I gulped.
For a moment, time stood still.
The darkness was gone. The balefire…gone. In its place, I saw hundreds of people standing around us with wide eyes and dropped jaws. My friends cursed. I glanced around until my gaze landed on a familiar pair of hazel eyes and a mural of colorful tattoos on soft brown skin.
“Warner,” Jackson said with an exhale.
His hazel eyes shimmered and his lips wobbled. He took a step forward. “Jackson?”
And then rainbow magic exploded around us and everything disappeared.
Chapter Four
BETTINA
The ground opened up under our feet, and we plummeted into nothingness.
Cold air rushed over me. My stomach dropped. I flung my arms around and screamed, but the howling wind drowned out the sound. I was lost to utter blackness, freefalling into an abyss.
Then I caught a whiff of that Christmassy, pine-tree scent. My heart fluttered, and I dove toward it. I couldn’t see my own hands, but I felt the heat of Jackson’s soft skin hit my fingertips. I gasped and grabbed ahold of the darkness—and then we slammed into something hard and unmoving.
My breath was knocked out of me as the world wobbled. Pain shot through every inch of my body. For a moment, I was lost in my own agony. I rolled to my side and curled into a ball. My lungs burned and screamed in protest while I struggled to get oxygen in. Bright light flashed in my eyes, but everything was blurry and dark.
I pushed up on my hands and knees and gasped for air. My ears rang, and there was a weird humming noise echoing in my head. When my vision finally cleared, I looked up, and my jaw fell. We were in an open field. With grass and dirt. I fisted handfuls of dirt and relished the feel of its cool, silky texture between my fingers.
Something dropped in front of me and I flinched—but then a pair of aquamarine eyes met mine. I sighed with relief.
“Bettina? Bettina, can you hear me?” Warm hands gripped my shoulders then lifted me up on my feet. He ducked down to meet my eyes again. “Tina?”
I took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Thank you. Where’s Warner? Did we get him?”
“Goddess, I hope so, or I am already dead and this is hell,” a familiar male voice mumbled from behind me.
I gasped and spun around. Warner stood there looking exactly the way he had the last time we saw him.
I made this weird squealing sound and leapt at him, then wrapped my arms around his shoulders. “I’m so happy we found you.”
“Me too.” He chuckled as I pulled back. “But, um, weren’t there more of you a second ago?”
“What?” I frowned and looked around.
We were alone, just the three of us.
Surrounded by darkness. The moon let off an eerie orange glow that just barely illuminated an open field of grass that was surrounded by trees.
“Where is everyone else?”
Jackson shook his head. “I don’t kn—”
Someone screamed over our heads. We huddled together and looked to the black sky as objects rained down to the ground like meteors. Dirt and grass exploded around them. One after another, they crashed and rolled. The largest one hit the ground in front of us then bounced into the air. Big arms and legs flew out from under the person and grabbed ahold of the dirt. When they stopped sliding, the person lifted their head, and pale green eyes sparkled. Cooper.
Behind him, people jumped up and sprinted toward us. I spotted Harlan, Trey, Gen, Willow, and Chutney. Surrounded by hundreds of unfamiliar faces.
“Who are these people?” I heard myself ask.
“The voices,” Warner whispered.
Lightning flashed across the black sky, and then something dropped straight down. It was right over us. We jumped back and pulled our weapons out.
Tennessee landed in a crouch, with one knee on the ground, just like he’d been before we fell. He wasn’t breathing heavy or hurting. He didn’t even crash like the rest of us. Tegan was still gripped in his arms.
He stood effortlessly and scanned the field. “We all here?”
Jackson nodded. “And then some.”
“Let’s get out of here. Now.” Without another word, Tenn jumped into a sprint.
I didn’t hesitate to race after him. The last thing I wanted was to be stuck in the Old Lands again without Tennessee. He was too fast to keep up with, and my body just didn’t move like that. But I kept my gaze locked on his back. People rushed past me. I didn’t recognize their faces, although I wasn’t actually looking.
