Low rumbling growls of the hound pack circled us as we pushed through the tangled branches. Their beady red eyes glowed in the surrounding darkness and outnumbered us by far. Closing in, they tightened together, preparing to pounce.
Their kill orders had been clear, and the sound of their snapping jaws confirmed they were ready to obey.
"They're about to attack," Blake cried out.
"Pull together," Shane commanded, grabbing sticks off the ground. He handed one to Blake and one to Poorva. "Aim for their snouts." He reached around on the ground, searching for more possible weapons.
My heart pounded in my chest, knowing we were outnumbered and out-clawed. There was no way we could fight off hell hounds, especially ones under the Dark Witch’s spell.
"Weapons won't work," I shouted. "We need to use our powers instead."
"Like what?" Blake spat. "Read their thoughts to death."
His cynicism would have been amusing if we weren't facing a mauling, but in this moment, it didn’t seem helpful. But then I thought about his comment more deeply. Could it be possible to read their minds or feel their emotions?
"Blake, try," I commanded. "Shane, see what you can feel from them."
They looked at each other for a brief moment and then turned to face the encroaching predators.
"They're hungry," Shane called out. "It's making them more agitated.
"They're divided," Blake added. "Their leader is missing."
"Perfect," I shouted. "We can create disorder for them, and without a leader, they'll struggle with their strategy. They'll tire quickly as well from the hunger. We have a chance!"
Poorva pulled Tommy closer. "If you lead them away from us, I’ll be able to protect Tommy."
"Okay," Shane agreed. "We'll race in different directions and climb the first trees that are climbable. They'll jump endlessly to try to reach us. That will buy us the chance to escape when they need to rest."
"Let's do it," I called out. "Ready?"
"Go!" Blake shouted and tore into the thick of the trees.
Shane shot in a different direction, and I bolted in another.
The hounds split up instantly and pursued us, as Poorva and Tommy scrambled up a nearby tree.
The thick branches slowed the huge hounds, and they fought to break through them, giving us a small advantage. With no clear plan, they ran and clawed, expending all their energy without a unified purpose.
Before long, they fatigued and trailed behind each of us, panting. We circled back to Poorva and Tommy, calling them down from their tree.
"Now's our opening," Shane shouted.
With those words, the sound of a banshee's wail broke through the trees from the burning house.
"My boy!" the Dark Witch cried out.
Goosebumps rose on my arms at the sound of her wailing voice. She needed him and knew she'd meet her doom without his help. It was torturous to hear her calling his name, like the anguish of a grieving mother.
"Come on," I blasted to the others. "This way!"
We turned toward the direction of the portal and just as we started to sprint, the hounds returned. This time, they listened to the Dark Witch's strategy.
"Circle around," she commanded them. "Block them from gaining access to the gate. Then attack. Go for their throats."
Her voice sent them into a frenzy, and they moved as a unified pack. We'd tired them out, but their new organized approach gave them fresh energy.
"Keep running," I shouted. "We'll make it!"
We ran toward the portal, and before long, its tall, pointed structure shot into view.
"They're already there," Blake called out, seeing the hounds blocking its entrance.
The hounds created a terrifying blockade to the portal, with glaring death-eyes and snapping jowls.
"I want my mommy," Tommy cried. "Mommy!"
His words sent a vibration through the trees that wobbled everything around us. We slowed to regain our balance and stared at Tommy. His power was beyond anything we'd seen.
"Call out for her again," Shane encouraged him. "Make her hear you."
Tommy looked at him with a worried expression.
"Go ahead," Shane assured him.
"Mommy!" Tommy called out with a crack in his voice. "Mommy, help me!"
Like shattering glass, his voice exploded our minds and everything around us, sending resonating shock waves through our souls. Then the portal shook, causing the loose boards to rattle and break. With an eruption of sound, a voice burst out from the portal, hitting us all in our hearts.
"Tommy?" Ms. Kelly's broken voice cried out from another realm.
Ms. Kelly's consciousness had crossed over.
It seemed impossible, but it was true.
Her voice called out from the portal for Tommy as she searched for him through the transcendental abyss.
His psychic power had been able to connect them. And now, she was here on this side, with us.
The hounds growled and snapped as we got closer to the portal.
"Ms. Kelly," I cried. "We're almost there. But the hounds...."
Her voice filled my head. "You have the skill to overpower them, Brynn. Don't be afraid. Use it."
And with that, I squeezed my eyes shut and lifted my hands. The purple aura returned, and I focused harder until it shot up into flames. Casting my hands in every direction, I blasted fireballs at each of the hounds, exploding flames on their bodies, causing them to yelp in pain. I continued throwing fire at them until they ran to escape the burning agony.
"Now!" I screamed to the others.
We flew into the tiny shack, and just as the hurricane-force winds began surrounding us, the sound of the Dark Witch caught us from behind as she cried, "My boyyyyyy..."
And then faded to black.
Chapter 26
With a crash landing, we fell against the dirt floor of the triangular portal. We scrambled to our feet, brushing off the debris, and looked at each other with uncertainty.
