by Shea, K. M.
Daire spread sand—smothering decayors when he could—and Brannon slowed the monsters down by shaking the ground, but they were at the end of their ropes and they knew it.
Raven glanced at Isaac Eastgate. His shoulders were set and he coolly glared, but looking carefully Raven could tell his magic was taking a toll on him. His breathing was unsteady and he was unable to stand straight—he was always shifting to drive attention away from the fact that his knees were shaking.
The twins were also suffering. They were covered in sweat, and their outstretched arms shook.
“Raven, help?” Asher asked.
Raven blindly struck out with her magic, sending a crowd of decayors crashing to the ground with a pony sized iceberg.
“You’re going to die, you know,” Fox said in a sing song voice beyond the fire and magic. “Raven could save you all, but she’s too selfish.”
Daire spun on his heels to seethe at Raven. “What is he talking about?”
Raven squeaked and backed up, holding her book in front of her like a shield.
Daire took a menacing step towards Raven. “If you are holding back some kind of wild card I suggest you use it, spy!”
“Leave her alone and concentrate on your own fight, prefect,” Director Eastgate said.
Daire whipped around to face his uncle. “You protect her? We on the verge of being overrun and you keep covering for her?”
“In case you haven’t noticed,” Mrs. Conners dryly said. “We aren’t on the verge of being overrun. It’s more like we are in the middle of it.”
“We can’t hold it!” Aron said before he was knocked off his feet when a decayor managed to push through the fire and tackle him to the ground. Half of the firewall went out.
“Aron!” Asher said, doing his best to restore the wall on his own while twisting over his shoulder to look at his twin.
Royce darted forward and dislodged the decayor off Aron. The younger twin was white and shaken, but he only had singed clothes to show for it. The damage, however, had already been done.
Decayors rushed the weakened wall, cackling and leaping for the Saint Cloud staff members. The director took out the first wave, but doing so sent him to his knees and left him unable to stand.
Royce held off a corner with his deadly swordsman skills, but decayors clambered past him.
One flung itself at Daire, sending the prefect crashing to the ground. He kicked it off, but instantly a second decayor was on him
Another decayor threw himself on Asher’s back, his parasitic gift sucking magic and life straight out of the twin as it gripped his neck. The creature’s fingers left blackened blisters and burns.
Aron set the vermin on fire, but all remaining pieces of the fire wall fell. Raven froze two that were heading for Brannon, who was still shaking the ground.
“They’ll die little page turner,” Fox cheerfully called. “Every last one of your coworkers will be killed.”
“No!” Raven shouted at the magic abuser. This wasn’t what she wanted! When she decided to use her magic protect things, she hadn’t meant like this! She hadn’t meant to ever really reveal her magic!
Raven had endured years of teasing, a stint in a therapist’s office, endless hours of talking with her parents, pranks, instructions, mocking and more. She couldn’t write off all her sacrifices. And what would happen when they found out? She would be turned into a lab rat. They would see her for the freak she was.
Raven twisted on her bare feet when Aron shouted. A decayor was clamped to his leg, biting him. The skin around the decayor’s teeth blackened and bubbled as a raw scream tore from Aron.
Bookshelves tumbled and fell, not because of Mrs. Conners, but because the decayors crawled over them, burning magic out of the wood.
Brannon howled in pain as a decayor strangled him.
Raven dodged a decayor before Royce stepped in and eliminated it. They were fairing the best out of the bunch. Daire stood over Jeremiah’s prone form, fighting decayors off until two tackled him, knocking him to the ground again.
Mrs. Conners was beating off a decayor before Royce ran to her aid. It was then that he too was jumped. He went down with a yelp, pulling a dagger from his hat and plunging it into the decayor before rolling away. The creature still managed to slap Royce’s bare hand, burning the sensitive skin.
Raven froze another two decayors, rushing to Aron’s help, but the decayors shoved her backwards and she went skidding to the ground.
