by Abby James
“But you never took any of it?”
“I can’t explain it. I just don’t know.”
“You looked in pain.”
Now was my chance to tell Luca, confess to what was happening to me, but as always happened, I couldn’t get the words out. I stared at him in the night. Now he no longer held me, the moonlight was enough for me to see his outline and partially see his face but not enough for me to be able to make out his expression.
I struggled to spit the words out around the blockage that always formed in my throat.
“I don’t know what was going on. I got a fleeting pain in my stomach.” I couldn’t even tell the truth about where the feeling had been.
“What sort of pain?”
“Indigestion or something. I don’t know, it was sudden and fast.”
“And then you released Amy’s and Lorna’s abilities and destroyed the table and the witches’ brew.”
“You know I have no control over my ability.”
Even though he didn’t say it, I could still hear the words whose fault is that then.
“It was so sudden. It has to have something to do with the night. I had no idea what I was doing. It scared the hell out of me.”
“Come, let’s go.” He reached for me, pulling me close, feeding me his ability, the sight to see at night, but his grave expression made me wish I couldn’t see him.
“Can we enjoy the night?” I wanted to see him happier.
“Were you enjoying yourself before?”
“Not particularly. But I’m sure it would’ve been all right.”
“I assume nothing.” He said as he launched us off the dead branch, high up in the tree where he’d dragged me to escape the walking statue, his immense back wings blanketing out the moonlight. I was in his arms when we landed. And that is where I wanted to stay. Swept away as I always became when he touched me. The sudden urge to kiss him overwhelmed me. As if reading my thoughts, Luca set me down.
“Let’s go before everyone else turns up.”
“Are we in Darkwells?”
“No, we have crossed into another reality that the sorcerers and witches of Draak have conjured. It is of simple making. I should be able to break through it.”
As he said so a roar punctured the still night air. Luca grabbed my hand to dragged me away at the same moment something large crashed down onto my chest, dragging me from Luca’s hold, pinning me to the ground. My scream mingled with the beast as it drew a huge clawed hand down toward my chest. Expecting a fiery burn, all I felt was a tingle as the creature swiped the claw, its tip glowing blue, down my chest to my abdomen, leaving nothing more than a blue iridescent line. Roars, twigs snapping, feet pounding, the rest of the students had arrived. A flash from the side and the creature was gone, sent flying through the air until it collided with a tree.
Luca looked down on me. “Fuck,” he spat. “You’re tagged.”
I sat up. “What do you mean?”
No time for answers the rest of the horde were moving as a circle, blocking any escape.
Luca pulled me to my feet. “You should’ve taken the drink.”
“I thought I’d never hear you say something like that.”
He shook his head. “I understand now. God dammit.”
“What are you talking about?”
“They were banking on some not having the drink. Those that didn’t turned into the prey. Those that did the hunters. The brew has temporarily transfigured them into mythical creatures of old.”
“What does this mean?” I waved a hand down the front of me where the blue iridescent line shone in the moonlight.
“You are the first caught. You are the sacrifice. We had better get out of here before they take you back.”
“They don’t really mean sacrifice?”
“Hold tight, we’re going up.”
But it was already too late. A prickling sensation ran up my arms. “Oh no, something is happening.”
The sensation increased, spreading throughout my body. Then to my horror my hands lost their form. It was as though the molecules were oscillating apart. It flowed from my hands up my arm and then to the rest of my body.
“Luca, what’s happening?”
But I never heard his reply. The world around me turned to Technicolor, my vision nothing more than a confusing blend of moving color. My stomach heaved and bile rushed up my throat, but before I lost my dinner, I was back standing on solid ground, the wild swirl of my vision ceased, and I was looking at the energetic fire. On one side the apparitions hovered. The sound of snarls and growls, and I looked behind to see the students had returned from wherever we’d been sent, locked behind a shimmering barrier, which separated them from me. They began to change, losing their weird shapes and transforming back into students again.
The appointed leader wafted toward me. “The sacrifice has been brought before us.”
A cheer erupted from behind. I glanced over my shoulder to see everyone remained enraptured by the performance. Lorna and Amy had made their way to the front of the crowd, clapping and cheering as loud as anyone else, caught up in the illusion of the brew. The spirit of the night had whipped everyone into a frenzy.
“What is it you want to see, my people?” The apparition bellowed to the crowd.
“We want to see her burn.” They all returned in unison.
“But is she worthy of the gods?”
“Only one way to find out,” a guy yelled from the crowd.
Again I looked over at the students gathered behind the barrier, to see Mila and Pen had maneuvered themselves to the front as well. Their faces were screwed up in chants of burn her, burn her. The chorus had taken hold.
If this was not all an elaborate game I would be bloody scared by now. I looked to the energetic fire. It would not burn, I knew that, but what would happen when I entered into it? It was nothing more than an illusion, a simple light show, but I could feel the energy used to generate it from here, and anything with energy I could use. After what had happened in line, I was likely to suck in the energy and detonate it across Darkwells’ grounds. Whatever was going on with me at the moment was dangerous, and it was all driven by the mark. That I was sure about.
