Mrs. Rosco cried out in pain, and winced as the skin on her face blackened and peeled.
"Hurry!" Laney blasted.
I turned back to the wooden structure as the rotting boards began shuddering. The energy all around me grew to an atomic level, and my senses piqued to their highest point.
Laney's face flashed in my mind, then contorted into her mother's image. I studied the picture in my head and watched it morph into the haunting, twisted face of the Dark Witch.
They were all connected.
Somehow, through the history of this place, Laney's family was rooted in the evil of the Dark Witch.
I shot my eyes back to her and stared into her desperate face. In an instant, she recoiled, knowing I saw straight into the darkness of her soul.
"No," I shouted. "You have to stop her!"
Chapter 23
Laney pulled back from my demand. I'd challenged her to stop the Dark Witch, and she cowered from my pressure.
"No, I can't," she cried. "This is how it's meant to be. It's the only way she can continue to live."
I stared at Laney in bewilderment. Somehow, she’d been allowing this curse to continue. She was actually protecting the Dark Witch.
"What the fuck are you talking about," I screamed at her. "Are you crazy?"
"Fuck you, Douglas," she seethed. "You can't just walk into this town and fuck it all up."
Her words punched me in the face, and I shook off the assault. She was clearly insane.
"You're seriously trying to defend what's going on here?" I hissed. "A boy is missing, you psycho bitch. Do you have any idea the pain that has caused?" I panted as anger surged through me. "And my friends are caught now. It's over, Laney. I'm ending this now."
I turned to the shanty structure that somehow held my friends within its unknown realm. The moment I moved toward it, a sickening scream gurgled out of Laney's throat as she launched for me. In the same instance, a burst of energy came from the wooden structure, followed by a terrifying cackling.
The Dark Witch was among us.
Her presence poisoned my veins as her evil permeated everything around me.
Courtney's arms began to shake, and her head rocked as her flames grew higher.
My eyes darted back to the hut and locked on a sinister figure moving out of its opening.
Covered in a black cloak, a hunched being glided toward us. Her bony frame created sharp angles beneath her coverings, and I stared at the shriveled hand that reached out toward us, pointing directly at me.
As the witch got closer, my heart stopped in pure terror. The glow of the flames behind me illuminated her face for a brief moment, exposing the blackened, charred skin.
My terror rose higher from the sight of her, sending me running for my life. As I turned away from her, I ran straight into Dom... and then passed through him. As I moved through his body, I felt all the power of his angst and the mounting pressure he held within his core. He was about to explode.
As I left his form and hovered just beyond him, I stopped short, panting.
What the fuck?
I looked back at Laney and the witch as they continued to move closer to me, but it was just my body they were approaching. My spirit was out here, moving freely.
Astral projection.
Ms. Kelly had taught us about it. The UMAs had been practicing, but no one had achieved it yet.
Until now.
I thought about what had just occurred. I had been so terrified by the image of the witch, I literally jumped out of my skin. It was more than that, though. It was a process that started in my mind, releasing me from the confines of my body, allowing me to explore without limits.
I could do it again. I was sure.
I ran back, past Dom, and jumped back into my body. The reconnection sent shivers through my every nerve, awakening me to a higher level of consciousness. Pushing my fear aside, I faced Laney and the ominous presence of the evil witch.
"Release them!" I commanded. I gestured toward the hut and then to Courtney. "Free them now!"
"Are you insane?" Laney laughed, unaware of what I had just experienced. "It would be suicide." She glanced at her mother's form crouched on the ground, rocking. "It's hereditary. Don't you see? We're of a bloodline that can't be stopped." She glanced at the Dark Witch and then into the blackness of her lair. Her gaze turned back to me then. "It's you that must be stopped."
With those words, the Dark Witch lifted her hand and moved it in circles across the front of me. I stepped back, and Laney lurched forward to grab me. Just as her arms went around me, I heard Dom's voice.
"Don't touch her, Laney," he shouted. His booming voice was more of a growl that echoed through the clearing.
"Fuck you, Dom. You simpleton. So easily seduced. It's pathetic," she spat. "We're taking her, just like the others, and you're well aware of what will happen to you if you disobey us."
Her arms squeezed around me tighter.
She didn't realize I was about to launch out of my body again, and head straight into the hut for my friends. In my astral form, I could help them without the danger of being trapped inside. Nothing could contain me while I was outside of my body.
My eyes closed, and before I could channel the leap, a roar shocked my eyes open.
I twisted toward the sound, and right before me, Dom leapt at Laney. In mid-flight, he exploded into a blur of gnashing teeth and black fur. The frenzied sound of a nuclear explosion landed right in front of me on four paws. It frothed at the mouth, sending hot breath into my face as it stared into my eyes.
My air rushed out of me in astonishment. I couldn't believe what I saw, but my heart told me that it was real.
It was him.
He'd shifted right before me, into a creature that could tear us all apart.
"Dom?" I whispered. "Oh my god."
His deep blue eyes stared into mine as steam shot from his flaring nostrils. A low rumbling growl vibrated from his strong neck, sending shivers through me.