They were screaming. Aron, Brannon, Daire, all of them were screaming. Not with terror or fright, but with raw, ugly pain that smelled like sulfur and burnt flesh.
Raven scrambled to her feet, glancing at Fox.
He was smiling.
He found the situation amusing.
The death, the destruction, the pain. He didn’t mind it. In fact, he liked it.
Raven gritted her teeth, her chest heaving as she crushed a decayor between two slabs of ice.
Isaac Eastgate howled, a wail as unnatural as a dragon’s scream.
Raven tightened her grip on her book, and everything froze. In that timeless moment Raven could feel the library. She could feel the pent up magic, the crushing, paralyzing pain it was in. It rang in her brain with the sound of ten thousand bells and a million footsteps. The library’s magic spread through her body, warming and chilling her by degrees, filling her with so much magic she thought she might wretch.
It was then that she saw the brilliant light shooting up from the hula hoop sized hole Mrs. Conners had not covered on the staircase.
Decayors did not climb through that hole, instead a strong, promising light shone, and Raven strained past all the clatter and noise to hear… the sound of decayors screaming in terror on the first floor.
The magic rushed through Raven again, striking her with enough pain to make her see stars. It raged, burning all of Raven’s doubts.
Every reason she clung to, every rationale she had for refusing to read was gone, destroyed by the familiar high pitched tingling bell that called to Raven through the chaos and the mess.
If she didn’t use her magic to save the library and to save her coworkers... Raven had no right to call herself a page turner.
Even if page turners weren’t supposed to fight back.
The gut churning moment ended when the library released her, and the chaos of battles and the screams of her coworkers echoed in Raven’s ears instead of the warm clamors of a crystal bell.
Raven flipped her book open, the pages flying beneath her fingers as she sought out a specific page.
“Raven, help!” Royce begged, fending off decayors from their friends.
Raven ignored him, a smirk crawling across her lips when she found her page. She momentarily lifted her gaze from the book. Brannon was down, and Asher and Aron were struggling to stand. Royce guarded Mrs. Conners, but Daire, knocked to his knees next to Jeremiah, stared at her with dismay.
Isaac Eastgate closed his eyes as he breathed heavily. When he opened them he looked at Raven, a smile on his lips.
Raven looked past them to stare at Fox, who was rubbing his hands in excitement.
He didn’t know it yet, but he was about to encounter great suffering and misfortune.
Chapter 16
Raven uttered no warnings, she did not waste her breath spitting words of hatred at Fox. Instead her eyes were filled with such ferocity, they seemed to glow.
Raven held Fox’s gaze for an unnerving moment before she looked down to her book and read, “And at the same moment all the war-like creatures whom Aslan had lead from the Witch’s house rushed madly on the enemies line, dwarves with their battle axes, dogs with teeth, the giant with his club (and his feet also crushed dozens of the foe) unicorns with their horns, centaurs with swords and hooves.”
When Raven finished the last word she held the book open, over her head. The book began to suck light into its binding, flashing scarlet and gold. Blue lights danced around Raven like tiny stars.
; The ground began to shake, without Brannon’s magic, and lightning bolts shot out of the book, echoing at a deadly volume. Wind blew through the chamber like a trapped monsoon.
A deadly smile graced Raven’s lips as her hair curled around her, her skirt whipping in the wind.
Royce watched Raven with horror and fell backwards in his haste to get away from her. Brannon watched with widening eyes as the decayors slowed their attack.
The twins stared at Raven, scarcely less shocked than the others, although they struggled to their feet to help her.
Petite, fragile Raven was suddenly transformed into a warrior of the highest degree, and for the life of them, the other page turners couldn’t understand why.
Mrs. Conners clapped four times. “Oh well done dearie,” she said with a smile as Director Eastgate sat up, relief drawn across his features.
Raven smiled cruelly to Fox. “You wanted me to show my magic? You really are an idiot.”
