Page 15 of Cursed

Douglas readies himself too. We exchange a determined glance.

The outer door opens and closes, and a soft shuffle of feet approaches down the corridor.

Time for my final lure. “Oh, Goddess, Shayla! You’re hurt!” I shout, pushing emotion through my voice. I’m envisioning the burns on her skin. She actually mightnotbe okay. “You need help! Where are your mates?”

Mr. Hollis winces at that last bit. I feel for him. To be separated from your mate when you know they’re in trouble would be a horrible situation. I imagine that I would be pulling my hair out with worry and grief. I’m just her friend, and I’m totally freaking out.

There’s a build-up of magic at the door, and it crashes open.

Dummy. Millie just wasted her telekinetic powers on an unlocked door. But maybe she did it for dramatic effect. Sure, it would have caught us by surprise if we weren’t all waiting for her to fall into our trap.

“What the—?” Millie snarls and goes into a fighting crouch.

Chara hides behind Millie.

I suddenly realize I don’t know what kind of magic Chara has. She isn’t a shifter or a vamp. Whatever she is, she doesn’t have an innate magic useful in combat. And I’ve never sensed any power from her.

Then Chara pulls out vials from her pockets and aims them at Mr. Hollis with a deadly throw.

He quickly summons air and repels the potions back at her.

She doesn’t deflect it.

I was right—no active magic. How had I missed that before?

She is a potions-weaver. Maybe along with some other passive magic, but nothing that will help much in a fight. Good.

The boomeranged bottles crash at her feet and explode.

Gas fumes bloom, but the wind Hollis creates blows the toxic brew out the door. Thank goodness. It would have likely made us all sick. It appears to be a wolf’s bane concoction that doesn’t just screw with wolf shifters butallshifters, except for the magically resistant dragons.

Who knows what else she has in her arsenal?

I hit her with a bolt of my electric magic to take her out.

Chara jerks, body spasming.

Mr. Hollis is tossed backward by Millie’s telekinetic power.

Maxum chants a short phrase, and Millie falls to her knees, holding her head.

Recovering his footing, the professor uses this moment to throw a web of magic over both of them.

With them now contained, I stop electrocuting Chara.

The demon races forward and places his hands on their foreheads, and both mages collapse, unconscious.

“Get them in the chairs,” Mr. Hollis orders, and we rush to assist.

7

INTERROGATIONS

QUADE

Douglas and Kat make quick work of tying the horrid creatures up.

The two females begin to rouse.

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