I growled again, psyching myself up, as if my mountain lion were still a part of me. “I can do this. I can do this,” I started repeating, to the encouraging nods of Dave.
“You absolutely can. I believe in you, Rina.”
Pursing my lips together, I closed my eyes. I hoped it’d be easier to focus without the constant reminder of how much was depending on me. I shook my whole body out, working to release some of the pent-up tension.
“I’ve got this,” I whispered under my breath.
I pushed away the tangible concern rolling off of Dave in heavy waves. I did what I could not to think about what might happen to Jas after this. I placed all my focus on Wren, but not on my worries about how gravely injured she might be. No, I focused only on the form of her tree—its dimensions, the sense of it, the way it felt so dense and heavy to my probing mental touch.
Reaching for my awareness, for my consciousness, I sent it outward, toward the willow tree. Like probing tentacles, I slid them around the mass spread along the length of the gymnasium, caressing its energy, getting a better sense for what I was dealing with.
Right away, Wren’s magic leapt to meet my own. As if desperate for my aid, her energy tugged on mine, encouraging me to wrap my etheric tentacles around her trunk.
Slowly, smoothly, I indulged her silent request. I’d gone to a place within myself where the panic no longer reached me. Here, there was no rush, no danger of loss of life or limb. There was only magic and raw power. I wasn’t damaged within this space, nor was I lacking. I even sensed the power of my mountain lion, though it must have been only a shadow of what had once lived within me.
Within my mind’s eye, my instincts ruled. I gathered the rest of my power within my center, in my chest, in the place where I most experienced the desires and blessings of my heart. It pulsed, content, strong, ready.
Again, as if I were somehow outside of my actions, as if I were only remotely in control of them, I wrapped the extended tentacles of my consciousness around the trunk of Wren’s tree. Its significant girth no longer mattered; my magic felt infinite, like it could accomplish anything. I wove and wrapped until I had a firm grip on the tree, extending far enough along the trunk that I could pull up and maintain control over its stability. Digging my magic in, gripping around the grooves of Wren’s bark, I pulled upward.
Without conscious thou
ght or a signal that I was about to do anything remarkable, I lifted the willow tree. There was no strain, barely any effort at all, as I pulsed the magic I’d concentrated in my center outward and into the tree.
A faraway cry reached me, but I couldn’t make out what it was about. Content, I continued to hover what I held, to flow with the ease and grace of my magic, the one that didn’t feel all that different from my mountain lion anymore.
“Rina!”
Finally, my brain registered words.
“I got Jas out. Put Wren down.”
Dave. He was the one telling me what to do.
But as I allowed thoughts of Dave, and then of Jas and Wren, to return to my awareness, I struggled to maintain the easy hold I had on the enormous trunk.
The moment my rational side engaged in my magic, I began to tremble from the effort of holding up Wren’s tree. It was so very heavy; it could crush my magic—me—if I allowed it to.
“Slow down!” Dave shouted. “Don’t lower her too fast or she’ll crack more.”
Immediately I worked to slow my efforts, but it only made things worse. The more I worried about hurting Wren if I lost control of my magic, the more my hold over my power loosened.
Grimacing, I clenched my eyes shut, the temptation to open them and see what I was doing immense. But I feared if I opened them I’d lose all control over my magic. Already it felt as if it were slipping through my fingers, no more tangible than water in my hands.
My legs shook; my knees threatened to buckle. I labored to bring Wren down gently. How far up had I hovered her for goodness’ sake? It was taking too long to set her down.
Finally, however, when I feared I wouldn’t be able to hold her up any longer, a lack of resistance wove its way through our bond. Hearing the tree trunk settle against the floor, I peeked open my eyes.
The moment I saw Wren’s tree back atop the mats, I released my magical hold on her and fell to the floor, landing hard on my butt. In a whoosh of relief, I hurried to catch myself before I could collapse, and stretched my wobbly legs across the padded gym mat.
The relief didn’t come as I’d expected it to. I didn’t even get a chance to turn to check on Jas before a force as strong as my own magic snaked into my center and latched on, yanking hard. This power, whatever it was, dragged me along the mat, pulling my skirt out from under my butt, until my feet smacked straight into Wren’s root system.
Still, the force tugged at me, and had it not been for the weight of Wren’s trunk, I suspected I would have slid straight across the gymnasium floor until I’d smacked into the opposite wall.
Pulling in rapid breaths, I struggled, clawing at my chest as if I could disrupt the force that had control over me, laying claim to me. But I couldn’t fight what I couldn’t see, not with the panic beating a steady, frantic rhythm through my veins. Perhaps I could have fought with the same calm I’d discovered and used to move Wren, but I wasn’t calm at all. I was freaking the hell out.
“Rina!” Dave yelled. “What’s going on? What is that?”
That was the poignant question of the hour. What the hell was this power pulling on me as if seeking to merge me with it?
“I don’t know what’s happening!” I panted. “I don’t know how to stop it. It’s pulling on me!”
Dave must have run from Jas’ side to join me. He stretched a leg along either one of mine, wrapped both arms around my waist, and pressed both feet firmly against Wren’s roots. He leaned backward against the mat behind us, contributing all his weight to my efforts to keep myself in place.
Even with both of us fighting the pull, the force dragged us up against Wren’s trunk until both of us were folded up like accordions. My knees were by my shoulders, all attempts at propriety long gone as my skirt hitched up to my waist. Dave’s knees buttressed my own, his forearms digging into my stomach painfully. But I didn’t want him to let up, not even a fraction. If he did, I wondered if I might be dragged right over Wren and straight into the wall.
