“That’s how it works. If you defy me, I will burn your wrist until your hand drops off. If you obey, I’ll be gentle and not cause you any unnecessary pain. Do you understand?”
At the last question, he shook me like a rabbit until I nodded. The pain seemed to have burned the resistance out of me. I allowed him to drag me to a single tree in the clearing.
37
Once we’d reached the tree, he manhandled me roughly until my back hit the trunk. I struggled weakly, but I was still dazed and gasping through the pain that was only receding slowly. Before I knew it, he’d pulled my arms behind the tree trunk and fastened my wrists tightly together with zip ties.
“That’s it. It won’t take long. You can die in the knowledge you tried your best. Obviously it wasn’t enough, but you tried.”
The teacher persona was back, complete with encouraging comments and motivating sentiments. He’s insane. Not just power-hungry and sadistic, but mad as a hatter. Does he really think I’m grateful for his praise?
Apparently, he did. Patting me on the shoulder, he smiled. Then he walked towards a brush on the other side of the clearing. Bending down, he pulled a small backpack from a hole in the ground. He must have prepared his plan some time in advance. I felt so stupid. He’d been ahead of me every step of the way.
As I watched him, he opened the bag and searched for something. “Come on. Where is it? I’m sure I’ve—”
Interrupting himself, Strickland knelt down and tipped the bag upside down. I couldn’t see what all the items were, but one was definitely a large knife. Fear rose like a large wave, ready to drag me under. I shook my head and pulled at my restraints as hard as I could. The pain when they dug into my skin was sharp enough to cut through the rising hysteria.
Warm liquid irritated my skin as blood dripped from the injuries I’d caused myself. I went limp against the rough bark. Think of something. There’s got to be a way out. You’ll die if you don’t.
The thoughts were running on repeat in my tired mind. And suddenly I realized Strickland must have taken off the bracelet when he bound my wrists. I couldn’t feel it anymore, and the plastic restraints were right on top of where it had been only a few minutes ago.
I closed my eyes and concentrated on sending spiders of lightning down my arms. When the stream of power reached my wrists, I stopped it and allowed it to build up, using the plastic like a dam.
At first there was only a little heat, but soon, the plastic reacted to the rising temperature. And boy, did it hurt. My skin might have been impervious to my own lightning power, but melting plastic right on it burnt like shit.
I ground my teeth to swallow my pained moans. Every few seconds, I pulled against the plastic resistance, only to find that while the restraints loosened, they were still holding me tight.
Strickland had found what he was looking for. He held up a vial of a yellow, greasy substance in triumph.
“Right, let’s get started,” he called in my direction. As if I should be as eager as he was to separate my blood into its components right inside my body. No, thank you.
He got up and walked towards me, brandishing the vial and the large knife. Mistaking my painfully clenched teeth for anger, he shook his head. “No need to be pissy with me, princess. Duds like you shouldn’t possess magic, never mind power like yours. It’s much safer with me. If I could let you live, I would, you know.”
And finally, finally the restraints snapped. I fell forward, twisting to avoid colliding with Strickland. He stepped back in surprise. While I pulled frantically at the molten plastic on my blistering wrists, he opened the vial.
Instinctively, I knew I couldn’t let the substance touch me. I raised both hands and willed my magic towards him. As my fingertips turned purple with the buildup of power, Strickland cursed.
He dropped the vial and the knife and raised his hands. With a scream of anger, I released a huge magic bolt. It shot towards Strickland—and hovered without touching him. Whatever the man was doing, it was stopping my magic from obliterating him. I pushed harder, drawing from the power burning brightly inside of me.
I swore I could feel the joy as the full extent of my magic released. The stream turned into a rush of voltage. My skin shone with that distinct purple color I’d learned to associate with my power.
Strickland’s skin looked gray in the sizzle of the forked lightning surrounding him. There were droplets of sweat on his hairline, and for the first time, his confidence faltered. His eyes flickered between the bolts and me.