Then the enormous head of the wolf turned to Laney and the others. The Dark Witch stepped back slowly as if threatened, and Laney stared in utter shock.
Her mother lifted her head, exposing the charred flesh on her face and screamed, "Run!"
In the blink of an eye, Dom was on Laney.
She fell to the ground under the weight of the pouncing wolf, becoming pinned under his massive paws. His teeth snapped inches from her neck, causing her to scream.
"Help me!" she cried.
As Laney struggled beneath the wolf, the Dark Witch crept into the shadows and slipped out of sight. I saw the flap of her cloak trail behind her as she disappeared into her hut.
Laney's mother called out, "Stop the beast! He'll kill her."
I stared at Mrs. Rosco in disbelief. First, she was commanding her daughter to end me. Now, she was begging me to save her.
Either way, without hesitation, I jumped at Dom. I'd never known wolves could be so large, and the sheer size of him scared me to death. One wrong snap and he'd have my head. I prayed the creature could be reasoned with.
I approached him from the side and pushed my hand through the fur on his shoulder. It was thick and soft, and I felt the strong muscle ripple as I touched it. The wolf turned its head from Laney and looked at me.
"Dom, don't hurt her," I whispered into his twitching ear. "We need her help. Keep her pinned while I try to save the others."
He snorted with a huff.
"I need you to protect my body while I go in there," I added. "I'm going to leave it behind. Keep watch over it."
His head shook as he made a sneezing sound.
"Promise me."
A groan came from deep in his chest, and I knew he understood.
"Get him off me," Laney pleaded. "You can't do this."
"Shut up, Laney," I shot. "I don't know what twisted rituals you're into, but this is criminal. It’s black magic."
She whimpered. "Well, you would too, if it was your family!"
"Like hell."
"If they burned your great-grandmother at the stake, you'd have a different story," she spat.
I froze in my tracks and redirected my attention back to her. "What did you say?"
Tears rolled from her eyes and trailed into her hair. "You think it's a burned down orphanage," she laughed. "Look around. Can't you see? It's a fucking arena. It's where they burned the witches while the entire town watched and jeered."
My eyes widened, and I stared over at Courtney. She continued to remain in her trance, flaming, and now it was clear. She was the symbol of the burning witches, taking on the physical torment of their suffering in her daily existence. Somehow, she'd been targeted as the physical manifestation of the torture. Without her, the twisted story of this place would all be lost and forgotten.
"It's a horrible thing that happened in history, Laney. But why keep it going?" I shouted.
She took a deep breath. "Because it's my history. My family. The soul of my ancestor is trapped here. She never crossed over because her death was violent and unjust."
My eyes widened.
That was it.
The Dark Witch was trapped in limbo because of her untimely, gruesome death. I gasped, picturing her methods at staying alive in her lonely, endless realm.
"And so to remain in existence, she kidnaps children? Stealing their souls?" My harsh tone left no question of my judgment.
"It's the only thing that keeps her alive." She pulled back from the wolf's intense glare. "And we won't let her die. If she dies, we lose our power, too."
And there it was.
The powers of the Dark Witch were passed on through the bloodline, but if she no longer existed, it would extinguish their magic too. They were fighting to keep hold of it and would stop at nothing to keep their family intact.
I thought about Laney's efforts at trying to stop me any chance she had, from the moment she met me. She wanted me gone from the school, gone from the town. She knew I held the power to stop her family's curse, even before I did.
No wonder she was such a bully. She hated this town for what it had done to her ancestry hundreds of years earlier. Her best payback was to be queen bitch to everyone in it and perpetuate pain and suffering at all cost.
And there was more than that. There was a specific connection to Tommy. It was becoming clear to me now.
Shane had told me of Laney's trickery around the time Tommy went missing. She was a part of it then, as well. And Mrs. Rosco, too. The two of them had a hand in his disappearance.
I stared at Laney in horror as the realization of the truth flooded me—the truth of what she had done.
"You lured Tommy here," I blasted. "Oh my god." My hand smacked over my mouth as tears filled my eyes.
My body trembled as it all came together.
"You stole him from his family to save your own. And you tried to get Shane, too," I choked. "And probably others." I hesitated and swallowed hard. "You knew we were coming here today, and now you've trapped my friends."
A wicked giggle escaped her lips as her mother crawled closer.
"You're a sick, twisted girl," I spat. "And I'm going to stop you."
Her mother dragged herself nearer to us.
"We'll get them all, Laney," her mother choked. "Don't you worry, love."
"Go on," Laney shouted at me. "Try to save them," she laughed. "You don't have it in you, bitch!"
Dom pressed his weight harder on her shoulders and growled in her face. Her mother backed off to lessen the threat.
"You don't scare me, dog," Laney hissed at the massive wolf. "You know I can destroy you with one word."
I stared at the wolf as he shrank from her threatening words. It made no sense that Laney could have that much power over him, and it sent deep anger through me.
His strength should be enough to conquer her, but it seemed like he had no clue about what he was actually capable of. I prayed that he would figure it out fast.
Dom was a goddamn werewolf.