Where the hell was Luca? I needed him to swoop down and pull me out of this mess. But maybe they’d locked him inside the alternate reality they had set up for the chase. I wasn’t sure if Luca could be locked out, surely he had enough power to break himself out of anywhere, but why was he not rescuing me now? He would know the danger of me entering the fire.
The chant continued with more and more taking up the call.
“Very well, the gods have heard you. Loyal and faithful followers, you shall be rewarded when the gods walk amongst us.”
An uproarious cheer followed.
The leader turned to me, moving closer from his vantage point feet off the ground. “And now, my child, we shall divest you of your garments.”
“No bloody way,” I said as I backed up.
“Your body will be cleansed, you will receive the spiritual anointment before you enter the fire. It is through you the gods must pass and your body must be clean.”
“Touch me and I won’t be happy.”
A face came through the swirling, misty color of white. The face of a guy, one of the third years at Draak. “Listen, play along or you’ll ruin the night. Get your kit off.”
“No way.”
“Listen to the eager crowd. They’re begging for it.”
“Because they’re all high on witches’ brew. Throw me in as is. I’m not taking my clothes off. It’s minus if you haven’t noticed.”
“You will not feel the cold. Trust me. And this is part of the fun. You’re meant to be naked.”
“And what’s the purification?”
“We all get to take turns.”
“Are you for real?”
“Nah, I was joking, but if you’re interested.”
“Piss off, and I’m not taking my clothes off. I�
�ll be your sacrifice and walk into the fire, but with my clothes on.”’
He looked to the others. I could now make out some of their faces, recognizing some of the Draak guys who were particularly cheeky with their stunts. “Very well, but make a good show of it will you. Give us some screams. We have a crowd to please.”
“And once I’ve done this, then what?”
“We can all drink and have an orgy.”
Time to get this over with.
As I neared the flickering flames, turning from red to orange, then pink to yellow, sending out sparks into the sky, I felt the energy. The flames themselves were nothing to touch, no heat or cold, but my hairs stood erect, straining forward into the energy. A tendril of yellow streaked out and nipped at my leg before snapping back into the rest of the fire.
I continued on, my body zinging and waking, enlivening and throbbing with need. When the energetic flames touched, the energy was suck within. I felt it flow through in a big rush, through my skin. I opened my mouth and it rushed down my throat, but instead of feeling suffocated, as I should, I swallowed it up. It felt so good. My eyes shutted with bliss and at the same time the mark throbbed a beat, waking up with the injection of energy. Energy gave it life, the essence it craved.
This had to end before the dark mark over took me. For I felt that if it continued to spread it would reach my heart and turn that dark too. I closed my eyes and concentrated on trying to stop myself from allowing the energy drain. If only I had been more proactive in Luca’s classes. This was the second time such a thing had happened, and I was useless because I’d not put enough effort into my training, only effort into swooning over Luca.
Now more than ever I needed to concentrate. All those meditation classes Luca had me do, and I’d never stilled my mind, but right now I needed to meditate better than the Buddha, cork the valve that was my ability.
Something flicked me on the nose. I jerked my head back and opened my eyes.
“Samara, I have found you.”
“Oh my god, Merlin. We thought we’d lost you.”
“You almost had.”
“You’re back. I can’t believe it. But you shouldn’t be in the middle of the fire.”
“You need to come with me.”
“I’m being sacrificed.”
“No, you must come now, Samara. It is important.” Merlin suddenly launched backward in the air, appearing to be dragged. “No, stop it.” He shook his head vigorously. “Do not listen. I beg you.” He slapped himself hard, the force of which sent him buzzing sideways. Then shaking his head, he flew to me. “Come, Samara, you must listen to me.”
“Are you all right?”
His eyes bulged as he stared at me. He pursed his lips together and blew his cheeks out.
“Merlin, what did they do to you?”
He rushed to me, catching hold of my cheeks with his long fingers. “Nothing, Merlin is fine, but Samara will not be unless she comes with me.”
“Why, what is happening?”
“So much, so much. You cannot be here.”
“This is nothing. It’s all an elaborate illusion. You don’t have to worry.”
Merlin shook his head so vigorously it looked as though it would spin right off his shoulders. He grabbed one hand with the other and yanked it off me. He smacked himself again. Next minute he was flying around in the air like he was either super excited and doing loop-da-loops or he was flipping. “Turn around. Go back to the others,” he yelled through all his buzzing about. “No, mistress, mistress, listen to me.”
Mistress? He’d never called me mistress before. Had they done something to confuse him? And now he saw me as Ms Lane.
“Merlin, stop.” I grabbed him as he was about to somersault himself into another backflip. “Stop, please. You’re going crazy, please, calm down. You’re not with them anymore. You’re safe. Just tell me what is bothering you.”
He jerked in my arms, thrusting himself forward like he was trying to get close to my face. His small mouth turned up into a manic smile.
“It is you that is no longer safe. It is you that is trapped now.”
With that I was tugged from my chest and the flames disappeared. There was nothing but blackness and the swirling of my body and the roiling of my stomach. When it stopped I fell to my knees, releasing Merlin from my grasp.