Had we landed back in our realm or were the hungry hounds waiting just outside, ready to pounce on us.
Before any of us could say a word, Tommy cried out, "Mommy?"
I moved to the opening of the structure and peered out. A full moon shone its light across the clearing, and my eyes fell on a huge black wolf. At first, I thought it was one of the witch’s hounds, but the size was much greater.
Dom.
He remained hovering over Laney, as her mother begged for him to leave her alone.
They were in the exact moment when we left them.
No time had passed.
Nothing had changed.
Except one thing.
Tearing across the field was a woman, running and stumbling across the grass.
"Tommy!" Ms. Kelly's voice shot in our direction.
I gasped in shock and turned to the others.
"Ms. Kelly's here," I shouted. "Tommy, your mother's here!"
Tommy pushed past the others and jumped to the opening of the hut. Looking out, he caught a glimpse of her running toward us. He barreled out of the portal and ran for her.
Tears poured from my eyes as I witnessed their heart-breaking, long-awaited reunion.
Shane pressed close to me and watched with equal amazement.
The two of them ran into each other's arms and embraced as if they were one.
Another figure raced from out of the trees toward them, and panic rose in me. Were they being attacked again? My fight response prepared itself.
But then, in an instant, my fear subsided as I focused on Minister Kelly. He wrapped his broad arms around the two of them, and together, they sobbed with tears of joy.
As if frozen in time, we all stared as the Kelly's rejoiced.
My heart soared for them, and we all felt powerful gratitude for being a part of bringing them back together.
I turned to Shane to see how he was reacting to his friend's reunion with his parents. It must have been so strange for Shane, being seventee
n, while his best friend from his childhood was still nine or ten. Time had slowed for Tommy, to what seemed like a matter of weeks for him, but it was years for everyone who missed and loved him.
The distant look in Shane's eye told me he was just as baffled by everything that had occurred. And quickly, the faraway look switched to one of emotional overload.
He turned to me and nearly collapsed into my arms. His trembling body heaved as quakes of sorrow mixed with relief shook out of him.
"It's okay, Shane," I whispered. "You found him."
"Finally," he murmured. "I wish it could have been sooner."
"All that matters is that he's here now. Safe." I held him close and allowed him to pour his battered soul into mine.
Just as we started to stand stronger, the sound of snapping wood jarred us. We shot our eyes to the triangular portal and watched as its wooden beams broke and crushed into themselves. The hut imploded with a mangled sound of breaking bones and crushing skulls. In a sudden whoosh of splinters and dust, the structure collapsed into itself and trailed off into the darkness of the woods.
It was gone.
"Thank you, Brynn," he sighed into my hair. "You made it all happen."
My eyes narrowed from his words. I still had no idea what my part in all of this was. My gifts had just recently unlocked, and now here I was, in the center of the most extreme occurrence of my life.
I prepared to deny his statement when I caught eyes with the wolf.
He stared at me with a confused expression. Shaking his head slightly and huffing, he pushed away from Laney. She scrambled out from under his hold and crawled closer to her mother. The wolf continued to stare at me as I held Shane close.
"Dom," I called to him.
But it was too late. He'd backed away from Laney and her mother, turned, and ran into the woods out of sight.
My heart plummeted as I stared after him into the darkness.
He had no idea what had just occurred. All he knew was what he saw in this moment. And now he was gone.
Then Laney's voice cried out. "Mother? Are you there?"
Her mother shimmied closer to her, confused at first by her question. But then her mother's face fell, and she too cried out. "Laney? I can't feel you."
"I can't feel you either, Mom," Laney screamed. "It's like your hidden from me. Blocked. What's happening?"
Her mother reached for her shoulders and shook her. "Try harder," she pleaded.
As they struggled to reconnect their powers to one another, my eyes shifted to the center of the clearing where Courtney stood.
She was no longer in flames. No longer suffering in agony.
She stood still, just watching.
She gazed upon Ms. Kelly and her family with a gentle smile across her lips. A tear rolled down her relaxed face.
Her head tipped then as she glanced in my direction. She sent me a soft nod of contentment.
She was at peace for the very first time.
Epilogue
Emerging from the woods, we entered the lot where we'd initially gathered earlier in the evening. We huddled together, all of the UMAs—all except for Dom. He'd run into the woods, maybe to shift back into his human form in private, or perhaps to escape witnessing the new, stronger bond between Shane and me. I hoped he would be okay on his own out there.
As we watched Ms. Kelly and her family walk out of the woods, a car door slammed behind us. Out on the road, hidden from sight, someone approached our location, and we stared as the sound of crunching gravel resounded beneath each of their steps. Then he turned the corner into the lot—the school resource officer, Sargent Flynn.
He moved straight for Ms. Kelly, and we all stood taller, ready to defend her.
As he approached, his eyes fell on Tommy, and he stopped in his tracks.
Ms. Kelly took Tommy's hand and walked him over to the officer.
"Tommy." She leaned down to her son. "Do you remember Sargent Flynn?"
Tommy nodded. "Uh-huh. He has the cool police dog."