A massive shadow swooped down in front of us then flew over our heads. Behind it, clouds swirled and thickened. Dark gray smoke billowed up from under our feet. It seeped from between the grass and shot up into the air.
The woman running a few feet in front of us tripped and stumbled. The smoke wrapped around her leg and pulled her down. We gasped and dove for her, but she was gone. Her body just vanished.
“DUCK!” Cooper screamed from behind us.
That massive shadow dropped down like it was coming for us, and narrow streams of smoke reached out like arms. We ducked just as a dark object flew over our heads. It sliced through the shadow then turned and flew back in the direction it’d come. I glanced over my shoulder and spotted Tennessee standing just ahead. The object soared right to him and landed in his open palm under Tegan’s legs.
“MOVE!” he shouted.
We leapt into action, but another shadow swooped down and grabbed Warner by the back of the shirt then lifted him off the ground. Jackson cursed and lunged for him. They crashed to the ground and rolled. I started to slide to stop, but Cooper caught me by the elbow and dragged me along.
“Keep moving,” he yelled. “They’ll be fine. They’re trained for this.”
I frowned. This? Really? I doubted that, but it wasn’t the time to argue. We were under attack. It was just like at The Gathering when that spirit grabbed Tegan and tried to fly off with her. I peeked over my shoulder and sighed with relief at the sight of Jackson and Warner running behind us.
And then I saw it. Thick gray clouds flying right for us. Except they weren’t clouds or smoke or even fog. These had eyes and long arms. And they were coming for us.
“INCOMING!” I shouted, but it was too late.
The smoke monsters swooped into the field and plucked people right off their feet. My stomach tightened into knots. My pulse skipped. I’d seen these before.
My first trip into the Old Lands, when they attacked Erin.
And when they killed Timothy.
I pulled my sword out of its holster and clutched the hilt as I ran.
People screamed left and right. I only saw flashes of bodies as they were plucked off the ground and sucked into the smoky sky. I pushed my legs to move faster, but they screamed in protest. Shadows jumped out from the trees and snatched people. Our numbers were dwindling. We weren’t going to make it.
Smoke thickened on the ground, and I felt fingers brush over my legs, trying to grab me and pull me down. I sliced my sword back and forth, but it slowed my pace. Cooper shouted something, but I couldn’t make out the words. There was too much screaming. I searched for him, but the shadows and smoke were thick and rising up, wrapping around us. I finally spotted him in between two shadows running beside me. He shouted over and over while swinging his daggers.
I felt like I was shaking. Fear crept in and took root while I was running. We weren’t going to make it. We couldn’t fight this. I looked up, and a small bubble of relief filled my heart. Tennessee stood solid like a statue up ahead. His entire body glowed bright like a full moon. The shadows and smoke curved around him. Dark hands reached out, but they couldn’t touch him.
Under Tegan’s motionless body, his hands flexed, and energy rushed out of him like a shockwave. As it moved across the field, the shadows and smoke hissed and leapt out of the way. Blue and green magic shot out of him in all directions. His magic zapped across the darkness.
Willow and Chutney stepped
out from behind him and fired their own magic into the sky.
Suddenly the ground rumbled under my feet like a freight train was gunning right toward us. The wind howled like a tornado. Light flashed up ahead, and then something huge flew right over my head. I cursed and slid to the ground. I raised my sword and looked up—and gasped.
It was an entire herd of flying horses, their long, feathered wings slicing through the sky.
Pegasi?
My jaw dropped. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t know these animals existed, and here was an entire stampede of them. There had to be twenty-five or more. The one in front was bigger than the rest and was a gorgeous pristine white.
They dove for the smoke monsters. They kicked and sliced their way through the shadows. Their long feathered wings flapped and caused tornadoes to rip through the sky. I grinned and my steps faltered as I watched in amazement.
Jackson emerged from within the smoke behind me, with Warner hot on his heels. He spotted me in an instant, and his eyes narrowed. He didn’t slow his pace; he just reached out and grabbed my arm then pulled me into a run with him. To my relief and torture, he didn’t let go of my arm. His grip tightened, and the heat in his skin burned through my sleeves. It made my heart flutter. Adrenaline rushed through my veins, and it gave me a little extra speed boost.
