Chapter 13
Tia was concentrating on her mental connection to the male stretched next to her as he battled against the nasty slime.
She was weary to the bone, but then she sensed she was no longer alone in the mist. Shoving away the weariness that pressed against her with a tangible force, she watched a shadowed form begin to creep toward Joe.
Refusing to panic, she sucked in a slow, deep breath and reached up to touch the choker around her neck.
She’d infused each pearl with an extra boost of magic that would help her trap whatever or whoever had been sneaking around.
Or maybe she would just destroy the creature, she decided as a heavy throb of power pulsed through the air.
A swift, killing blow might be her only hope of defeating it.
Silently mouthing a spell designed to strike with lethal force, Tia clenched her teeth as the power gathered inside her, feeling like sharp shards as it fused into a knot in the center of her being. The magic was warning her that it was dangerous to use. Both for her and her intended victim.
Waiting until the form passed close enough for her to see a vague outline of a tall, slender figure, Tia released her spell.
The magic flared with a blinding brightness, aiming straight for the intruder like an arrow. A second later she heard a low growl. It sounded as if it came from an animal, assuring her that she’d hit the mark.
“Gotcha,” she rasped, leaping to her feet.
As quick as the light had flared, it was gone. In fact, everything including Tia was plunged in an impenetrable darkness. It had to be magic, but Tia didn’t recognize the spell. Was it connected to the strange creature attacking Joe?
Expecting a retaliatory attack, Tia silently moved to the side, preparing a spell. She didn’t have enough magic left for a second strike, but she could wrap the creature in a snare. It might be enough to hold them so she could call for backup.
The mist rippled, as if the creature was moving away. Tia prepared to release her spell. She couldn’t let the thing escape.
“You think you can defeat me, worthless mortal?” a harsh voice whispered behind her.
Tia swiveled, the hair on her nape rising. How did the creature move so fast?
“I’m going to feast on your bones.”
Tia released the snare, backing toward Joe as she heard an unnerving chuckle echo through the darkness. The sound began to fade away, but Tia wasn’t taking any chances. It might be trying to fool her into lowering her guard only to circle back.
She was close enough to Joe to feel the creepy pulses of power from the evil pool of slime when an agonizing pain exploded in the back of her mind. At first she assumed the creature was attacking her. She couldn’t see the aggravating intruder, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t lurking in the mist.
Squeezing her head in her hands, she tried to locate the source of the pain. It wasn’t until she heard the scream from downstairs that she realized she wasn’t the one being hurt. It was Maya.
With a hiss of fear, Tia shut off her mental connection to Joe, feeling disoriented as she opened her eyes and glanced around the empty apartment.
She was still kneeling next to the unconscious male, her legs numb and her neck muscles cramped from sitting in one position for so long.
She needed a mattress and blanket if she was going to stay for another night.
Another scream interrupted her foggy thoughts, and forcing herself to her feet, Tia stumbled out of the apartment and down the outside stairs.
It was light enough to easily see the alleyway was empty, but she could hear heavy traffic out front.
It had to be evening rush hour. Raising her hand, she sent out a pulse of magic, busting through the back door of the pawnshop.
Another scream ripped through the air, and without pausing to see if she was rushing into a trap, Tia ran through the storage area and into the front shop. The space was empty. There was nothing to see beyond a shabby counter and one metal stool.
With a frown, Tia darted toward the counter, at last finding Maya on the filthy floor, curled into a tight ball as a reddish magic surrounded her like a blanket.
Dammit. Tia glanced toward the counter, relieved to spot Maya’s satchel.
Her own magic had been depleted by her attempt to kill the mysterious attacker. She needed help.
Lunging toward the satchel, she shoved her hand in to grab the first vial she could wrap her fingers around.
Without bothering to glance at it, she tossed the potion toward the magic.
Maya’s screams warned her that the spell was doing serious damage.
She couldn’t worry whether the potions might cause additional injury or not.
There was a sizzling sound as the vial burst against the malicious magic and the glow momentarily dimmed. Without hesitation Tia grabbed another vial and tossed it. This one coated Maya in a layer of ice.
