Page 65 of Midnight Waters

But as soon as he got out and shut his door, I opened mine. Even from a distance, this standoff looked like a ticking time bomb. I couldn’t let him walk right into it without backup.

I jogged to keep up with Dad as we approached, and as we got closer, Nigel jerked his head just an inch in our direction.

“You!” He lowered his wand an inch in surprise, but immediately lifted it back up.

For a second, I thought he was talking to Dad, but as we got closer, I realised his gaze was fixed on me.

Dad must have realised at the same time as me because he stopped dead in his tracks and held an arm out to stop me, too.

“Barely a week since you got back and you’re already throwing us Everharts under the bus,” Nigel snapped.

“Excuse me?” I asked.

What had I done?

“Adrian has barely left the police station since you got back,” Nigel said. “Strange coincidence, hmm?”

“Your boy got himself into trouble; don’t blame Maeve for his stupidity.” Keith readjusted the potion in his hand.

“Let’s all just take a breath.” Dad stepped forward with palms facing out.

My throat constricted as he did so. Usually, the disagreements between families were nothing but arguments on the streets, at least since the police had put their foot down. With weapons, the four people who stood there threatened to reignite a full-on war between the Arrowoods and the Everharts.

“None of this is Maeve’s fault, there have just been some misunderstandings, that’s all,” Dad said.

“There are no misunderstandings with the likes of you.” Robert shot me a dirty look. “It’s sabotage.”

“Prove it,” Keith said.

“Keith.” Dad’s warning tone did nothing to deter him.

“What a great idea.” Nigel glared at me with a wicked grin. “Give me five minutes alone with her and I’m sure I could make her confess.”

“That’s enough.” Dad stepped forward again, but I grabbed his arm to stop him.

After all this time, he should have known an empty threat when he heard one.

Keith, however, raised his arm even higher. “You don’t threaten the Arrowoods.”

My heart sputtered as Keith hurled the potion toward the two men. It smashed at their feet and a black plume of smoke exploded into the air, engulfing them both.

“Get back, get back.” Dad grabbed Wendy’s arm to drag her away from the cloud, but she wrenched her arm out of his reach.

“If you’re not going to help, just leave!” Wendy spat words laced with venom.

Through the dark cloud, a series of orange lights grew suddenly, until they burst out of the darkness. Balls of fire hurtled toward us at breakneck speed, and one of them shot straight toward Dad.

Without thinking—without even breathing—I launched myself at Dad. We collided and slammed against a nearby tree.

But the jolt of my collarbone faded into nothingness as a sharper, more consuming pain ripped across my hip.

I cried out, rolling onto the grass as the sensation seared into my skin.

Tears welled in my eyes but I blinked them away as I reached a trembling hand toward the source of the pain.

My jeans had torn across my hip, the edges frayed and singed. A slick sensation coated my fingertips as I touched them to the area.

I hissed as the pain shot up my torso, and not a second later, a familiar jolt racked my body.

---