When we caught up to where Tennessee stood, we slid to a stop beside him.
“Where are the others?” Jackson yelled to him.
Tenn nodded his head in front of him. “Trey led them and some rescues toward the gate. Willow, what can you give us?”
She cracked her knuckles then threw her hands up in the air. Her strawberry blonde hair looked orange in this strange moonlight. Blue magic shot out of her hands and poured into the sky. A blue blanket hung above us, but I had no idea what she was trying to make them see.
Willow groaned. “It’s the Old Lands, and these things aren’t human. I’m not sure how long I can hold it or if it’ll work at all!”
Chutney jumped to her feet and whistled, and it sounded like a robin’s call mixed with a parrot. A white Pegasus shot out from within the shadows like a rocket. It flapped its wings and charged right for us.
“Hold your blades!” Chutney shouted to us.
I heard her, and this was a magical creature, but even still, I gripped the hilt of my sword even tighter. The white Pegasus landed right at Chutney’s feet. It stomped its front legs and shook its head, its wings flapping.
“Wait, what?” Chutney reached out to pet the horse’s nose—then gasped. “Are you sure?”
The horse nodded its head several times.
Chutney spun to face the rest of us with wide eyes. “She says Emersyn and Deacon sent her to help us. They’re in New York.”
My heart fluttered. “What? How? Why?”
“They both got a dream from Cooper, and they knew we were in trouble—”
“Holy shit, it worked,” Cooper whispered.
“What do we do?” Chutney pet the horse soothingly. “What do you want me to have her do?”
“Send in help!” Warner flailed his arms around. “The Coven can be here in—”
“NO,” Jackson shouted. “We can’t risk everyone—”
“We don’t need everyone,” Tennessee grumbled. He pulled Tegan into his chest. “Just Em and Deacon should be enough. Ask her to send them—"
“How? How are we supposed to send any kind of note back?” Cooper pointed to Chutney. “She’s here.”
Tennessee opened his mouth then shut it. He cursed.
Willow groaned and her arms wobbled like she was holding up the sky, which she kind of was. She dropped to one knee. “Just send something back with it!”
Yes. Yes, that’s it. If we sent something back to New York for Emersyn, she would know we needed help. The question was…which item would convey the right message. I looked around, and my gaze landed on Tegan. This was her twin. She’d come running in here with fire blazing if she knew Tegan was in trouble. I glanced at my best friend lying in her soulmate’s arms. There had to be something we could spare—and then I saw it.
I dove forward and reached for her arms.
“What are you doing?” Tenn pulled her away from me. “We are not sending her!”
I swatted his hands away and reached for her again. “Her jacket!”
His eyes widened, and then he uncurled his arms. I dove for the lapel of her black leather jacket.
Pale hands shot out in front of me. I didn’t look up, but I saw the black O on her thin forearm. Chutney. It took the two of us a matter of seconds to carefully pull the jacket off of her while Tennessee stood frozen like a statue.
Chutney gripped the soft leather and spun toward the white Pegasus then held it up. “Take this jacket to the Empress. Hurry, please. Thank you.”
The Pegasus took the jacket in its mouth then shot into the dark sky like a shooting star.
Chapter Five
BETTINA
The Pegasus disappeared into the black sky with Tegan’s jacket in its mouth. The other Pegasi screeched then raced after the white one.
“Oh shit, RUN!” Tennessee shouted.
I frowned and stared up at the sky for a second, searching for whatever he’d just seen. But I didn’t see anything new. Just the smoke and shadow— Oh shit. It dawned on me far too late. Two big, warm hands grabbed each of my arms and pulled me into a sprint. My right arm buzzed with electricity and I prayed it was Cooper, but as I turned my head, I found Jackson’s rose-tattooed hand gripping me tight. Cooper had my left arm.