Anger and frustration threatened to overwhelm me. I’d been victimized ever since the first lightning storm. Nobody had asked me whether I wanted to be magical or not. I’d lost my family, my whole life. And just when I was beginning to come to terms with it, this man had abducted me and tried to kill me.
I channeled my rage into the stream of electricity I was sending towards the bastard in front of me. He dug his heels in and made a complicated motion with his left hand. My magic pushed through his shield, followed by a huge explosion. When the air cleared, he was gone.
But my magic was still streaming though me, grooving a path through my nervous system like a dam that had finally broken. I gritted my teeth, trying to pull the power back into myself, the way I’d learned in the academy.
As if I’d angered the magic, the stream intensified. My body temperature was rising, my eyes drying under the fierce onslaught. I couldn’t swallow because there was no saliva left. I stared in horror at my fingertips as they shriveled.
I opened my mouth to scream, but a column of purple fire erupted from it. When I inhaled to take my next breath, the fire entered my lungs. The last thing I remembered was the agony as my lung tissue was devoured by the brutal heat.
38
Something damp scratched my hand. I wiggled a finger to get rid of the weird sensation. It happened again. This time, I opened my eyes.
Ouch, my head hurts. And my eyes are as gritty as a sandbox. I blinked. Then I lifted my hand to rub away the irritation. Except something was restraining me. What the…
Slowly turning my head to avoid aggravating the pounding in my skull, my eyes fell on a large, ginger animal.
“Slug,” I croaked. Woah, was that my voice? I cleared my throat and tried again. “What am I doing here, Slug?”
“You’re in the infirmary.”
Ms. Farkas bent over me, tugging on my cover. While she busied herself, I searched her face. Was there guilt in her expression? Sure seemed like it. “Why am I here?”
Ms. Farkas stopped fussing. “Don’t you remember?”
“No.” Why couldn’t I remember? There had been purplish-white fire and pain. So much pain. I moaned as I felt phantom agony in my chest.
“It’s okay, Amber. We found you in time.”
And then I remembered. Panic overwhelmed me. Strickland. The knife. Molten plastic on my wrists. I gasped for breath, my inhales barely filling my lungs. A hand found mine. My gaze followed the arm to its owner’s worried face.
Kiernan squeezed my fingers gently. “Calm down, mo chroí.”
He’d never called me that before. I’d ask him later for the meaning, but for now, I allowed myself to drown in his green eyes and his smile. Everything would turn out fine, as long as he and Julian were there.
I turned my head, hoping for my goth boy to be nearby. I couldn’t find him anywhere. Was he okay? Images of falling and burning bodies flooded my mind. It had all been an illusion, but what if it hadn’t? What if some people had gotten genuinely hurt?
I whispered, “Where is Julian? Kiernan, is he okay?”
“I’m fine, sweetheart. Just left the room for a moment to grab some coffees. Course you’d wake up right then. Typical.”
Julian winked from behind Kiernan’s shoulder to take the sting out of his words. Slug purred loudly and pushed his head against my hand as if begging for my attention. Ms. Farkas tried to pick him up, but the cat hissed and whipped his tail to and fro.
I said,
“Please, leave him with me. He won’t bother anybody.”
That was a complete and outright lie, but I didn’t care. Cuddling with the smelly fur ball would help me recover quicker than any drugs. When I looked back at the head witch, I caught her rolling her eyes. Julian and Kiernan snickered.
And then Ms. Farkas’s usually stern face broke into a full-on grin. “I’ve got some news I’m sure you’ll be very pleased to hear. Before coming to visit you, I had a call from the head of the FBMA. They’ve given the go-ahead for you to visit your parents.
“You’ve come out of your ordeal unscathed except for some superficial burns, so there is no medical reason to hold you in the infirmary. Tomorrow morning, you’ll be taken to visit your family for a few hours. This is as a special recognition of how you’ve conducted yourself in this sorry affair.”