He fluttered down to me. “Oh, Samara, why did you not listen?” He sounded sad.
“Excellent. The little beast has played his part admirably. To bad we don’t need him anymore.”
I arched my head back to find there was no energetic fire, there were no floating apparitions. I was no longer in Darkwells. The slither of moon reflecting off the snow lightened my surroundings. I was not in the forest, or anywhere I recognized. Instead I lay on the cold ground in the center of a clearing at a man’s feet. His back was to the moon, so I could not see his face, but I knew that voice.
“Welcome, Samara. You are a tricky girl to get a hold of. But now you are here.” He turned his head to the side. “Get rid of that thing,” he barked.
Someone came out from behind Scullion, a black figure silhouetted against the moonlight. He made a lunge for Merlin, but the little creature scampered away.
“I will save you, Samara,” he squeaked. To everyone his cries would’ve been no more than chirrups and funny clicking noises.
“Get out of here, Merlin,” I yelled.
Scullion snapped up his hand and a light arched outward.
“Merlin,” I yelled with a nana second to spare before the white energy hit. But Merlin had already gone.
“Dammit,” a guy hissed.
“It is of little consequence. We have what we wanted and now we must move.”
He threw out his arm, and I was bound within an invisible energy. Straightaway my body drew it inside. Before I could do anything impressive, someone descended on me. A sharp pain pierced the skin on my neck. My head swam, my body lightened then went limp. I was fading, shit I was fading.
22
The cold seeped into my shoulder and hip. I was on my side, a blindfold covering my eyes. My hands were tied behind my back. The effects of the drug they’d given me lingered on, weakening my limbs, confusing my mind. In my head I told my body to move, but the message never made it through to my legs as I lay prone on the floor, useless.
From afar I heard voices, but I couldn’t determine if they were a long way away or if my mind was still trying to swim back to consciousness, making the voices sound distant.
The last thing I remembered was Merlin blinking out of sight. At least he had got away. He would be able to return and alert everyone, someone, but who? Where had Luca gone? Did everyone think I was still within the energetic fire, the supposed sacrifice playing along for the sake of the party? How long would it take before they realized I had gone?
I tried to take in a few deep breaths. Now was a good time to find the inner calm inside, channel my mind to one task, moving my legs, getting myself off the floor, but my thoughts were too hard to corral. My mind was leaping around with all sorts of bad scenarios. Scullion knew about Luca. His rescue in Emrol’s glamor exposed him to the leader of the skurks, which meant Scullion would be ready. I’d be somewhere well hidden, somewhere untraceable.
I rolled onto my back and sniffed the dankness in the air. With my hands tied behind me, they were no use to me. My senses were all I had. The stale, still air, and my thoughts flitted to the dungeon at Darkwells. Was that were I was? Locked in a dungeon or basement somewhere. There had been snow on the ground where Merlin had taken me, which meant we were on the same continent, hopefully in the same reality.
With the sound of footsteps I rolled over onto my side. Blindfolded, I didn’t need to close my eyes to pretend I was still unconscious. The door creaked open filling the room with light, brightening the dark behind my blindfold.
“Remember, no touching. There’s no telling what the bitch will do.” A male voice, a solid baritone.
Crun
ching grit under heavy feet punctured the silence, the sound echoing off the walls of the room. The cold under my side, the noise the steps made as they came toward me, I lay on concrete. And the room was stark judging by the echoes. There was another sound accompanying the men’s feet, a soft squeak like wheels turning.
The telekinetic tug anchored along the muscles of my arms and legs. I wouldn’t know what was happening if I’d not already felt the pull of being moved by this sort of energy. The feeling reached down deep into my limbs rather than shifting on the surface of my body. My limbs responded to the pull and rose off the ground, first my arms as they were the lightest and then my legs.
I knew what it was like to shift something with telekinetic energy; I’d made a spectacular mess of energetic manipulation in Juliet’s class, but experiencing it from the other side, from the object being manipulated, was a different feeling entirely. The energy prickled along my muscles, short circuiting the mind body connection and replacing it with a stronger outside influence. I couldn’t have stopped my arms and legs from moving if I tried.
Off the ground, encased within invisible hands, I floated through the air. The binds placed upon my body were strong. I’d felt Mr French’s energy. This energy was just as strong. My body slowly tumbled and turned until I was in a sitting position in mid-air before I lowered. The cold of a metal chair touched across the back of my knees, thighs and ass. The weird sensation of telekinetic movement continued with the prickle and tingle of my triceps and forearms as they were moved behind my back. Abrasive rope wound its way around my wrists, then the chair was shunted forward. No scrapping of chair legs, this one had wheels, scooting me toward the light in the doorway.
“You’ll enjoy this, sweet heart.” A guy on my left said. Not the guy that called me a bitch. This voice had a nasal twang.
“Not as much as we will enjoy it.” That was the guy who had called me bitch.
They both laughed.
My reply wasn’t needed, so I sat in silence, straining to make out shapes in front of me, but the weave of the material they had used for my blindfold blanketed everything but the light.