Sargent Flynn laughed. "That's right, young man. You're Trooper's favorite cadet."
He glanced at Ms. Kelly, clearly rattled by the fact that Tommy was found, and was the same age as when he went missing. His K9, Trooper, was likely long gone by now, but he didn't have the heart to tell the boy. He stepped closer to Ms. Kelly and whispered in her ear, though I could still hear him perfectly.
"I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it with my own eyes," he said. "Forgive me for not believing sooner."
She placed her hand on his shoulder. "It's unbelievable, Dave. But you had enough faith to get us here at lightning speed. Thank you."
He nodded and turned to Minister Kelly, shaking his hand.
I glanced at Shane, and he had the same surprised look in his eye as me. Sargent Flynn had driven the Kelly's here in his cruiser, probably with the lights and siren blaring. He had known something extraordinary was happening that required his assistance. He just would never know the exact explanation behind it all.
Then all eyes shot to the opening of the trail as movement caught our attention.
Laney and her mother hobbled out of the woods with their heads down, avoiding eye contact with anyone.
Sargent Flynn approached them. "Mrs. Rosco. You are under arrest. We have reason to believe you were involved in the disappearance of Tommy Kelly. There is evidence that points to the obstruction of justice. You'll need to be questioned at the...."
Ms. Rosco crumpled to her knees as Laney acted surprised, shooting accusations of mistrust at her.
"Mother? How could you?" Her feigned shock didn't trick anyone.
Laney and her mother had already lost all credibility in this town.
Sargent Flynn's voice trailed off while he continued to explain Mrs. Rosco's rights to her, and we all gathered around Ms. Kelly and her family.
It was unbelievable. Sargent Flynn had no idea how any of this was possible, but it was clear he was on Ms. Kelly's side. He would be the one to clear her name.
I stepped back from the excitement that surrounded the Kelly's and dropped down on one of the benches. Staring into the woods, I rubbed my hands through my hair, trying to absorb the magnitude of what had occurred.
"You good?" Shane's voice soothed my frayed nerves as he sat next to me.
I turned to him and smiled. "Yeah. I'm good." I glanced at Tommy. "You?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. A bit traumatized, probably."
"Yeah. Makes sense," I huffed. "It might take a bit for us to recover from this one."
I pressed on the bridge of my nose, squinting my eyes.
Shane reached over and took my wrist. "What's that?" he asked, pushing my sleeve higher.
With a gasp, I stared at a strange marking on my inner forearm. It looked like a burn, but there was no pain. The star shape was intricate and mesmerizing.
Shane shot his eyes over to Ms. Kelly, and in an instant, she was at my side examining my arm.
She stared at the mythical design without speaking and then glanced back toward the woods with a harrowed look in her eyes.
"What is it?" Shane asked.
Ms. Kelly turned back to me, still holding my wrist.
"It's the ancient mark of the witch hunter," she said, staring into my eyes.
She recoiled slightly, unsure of how I would respond, but I had no clue what it could mean.
Fear churned in her eyes as she gazed at me.
Being called a witch hunter didn't frighten me. If anything, it clarified my existence. It made clear my purpose, and I immediately felt its strength within me.
"Ms. Kelly, you're safe with me," I assured her. "If I'm a witch hunter, then it's only those who practice dark magic that I will pursue."
Her shoulders relaxed as she nodded. Her belief in me allowed us to reconnect as master and student.
"Well then," she started. "We have a new focus. A new mission."
My eyes widened, and Shane sat taller at full attention.
We all stared at each other as our excitement mounted.
Ms. Kelly looked at each of us with pride in her eyes and stated, "Second project, capture the Dark Witch."
<<<<>>>>
I hope you enjoyed book one
URBAN MYSTIC ACADEMY: FIRST PROJECT
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URBAN MYSTIC ACADEMY: SECOND PROJECT
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Urban Mystic Academy: Second Project
Also by Jennifer Rose McMahon
URBAN MYSTIC ACADEMY SERIES
Urban Mystic Academy: First Project
Urban Mystic Academy: Second Project
Urban Mystic Academy: Third Project
ASYLUM SAVANT SERIES
The Shuttered Ward, Book One
The Excited Ward, Book Two
The Forgotten Ward, Book Three
IRISH MYSTIC LEGENDS SERIES
Legend Hunter, Book One
Curse Raider, Book Two
Truth Seer, Book Three
PIRATE QUEEN SERIES
Bohermore, Book One
Inish Clare, Book Two
Ballycroy, Book Three
Rockfleet, Prequel (best read as Book 2.5)
About the Author
Jennifer Rose McMahon is a USA Today Bestselling Author who has been creating her stories since her college days abroad in Ireland. Her passion for urban legends, ancient cemeteries, abandoned asylums, and medieval ghost stories has fueled her adventurous story telling, while her husband’s decadent brogue carries her imagination through the centuries. When she’s not in her own world writing about castles and curses, she can be found near Boston in the local coffee shop, yoga studio, or at the beach…most often answering to the name ‘Mom’ by her fab children four.
First Project Page 20