“What … the hell … is this?” Dave grunted through his efforts. “Is this … your magic?”
I shook my head, then stopped when I realized I was effectively rubbing my ponytail against his face. “I don’t think so. It feels, agh, different.” I pushed against Wren’s trunk like I was doing leg lifts and still only just managed to keep myself in place. “It won’t let up!” I grunted some more. With my legs pressed up to either side of me, heaving and panting as I was, it was like I was in labor.
What. The. Hell?
Then, just as I wondered if Dave and I would be able to resist much longer, the force pulling on us, on me, simply … let up.
Dave slammed into the mat behind us with a hollow thud and a pained groan. I crashed straight back into him, my head knocking into his sternum, eliciting a second complaint.
His legs collapsed around my waist, and we were lying there in a tangle, my skirt still hitched above my thighs, panting, when Leander, Ky, and Boone ran into the gymnasium.
All but Boone stopped in mid-stride, eyes wide, taking in the scene. While Boone ran to check on Jas, Leander and Ky’s gazes trailed the mess of intertwined limbs that Dave and I currently were. Ky snapped out of it first, rushing to our side. I barely registered the flare of silver of Leander’s eyes as he continued to examine Dave and me.
My chest heaved as I fought to catch my breath. I wasn’t sure if I was out of breath from the effort of resisting or if I was in the middle of a full-on freak-out. What in crikey’s name was going on at this school? It was the first day of classes, for eff’s sake.
“Oh my God,” I finally muttered, patting Dave on the thigh until I sensed Leander’s gaze searing my hand. I didn’t hasten to remove my touch from Dave however, mostly because I didn’t think I could do anything with any kind of speed, and I knew Leander would understand. Right now, he was probably just reacting on instinct.
My arms and legs were like limp, soggy noodles, and I didn’t even attempt to get up until Ky started tugging at my skirt, bringing the length of it back down where it belonged.
“Get off of me,” Dave grumbled, but he was as floppy as a fish behind me.
“I’m trying,” I said, basically not trying to do much of anything. Finally, I allowed Ky to pull me up to my feet, but when he started to move away, my legs wobbled alarmingly, and Leander swooped in just in time. He swept me off my feet, holding me against his chest.
“Are you okay?” he asked, while he pressed a kiss to my crown.
“Right now? I think so...” I had to qualify. I was no longer certain I’d be fine minutes, days, or weeks from now. Whatever had gotten hold of me was powerful enough to attempt it again, and if it did, I wasn’t so sure I’d be able to overpower it. I hadn’t overcome it this time, even with Dave’s help. The force had simply vanished, and it didn’t seem like it had anything to do with our efforts at resisting it.
“Will you take me over to Jas?” I asked Leander, ignoring the pang of guilt for prioritizing Jas over Wren. But Jas was bleeding and unconscious while Wren was a giant tree. I didn’t know what to do to help Wren.
The moment the length of Jas’ body came into view, a sob raced up my insides. “Oh no,” I breathed.
Boone turned and met my waiting gaze. “It’s really bad. I don’t think we should move her, but Melinda needs to get to work on her right away, if there’s to be any hope of...” Boone trailed off, and I knew what he was thinking. Jas was free from the weight of Wren’s willow tree, but the damage had been done.
Jas’ left leg, or rather what remained of it, was a mess of crushed bone, muscle, and tissue. There was no safe place to look at her leg without bile rushing up my throat like a geyser. Her shoe was a flattened black pancake closer to Wren’s trunk; the Betty Boop white knee-highs she’d been wearing were tinted a bright scarlet red.
Swallowing roughly, I studied Ky. He was staring at Jas, his face expressionless, as if he were in shock. I’d never seen my brother like that before.
St
anding, Boone squeezed his shoulder. “I’m going to go get help. Jas can’t wait.”
“No!” Dave and I yelled in unison.
All three men studied us.
Dave sat, spun himself around on the mat, and sank heavily back against Wren’s trunk. “You can’t go. Everyone else who left didn’t come back. McGinty promised to return in five minutes, ages ago, and he never did.”
Boone, Ky, and Leander exchanged loaded looks.
I added, “McGinty tried to use a Brick Bam too, and it didn’t work. And then whatever just tried to take me...” I couldn’t stop the shiver of dread that coursed through me. “Well, it might’ve succeeded if not for Dave helping anchor me down.”
Leander’s sharp gaze traveled to Dave, scanning him up and down. Dave met his eyes and said, “Something weird is going on.”
Ky pressed a gentle hand to Jas’ shoulder, sitting next to her. “Nothing seemed out of place out there.”
“But we also didn’t run into anyone,” Boone added. “And come to think of it, that on its own is strange. We definitely should have. It’s between periods.”
“But the bell to announce the end of class didn’t ring, did it?” Dave asked. “At least, I didn’t hear it.”
“No, it didn’t.” Boone brought both hands to his hips while he lowered his brow in determination. “The bell always rings. The Academy Spell goes on no matter what.”
“Always,” Leander said. “Something is definitely going on.”
“But what?” I asked.
“I don’t know, but we have to figure it out.”
“First, though, we have to help Jas,” Ky said, and it seemed as if the lot of us deflated all at once.
“Wren too,” I added in a weak voice. “She’s cracked all the way down the middle. That can’t be good.”
“No, it can’t.” Boone pressed his lips together so fiercely that his full mouth flattened into one thin, grim line. “I’m going out there to get us some help.”