Page 57 of Witch's Promise

The fireball slammed into Sean's chest with the force of a freight train. He flew backward, crashing through rotten wood and crumbling stone. Pain exploded through every nerve ending as he tumbled, unable to tell up from down.

When Sean finally skidded to a stop, he found himself lying on his back, staring up at the night sky. Somehow, the force of the blast had propelled him all the way out of the basement and through the church's main floor. Smoke billowed around him, and he could hear the ominous creaking of weakened support beams.

"Get up," Sean wheezed, forcing air into his burning lungs. "Get the fuck up, you idiot."

He staggered to his feet, every movement sending fresh waves of agony through his battered body. The church was fully engulfed now, flames licking hungrily at centuries-old wood. The heat was oppressive, making it hard to breathe, hard to think.

Sean stumbled towards what he hoped was the exit, but a thunderous crack from above stopped him in his tracks. He looked up just in time to see a massive wooden beam plummeting towards his head.

"Fuck!" Sean dove to the side, feeling the whoosh of displaced air as the beam crashed to the floor beside him. But his victory was short-lived. More debris rained down, cutting off his escape route.

Panic clawed at Sean's throat as he realized he was trapped. The flames pressed in on all sides, hungrily devouring everything in their path. Smoke filled his lungs, making him cough and gag. His magic, so eager to respond earlier, felt sluggish and weak.

But as the flames drew closer, as Sean prepared himself for the end, something miraculous happened. The fire directly in front of him began to flicker and die, as if being sucked away by an invisible force.

"What the-" Sean squinted through the smoke, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.

And then he saw her. Jessy, battered and bleeding but very much alive, stood in the doorway of the church. Her hands were outstretched, face contorted with effort as she manipulated the flames.

"I can't... hold it... long," Jessy gasped, her voice strained. "Run!"

Sean didn't need to be told twice. He sprinted towards the opening Jessy had created, ignoring the screaming protest of his injuries. Just as he reached her, Jessy's strength gave out. She crumpled forward, and Sean caught her in his arms as the inferno roared back to life behind them.

Together, they stumbled out into the cool night air. Sean's legs gave out, and they collapsed onto the dew-damp grass a safe distance from the burning church. For a long moment, they justlay there, gulping in clean air and watching the flames consume what was left of the building.

"You came back," Sean finally managed, his voice rough from smoke inhalation. "Why?"

Jessy turned her head to look at him, a wry smile tugging at her split lip. "Couldn't let my rescuer become barbecue, could I? Besides, I owed you one."

Sean let out a bark of laughter that quickly turned into a coughing fit. "Fair enough. Thanks for saving my ass."

Chapter 17

Gabe

The coffee in his mug had long since gone cold, forgotten in the frantic rush to piece together any lead they could find. Gabe's stomach churned with a nauseating mixture of caffeine, worry, and the ever-present weight of responsibility that seemed to press down on him with each passing hour.

"Anything?" he asked, hating the desperate edge in his voice.

Lucas looked up, dark circles under his eyes betraying his own exhaustion. "Nothing concrete yet. But we're not giving up, Gabe. We'll find her."

Gabe nodded, trying to draw strength from Lucas's determination. But the gnawing doubt in his gut refused to be silenced. What if they were too late? What if Jessy was already- No. He couldn't let himself go down that road. Not now.

"How's your dad doing?" Marcus asked, his fingers still tracing intricate patterns in the air as he maintained a locator spell.

Gabe sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Still out. Finn says it's normal, that the magical coma is helping him heal. But fuck, I just wish he'd wake up, you know? I could really use his advice right about now."

The words felt selfish even as they left his mouth. His father was fighting for his life, and here Gabe was, wishing he'd wake up just to tell him what to do. Some leader he was turning out to be.

As if sensing the spiral of self-doubt, Lucas spoke up. "Hey, speaking of advice how are you feeling about the whole coven leader thing? That's a pretty big deal, man."

Gabe blinked, momentarily thrown by the change in topic. With everything that had happened, he'd almost forgotten about his father's announcement at the party. The weight of an entire coven's expectations settled onto his already overburdened shoulders, threatening to crush him completely.

"I honestly don't know," Gabe admitted, the words tasting bitter on his tongue. "And besides, I can't leave the Shadowguards behind. You guys are my family too."

Lucas's expression softened, understanding and something else - was that disappointment? - flickering in his eyes. "So what are you going to do?"

Gabe shrugged, aiming for a nonchalance he didn't feel. "I'll work it out like I always do. One crisis at a time."

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