Page 65 of Light Magic

A big shadow fell over me; Levi stood between Sariel and me in his demon form. He deflected Sariel’s magic with a blade made of darkfire.

She stared at him, her eyes wide.

“Levi!” someone shouted.

I followed as Levi glanced to the voice—Abbie. She nodded at him once, and he nodded back.

What?

Before I could ask anything, Levi sent out a wave of darkfire, tall and powerful. It hit the angels and flattened them to the ground. Darkness was left in the wave’s wake, thick and potent. He had used this once to hide us from supernaturals at a park.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me with him.

A few steps to the side, all of our friends gathered in a circle.

Abbie opened a portal. “Hurry, let’s go.”

17

We ran through the portal and into the hall’s library.

I turned to the portal, ready to impale whoever else came through, but it poofed from existence.

Levi, Lacey, Abbie, Evelyn, Ash, and I looked at each other, all of us huffing as if we had run a marathon.

Then Lacey pressed a hand to her stomach and she dropped to the ground. Levi was fast and softened her fall before she hit her head on the floor.

We all rushed to her. My sword disappeared from my hand and I knelt beside Levi. I pulled Lacey’s hand back, her fingers stained with blood. A big gash cut through her middle.

“Lacey?” I called out, my voice trembling. “You have to heal yourself.”

“She can’t,” Levi said. “She can only heal others.”

That was …

“Let’s take her to the infirmary,” Abbie said.

Lacey groaned as Levi picked her up, but she was out of it. We all followed her through the dizzying corridors until we entered what looked like a waiting room with couches and armchairs. Abbie gestured for Levi to walk past an archway, which opened to a large room with a dozen or so beds, all with curtains separating them.

Levi deposited Lacey on a bed in the far back, closest to a shelf-lined wall full of herbs and potions.

Abbie pulled the curtain around the bed. I wanted to follow them, but she looked at us ruefully and said, “You should take care of yourselves.”

Then she disappeared behind the curtain.

I frowned. What did she mean? Then I looked down at myself and saw a few scratches on my arms and hands. Evelyn and Ash, who had come with us, were also hurt.

Evelyn pointed to a counter beside the archway. “I see some supplies there.”

We walked to the counter and cleaned up our wounds in silence, but listening to the grunts and groans from Lacey, while Abbie did what she could to help her.

Could Abbie heal Lacey? I knew her gift was herbs and potions, and I truly hoped that was enough.

I closed my eyes and focused on the bond. It was faint for me, fainter than I thought it was for Levi, but when I reached for it, I could feel his despair, his pain, his fear.

He was scared for his sister, and he hated that he could do nothing for her.

A hand clutched my chest. I wanted to go there and hug him, hold his hand, tell him it would all be okay.

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