Perfect.
Stepping forward, Tia called on her fading powers and muttered the words to a healing spell.
She stumbled through the words more than once.
Her magic was devoted to collecting power and punishing her enemies, not curing the ill.
At last she managed to mutter the right incantation and with a desperate mental push she released her magic.
It started with a low hum. A gentle vibration that spread over the frozen shell of magic.
Once Tia was certain it was entirely surrounded, she intensified the hum, increasing the volume along with the speed.
Nothing happened as Maya continued to scream, her eyes squeezed shut as if trying to block out the pain.
Tia clenched her teeth. This would work. As long as she didn’t panic.
The vibrations continued, the sound becoming more of a high-pitched squeal than a hum. Tia winced as the noise threatened to pierce her eardrum, but the spell at last reached the perfect resonance, and with a thud that sent her stumbling backward, the spell surrounding Maya abruptly shattered.
Regaining her balance, Tia rushed forward as Maya slowly sat up, her hand pressing against her heart as if making sure she was still alive.
“What the hell was that?” she rasped.
Tia’s breath hissed between her clenched teeth. “It has to be the creature from the mist.”
Maya sent her a confused glance. “The toxic magic that’s attacking Joe? It’s spreading?”
Tia took a second to recall her brief battle with the shrouded form. The magic had been unfamiliar, but it didn’t have the same clinging evil as the stuff that was currently wrapped around Joe.
“It doesn’t feel the same,” she admitted, “but they must be working together.”
Maya shuddered. “Great.”
Tia placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “You have to leave.”
“What?”
“The creature is using your presence to distract me from protecting Joe.” Tia glanced at the ceiling, her instincts clamoring for her to return to the male who was alone and vulnerable on the upstairs floor.
“Then we face the threat together,” Maya insisted.
“We can’t. Whatever it is has the ability to disappear into the mist. We can’t follow or stop them.”
“I won’t leave you unprotected.”
Tia felt a burst of warmth at Maya’s determination to keep her safe.
It’d been decades since she’d allowed herself to care what anyone else thought about her.
She’d told herself that her independence made her stronger.
Back then she would have willingly sacrificed Maya if it meant she got what she wanted.
Now she knew that arrogance just made her lonely.
She wasn’t going to let her friend remain a target for the mystery assailant.
“The barrier will stay in place even if you leave.”
“Yeah, they’ve been fairly worthless,” Maya said dryly, obviously referring to the dragon and thief who’d managed to slip through their shields. “But that’s all the more reason I need to stay.”
Tia shook her head. The intrusion by the mysterious male dragon had been a shock, but she would worry about that later.
She was far more concerned with his warning that if they didn’t stop the evil magic from spreading, the entire world might be consumed.
“We’re losing, Maya. Unless we figure out what’s attacking Joe and how to stop it, the magic is going to overwhelm us. ”
Maya’s lips parted as if she intended to insist on staying, then with a heavy sigh she glanced toward the large front window.
“You might be right, but I don’t know where to start if this threat really is connected to the dragons. I’ve never run across any information that goes into any detail. Everything is always rumors and speculation from scholars. Unless you have some unknown manuscript hidden in your library?”
Tia shook her head. “I have nothing. The dragons erased all information before going into hibernation.”
“Then how am I supposed to—”
“I have to return to Joe,” Tia abruptly interrupted, sensing his call of warning. The creature had returned and was circling closer to him. “Find the source of the magic and how to get rid of it,” she commanded, turning to head out the back of the shop.
“Right. Sure. Just produce a miracle out of thin air,” Maya called out, clearly frustrated by the herculean task. “No problem.”
“Make it a fast miracle,” Tia called back, marching up the steps, preparing to head into battle. “The clock’s ticking.”
* * * *
Wynn slowly regained consciousness, her body aching from the violent whiplash of being jerked through a fissure. It was her first time being caught in the powerful snare and she had to admit she wasn’t a fan.
Her bones and muscles ached, as if she’d been stretched too far and snapped rudely back into place. Like being sucked through a black hole.