The head witch’s smile slipped off her face, and she turned serious again. “The bureau as well as I as head witch are appalled that one of our teachers should conspire to attack one of our students. I am very sorry this happened, Amber. And so is the bureau.”
I nodded. Julian’s warm hand offered his support as he gripped my shoulder. Kiernan still hadn’t let go of my hand. And the orange fuzz-ball purred loudly against my armpit.
I am safe. We are all safe.
Then Ms. Farkas’s words sank in. “Wait. You said ‘conspire.’ Are you implying Strickland wasn’t alone?”
I stared at her, wide-eyed and suddenly terrified again. I’d assumed the rogue teacher had acted out of greed, out of hunger to take my power from me. I’d never seen him with anybody else on the school grounds. But of course, I had no idea what contacts he might have had outside. And he’d been gone a lot over the last few months, supposedly on academy business.
Ms. Farkas stared at me, clearly deciding how much to tell me.
“Please, Ms. Farkas. Please tell me I’m no longer in danger.”
The compassion in her eyes made me swallow hard. I didn’t want to cry in front of her and my boyfriends, but I’d been through a lot. Moisture collected in the corners of my eyes, no matter how much I blinked, and how hard I bit my tongue.
“I can’t promise you that. Strickland got away. FBMA agents are tracing his contacts as we speak, but we don’t know how far the conspiracy went. We do know there were others involved. That’s why we won’t allow you to see your parents by yourself. We’ll have a team providing protection for you at all times. Rest assured the government is doing their utmost to make sure Malcolm Strickland won’t get close to you or your loved ones.”
I closed my eyes, tears trickling down my cheeks. So it wasn’t over. I recalled Strickland’s face when he’d approached me in the clearing, knife in hand, ready to put me through unspeakable torture to tear my magic from me. He’d had me completely fooled for a long time until he’d revealed his utter ruthlessness.
Kiernan wiped his fingers under my eyes. “We’re with you. You won’t be alone.”
Julian nodded, his expression determined.
“Would you come with me tomorrow? To see my parents?” I hadn’t planned on asking this, but the moment the words escaped my mouth, I knew I wanted my boyfriends with me.
39
Twenty-hour hours later, I waited outside the dorm building, savoring the early winter sun. Lifting my face towards the light, I inhaled deeply, drawing the icy air into my lungs. The contrast between the heat on my skin and the icy air slipping down my throat was exhilarating.
When somebody leaned against the building wall next to me, I didn’t open my eyes. The person spoke, and I jumped. I’d expected Julian or Kiernan, but next to me leaned none other than the asshole who’d been so rude to me in the cafeteria many months ago.
He hadn’t said a single word to me since, although I’d noticed him watch me a few times with an expression as if he’d stepped into something nasty. Why was he here? To gloat? He’d copied my posture, his face lifted and eyes closed, waiting for an answer. Except I’d had no idea what he’d just said.
“What?” It came out a bit more aggressively than I’d intended, but seriously. Why was he even here?
“I said I’m glad you didn’t get hurt. And I want to thank you for not killing us all.” He straightened up and smirked. “That doesn’t mean we’re friends, you understand.”
Not waiting for an answer, he gave me a courteous nod and walked away. I was still staring after him when Julian draped his arm around my shoulders. “What did he want?”
I shrugged. “A truce, I think.”
My eyes narrowed as I watched his retreating back. I had a feeling I might be seeing more of this guy in the future.
“Good. I don’t imagine anybody wants to be your enemy after what you did.”
Even though Julian had said it without malice, I cringed. He tightened his arm for a moment before whirling me around to face him.
“Ready? It’s time to go see your folks.”
This was my second trip through a travel portal, and I hated it as much as when Strickland had pulled me through it. This time, though, I was accompanied by my boyfriends and two security guards. When the world stopped spinning, it threw me off balance. I would have fallen, had Julian not grabbed my elbow.
Ahead of me, as if I’d walked away yesterday, was the house I’d dreamed about every night for the first couple of months. Staring at windows reflecting the winter sunshine, I made my way up the walkway, as I’d done every day until I was taken away.