Tennessee led us through the field, but I knew he was holding back. I knew the guy could fly if he wanted to, but instead, he was waiting with us. The trees swayed and the ground rumbled. Then a roar like a dinosaur ripped through the sky. A dragon blacker than night emerged from within the tree line and soared just over our heads.
“LONAN!” Chutney squealed, and her face brightened.
My own steps lightened as a new wave of hope arrived. Lonan was a massive black dragon who covered most of the sky as he flew over us. His spiked tail whipped back and forth, slicing through smoke and shadows. He opened his mouth, and a stream of bright orange fire drenched the night.
YES!
All the smoke wrapping around us on the ground shot into the air—right for Lonan. It was something out of a horror film. Shadows and smoke swarmed around his big body, and it looked like darkness itself was sucking him in. He thrashed around and spit fire—and then he dropped into the trees. Flames danced through the trees and peeked over the tops.
Chutney screamed. “LONAN! Help is coming!! HANG ON!”
A second later, bright light flashed, and the ground rumbled so hard it knocked us to our knees. Even Tenn dropped into a crouch. That white Pegasus shot across the darkness like a shooting star. Two dozen Pegasi flew in right behind it. Half of them dove toward the spot where Lonan had gone down.
Red lightning shot across the sky.
“YES,” Tenn breathed. For the first time since Tegan had passed out, I saw a glimmer of a sparkle in his eyes.
“What? What do you see?”
Red smoke rose up from the ground then slithered across the grass. The smoke froze, turning to solid shapes. Human-like shadows stood like statues with red mist coiling around them. The white Pegasus swooped down low. I couldn’t see much, but the long strands of platinum blonde hair flying in the wind made me want to cry.
Emersyn.
Bright orange and red flames blasted the field, scorching everything in sight.
The Pegasus flew toward us. Emersyn leaned over the side of it, and she had on Tegan’s jacket.
“GET OUT!” she screamed, and then she was gone.
Two more Pegasi dropped low. The black one in front carried Deacon on its back. They hovered over us.
“I’ll try and clear the way. Just get moving!” Deacon took off ahead of us.
Chutney jumped up, and the third Pegasus, a brown one, dipped lower so she could climb
on. She grabbed Willow’s hand and pulled her up. Then she leaned over as the Pegasus rose up, and she shouted, “GO!”
Then they were gone. I watched the winged horse fly straight for the flames within the trees. She’s going for Lonan.
“They’re right. Let’s move!” Tenn shouted and leapt to his feet.
Jackson, Warner, Cooper, and I raced after him. I gripped my sword, but nothing jumped out at us. Everything was frozen, but not with ice. Deacon had somehow used his power of persuasion to lock them in place. I didn’t understand it, but I didn’t have to. All I had to do was maneuver my way around them. As we ran by, the rescues jumped up off the ground and chased after us. There had to be dozens of them following behind us.
“How far is the gate?” Warner yelled.
Tenn glanced over his shoulder then looked straight. “It’s close. I can feel it. Don’t stop.”
Fire shot over our heads. I looked up, expecting to see Emersyn, but it was Lonan. He dropped down and landed in the field, and I spotted Chutney riding on his back.
She whistled and waved her arms. “COME ON, PEOPLE! GET ON!”
I thought these rescues would be afraid of a black dragon, but they flocked toward him. Within seconds, Lonan had humans hanging off every spike.
Yes, get them out of here. We were too far away from him, but that was okay. We were warriors. We could run.
“We’ll be back!” Chutney shouted, and then Lonan took off and out of sight.
The brown Pegasus followed after them. I caught a glimpse of orangish hair, and then the sky turned blue with Willow’s magic. The other rescues turned and spotted us running, so they sprinted toward us. Their faces were masks of fear, and I only prayed mine didn’t match.
I glanced ahead of us and spotted a thick forest. I smiled. That was it. That was our way out. The gate had to be just through there. The trees would provide cover. We were almost there.
The black Pegasus emerged from within the trees. Red lightning shot into the sky.
The Coven - Academy Magic Complete Series Page 53