Raven’s magic released like an exploding star and flooded the room. Icy, white light poured through the area, blinding everyone. The decayors howled, scratching at their eyeballs.
The light solidified into a mist as silence fell over the room, and that’s when the figures began to emerge.
First came the dwarves. They sat on the bookshelves, the tops, the shelves, the ladders, the upper walkway. Axes were strapped to their backs, armor covering their bodies, but tuffs of hair leaked out open spaces between the plates. In their hands they held strung bows. They trained their arrows on the decayors, grim smiles twitching across their gruff faces.
Next came the dogs. Giant dogs the size of small ponies jogged out of the mist, their nails clicking on the marble floor as they licked their chops.
There was an angry snort, and Raven turned in time to watch the unicorns emerge, far larger and more warlike than anything Raven had ever imagined. Their horns sparkled in the light, their eyes glowing as they snorted and tossed their proud heads.
Behind them were the centaurs. Regal creatures, who carried two swords strapped to either horsey flank, their bodies covered with individually fashioned armor.
The ground shook and shuddered when a giant so large he had to stoop over to fit in the building stepped into existence.
The silence of the room was broken when the decayors nervously giggled.
“Raven, what are you doing?” Daire whispered. “Illusions can’t help us!” he hissed.
“Tricksy little page turner,” a decayor cackled before running at Raven.
One of the pony sized dogs intercepted it, its huge mouth clamping down on the decayor’s shoulder with a crunch.
“That’s no illusion,” Royce numbly said before the dog threw the decayor, like a cat tossing a mouse.
“No,” Aron agreed.
“That’s real,” Asher said with a half smile.
Aware her borrowed army was watching her, Raven glanced at Fox, who was no longer smiling broadly. She said in a soft, emotionless voice, “Attack.”
Aslan’s allies leaped into action. Snarling dogs descended on the decayors while dwarves shot them from any available perch, slicing them with their axes when they drew close enough.
The giant took a few steps, squashing decayors beneath his feet whenever he moved. The centaurs smoothly moved in, voices raised in battle cries as they cleanly cut through enemies.
Somehow a dozen unicorns got to the upper walkway that wound around the ceiling. They thrust their heads at the black, tarry shadows that covered the ceilings, challenging it with snorts. The shadow retreated from the dangerous glints of light that reflected off the unicorns’ crystal horns.
Raven smiled and walked through the wreckage in her bare feet, her eyes fastened on Fox. She held out her hand, and a sword made of ice slowly frosted into existence, puffs of frozen air rising from it. It looked suspiciously like Royce’s sword, and Raven elegantly twirled it once before hacking at Fox.
The magic abuser was easily able to parry the blow, but his complexion grew pale as a snarling dog took out a decayor next to him.
“What, still haunted by the Hound of Baskervilles?” Raven said with a throaty chuckle before hammering at him again, the ice sword singing when Fox blocked the blow.
Fox spasmed.
“That’s too bad, it’s really me you should fear,” Raven whispered, leaning into the boy before jumping back and thrusting her sword at his left shoulder.
Fox stumbled backwards, smacking into the flanks of a centaur. The creature kicked him, sending him sprawling.
“You had such big words, and look at you now. Did you really think I wouldn’t do it, or did you just not think about what would happen if I did?” Raven said, placing the icy tip of her sword at the magic abuser’s throat. “It’s best you realize it now, Fox. Yes, I can read things to life. But you shouldn’t push me to show it, you should behold me in horror,” Raven said, the last of the words trickling out of her mouth in her unsettling, whispery page turner voice.
Fox gulped, his adam’s apple bobbing beneath the sword.
The trumpet of a unicorn distracted Raven, lifting her gaze from Fox to watch a proud white unicorn run a decayor through.
The magic abuser took the moment to slide backwards. He scrambled to his feet and sprinted away, disappearing into the maze of bookshelves.
Raven grumbled and pointed in the direction he had disappeared in. “After him,” she told a team of dogs.