What the actual fuck?
That was my friend right there, all furry and snarling and enormous. How was I so accepting of this insane situation?
The truth was, I'd always known it. I mean, not that he was a wolf, though now that I thought about it more, he kind of was—but the fact that his gift had the power to change his shape was insane.
Then I thought of my own new skill—the one where I could launch out of my body, and for the first time, I understood the enormity of our powers. Being sensitives was only the tip of the iceberg. We were full-blown supernaturals plunked right in the middle of a metaphysical war, and now our abilities were being tested big time.
Having no clue of what Laney held over Dom, I still knew it was strong—strong enough to hold him off, even in wolf form. But I couldn't waste any more time. I had to get my friends.
"Don't let her scare you, Dom," I shouted. "Don't give her that power. There's nothing she could say that could destroy you."
Laney laughed out loud. "Oh, such a supportive friend," she teased. "He won't be so cute once you know the truth."
"Shut up," I shouted at her.
The wolf lowered his head, hovering it right over her face, and let out a deep, rumbling growl. His power grew over her as he deflected her threats.
She started to speak again, and just as her words formed in my ears, I used my emotional energy and launched myself right out of my body.
With a whoosh of light and sound, I plunged out of my restricting muscles and bones, and floated. Looking down over Dom and Laney, I shuddered at the sight of them—a huge snarling wolf pinning a nasty girl who looked more dangerous than the ferocious creature. Her mother was held off to the side, afraid to get any closer to the two, and Courtney's flaming silhouette continued to fill the center of the clearing.
It was enough to make me want to fly far away and never return to such insanity, but just as I nearly lost my mind to the overload of what was happening, a voice filled my thoughts.
"Amazing, Brynn," she said. "Your power is growing faster than I realized it ever could. You've achieved astral projection." The pride in her tone made me smile.
"Ms. Kelly?" My inner voice called to her.
"I'm with you, Brynn. And I'm sure of it now," she said. "You are the one we've been waiting for. I remember the day you first got your powers, long ago. It was the same day Tommy went missing."
"What? How do you know that?" I asked.
"The moment he was taken, his energy whisked away in search of a worldly body." She paused. "It found you, Brynn. I knew the moment it did. I knew you existed and I prayed that one day you would find your way back home."
Holy shit. I had no idea what was happening to me. All I knew was that it felt like I was getting closer to finding Tommy.
"I'm going to find him, Ms. Kelly," I said. "No matter what happens. I'll bring him home to you."
No matter what happened.
I knew there was great risk involved.
If I found Tommy, I would pass his life force back to him to save him. Then what would happen to me?
I would sacrifice myself for him. There was no question I would do it.
And if I survived the transfer, I would have to accept living as a normal person without my gifts. That was the part that scared me the most.
How could I ever be content with normal again?
I realized there was no way to survive this fully.
And with that knowledge, I turned toward the witch's shed and then spoke to Ms. Kelly again.
"Be here when I come out," I said. "I won't come out without your son."
Chapter 24
Ms. Kelly's voice faded from my mind as I moved closer to the high triangular shadow of the dilapidated wooden hut. She'd called to me as I got closer to the witch's lair, telling me her powers couldn't cross past the boundaries to the other realm. Before I could understand all of what she was saying, her voice drifted away entirely.
I immediately mis
sed the comfort of having her in my head and wished she could have stayed with me. Having no clue how she found my thoughts, I wondered how close she had to be to get inside my mind. The rest of us hadn't had time to test the boundaries of our collective consciousness.
Finding Shane, Poorva, Blake, and Tommy was now my only focus.
Once I found my friends, I'd have to figure out how to free them from the strange abyss. Together, we could face the twisted family of witches.
Laney and her mother scared the shit out of me, but facing them seemed like something that was on our level. It was the Dark Witch that was next level. Terror deep within my bones was an understatement of how she made me feel. And there was so much unknown about her and her power. I hoped never to have to see her again.
But I realized that was an impossible wish. I'd have to face her if I was going to save my friends.
I reached the entrance to the shaking wooden structure and glanced back into the clearing. My physical body remained in the field as if I were still engaged in the stand-off. With that distraction in place, I turned back to the dark opening of the triangular form.
Cracks between the wooden planks allowed shards of moonlight in, enough to let me see that the interior was empty. My heart sank in disappointment as I struggled to figure out what to do next. By instinct, I trailed inside for a better look, and as soon as I passed through the doorway, a rush of hurricane-force wind pushed against me.
I glided through the storm of streaking black and gray gusts, undaunted by its extreme force. The torrents whipped past me as I traveled through a wormhole of some kind. As the tempest died down, my astral body sank to the ground, feeling the full weight of gravity return as if my physical body had rejoined me.
Whatever had happened through the storm, it was as if it sent me through a portal where I was my full self again. I blinked as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, and then mysterious, twisted trees filled my vision, surrounding me.
Items hung from the gnarled branches by strings, and I moved closer for a better look. An old yo-yo swung from a high branch, twirling on itself, and a few branches farther was a small shoe hanging from its shredded laces.
First Project Page 18