The armed guards stayed behind while Julian and Kiernan followed me silently. They were so close, I soaked up their body heat, and their solid presence grounded me. When I got to the front door, I rang the doorbell.
Then I stepped back and took a deep breath to calm myself. Kiernan brushed his hand over my neck. I flashed him a grateful smile. I didn’t know why I was so nervous to see my parents for the first time in months.
The door swung open, and my mother stood in front of me. Her eyes grew wide, and her hand flew up to cover her mouth in a gesture I remembered well.
“Hi, Mom. Surprise?”
I opened my arms, ready for a hug. My mother didn’t move. She stared at me in utter shock. My smile faltered. Why wasn’t she saying anything?
“Mom?“ I asked, my voice shaking with trepidation. The word broke the spell. Her eyes narrowed, and she folded her arms across her chest.
“Amber.“ Her voice sounded flat. I swallowed. This was nothing like I had imagined our first meeting to be after such a long time. “What are you doing here?”
My mouth dropped open as I stared at her. Had she actually just asked me that? This was like a bad dream, a nightmare. I had literally spent weeks crying myself to sleep every night, yearning to see my parents, hug them and talk to them.
And when it finally happened, these were my mother’s first words to me? What are you doing here?
While I was still in shock, my mother pulled herself together. Her face dropped into neutral, every emotion wiped from it. She stepped back and held the door open for us. "Now that you're here, you may as well come in."
I stood there, frozen to the spot, until Julian pushed me gently forward. That broke the spell. I strode past my mother right into the living room. She followed me and pointed to the sofa.
"Have a seat. Do you and your friends want something to drink while I call your father?”
Let it never be said my mother wasn’t the perfect hostess. I shook my head before sitting down, still flanked by the boys. They were careful not to touch me. Just as well. No need to add another layer to this already weird situation.
Mom called for my father to come in from the backyard, and soon his heavy steps announced his arrival. Mom must have told him who was here because his face was as carefully blank as hers. Without saying anything, he sat in his favorite chair and waited. So did we.
The uncomfortable silence stretched over several seconds while my mother paced up and down in the small room. Finally she stopped. “You've got to realize we thought the
y had taken you away for good.”
My eyebrows rose to my hairline. “What do you mean? Why would you think that?”
Her face was still devoid of emotion except for two red spots blooming high on her cheekbones. Before she could say anything else, my father interrupted.
“What she's trying to say is that we were told you are one of them now. You know my opinion on these… these freaks. I know it's not your fault, but we can’t have someone like you in our family.”
I swallowed hard. Kiernan growled to my right, a sound so subsonic I could feel his body vibrate next to me. When I glanced at him, his jaw was clenched, his eyes sparking with anger.
Julian put his hand on my leg in a possessive gesture. After what had just come out of my father's mouth, I was grateful for the little touches. He sees me as one of those freaks as he calls them. They’re disowning me.
Julian spoke up, the anger audible in his voice. “So when Amber was trying to reach you, and the phone was never answered, that was you avoiding her.”
He hadn’t phrased it like a question, but like a statement. My parents exchanged glances. I didn't need their verbal confirmation to know Julian was right. I blinked away the tears of shock and anger pricking my eyes. Barely recognizing my voice, I pushed the words through my teeth.
“So what you’re saying is that you are the shittiest parents any child could ever have. You raised me, and the moment something happened that I had no control over, you discarded me. Parents are supposed to love their children, no matter what. You are a fucking disgrace.”
I saw with satisfaction the reaction to my salty language. My mother at least had the decency to look away, while my father's face turned puce with anger.
They say when you die, your life flashes before your eyes. I wasn't dying, but this part of my life, of my childhood, was over. I hadn't realized how much I’d grown up the day of the lightning storm. I was no longer the spoiled, happy teenager who was secure in her parents’ adoration.
Second Chance Fate Page 19