The dogs—two Irish Wolfhounds, a Great Dane, and a Mastiff—loped after Fox, baying as they too disappeared.
The unicorn that previously distracted Raven danced next to her, tossing his neck before sinking to the ground. Raven took the invitation and clambered onto his back, rearranging her skirt before digging her fingers into the unicorn’s luxurious white mane. The unicorn snorted and took off, prancing through the room as if he owned it.
Raven ducked close to her unicorn as the equine jumped. He landed with a snort, scattering a group of decayors. Raven pressed her bare feet against the equine’s belly and he was off like a shot, narrowly dodging the giant’s club.
The unicorn skid to a stop, spinning and whirling, proudly brandishing his horn—and occasionally his hooves—at the screaming decayors.
The parasitic vermin panicked. Without Fox there to lead them they were lost, and the sight of book magic coming to life made even the most horrible decayor tremble with fear.
The dwarves picked them off with ease while the dogs herded the rest like sheep, driving them towards the unicorns, centaurs, and the giant.
The Saint Cloud library staff stared at Raven’s army with emotions varying from disbelief to gut wrenching fear. They remained in their jumbled circle, twisting around and craning their necks to try and take in the immensity of the battle.
The unicorns who climbed the walkway managed to completely banish the black shadow, reclaiming the library. They reared and trumpeted. The unicorns in the ceiling painting reared back at them.
The giant welded his club with ease, smashing dozens of decayors and the dogs flashed through the enemies with long, loping strides.
The decayors fled, scrambling to whatever patch of darkness they could find. They disappeared into the shadows, their white, dead fish eyes the last parts of their persons to disappear.
The centaurs and unicorns made quick work of the stragglers while the dwarves scouted the first floor of the library, dropping down the narrow hole above the stairs.
Raven’s unicorn trotted up to the Saint Cloud employees. Jeremiah was still passed out cold. Daire sat near him, darkly eyeing Raven. Brandon made his way around the small group, tending to whatever injuries he could with an admirable amount of calmness, even as his patients were forever twitching whenever one of Aslan’s army ran past.
Out of everyone it was Royce who was the most fearful, dragging himself away from Raven and her unicorn when they approached the group. “Monster,” he whispered.
Raven flinched at the accusation, but forced herself to
look up and smile. “Perhaps,” she agreed. She had thought it enough on her own, but it hurt to have Royce say such words.
Royce struggled to his feet, adopting a position of combat, his sword ready.
Raven dropped her ice sword, which shattered on the marble ground, casting snowflakes on the unicorn’s hooves.
“Excellent work, Rachel. I acknowledge your sacrifice in reclaiming the library,” Director Eastgate said as he unrolled his shirt sleeves.
“Couldn’t have picked a better book,” Mrs. Conners agreed.
Raven cautiously slid off the unicorn, her gaze going back and forth between the full time employees. Their calmness was unexpected and suspicious.
“Yeah, but you might want to get rid of your magical little helpers right about now,” Aron said, wincing as he rubbed his head.
Asher had his cell phone pulled out and was staring at the screen. “Yep, my ISpyMagic App says there’s a team of guardians that are almost to the library. I doubt you want them to see…this,” he said, gesturing to a centaur who was making some kind of celebration flag with a decayor cloak.
“Ah, yeah,” Raven said, nervously turning around to speak to her borrowed army. “Thank you. All of you. Saint Cloud still stands because of you,” Raven smiled. “Now, you may go—,” With a cry Raven’s legs gave out and she fell to the floor.
“Raven!” the twins shouted.
Raven sucked in air before screaming as pain wracked her body, spreading through her like poison.
It hurt.
Never before had Raven experienced such concentrated pain. She screamed, her eyes opening wider as her body cracked.
“Books and Magic, are those are her bones cracking?” Aron swore, kneeling by Raven’s body.
“BRANNON! BRANNON!” Asher shouted.
Behind the boys Raven’s army started rustling, but it was too late. They began to fade, returning to their book after Raven’s dismissal.