Page 39 of Jacinth

He grunted and held his hand out toward the tree. Black smoke shot out of the amulet around his neck and slammed into the wood with a splintering crack.

“Clever witch.”

Not going to lie, his voice was majorly freaking me out. Like, it wasn’t normal. Like, if Vin Diesel as a snake spoke through one of those synthesizer machines?... Except that I loved Vin Diesel. And snakes. And synthesizer machines.

I didn’t love this guy.

An unnatural gust of wind whirled around Father Dare next, and dead roses began pelting him from all angles.

Wait. Had she been using magic to cover my grave with rotten flowers this whole time?!

Focus, Jace, think about that later.

He sliced his hand across his body and the smoke cut the flurry in half. The debris settled in front of him like an aisle leading to the sea witch. The clearing was developing this confusing scent combination of fresh cut wood and burning oil, and I knew I would never be able to walk into a furniture shop again without remembering this moment.

Not that I could walk into a furniture shop.

More carvings lit up; more trees crashed down under the impact of that smoke. What was that stuff? It looked similar to what took the other kid I saw.

Wicked cool bubble jets shot out of Gladys’s fingers and wrapped around Father Dare’s limbs, forcing him to his knees, and I barely suppressed a cheer.

Gladys broke eye contact with her opponent for half a second and waved frantically at me, trying to get me out safely. I shook my head and sank deeper into my hiding spot.

Maybe I could help? I thought idiotically.

The priest broke free of his binds and sent oil-slicked water flowing out from him.

Seaweed burst out of the ground next and tripped him up, but a thread of smoke wound around Gladys’s neck from behind, and then it was all she could do to keep her feet.

After further back and forth—that I was certain the stupid priest cheated in—Gladys made her last stand. Her arms shot out to perform what would have been a kickass spell; except between one breath and the next, she was wrapped entirely in that smoke. Her shriek was like a physical cut, and I actually placed a palm on my chest to see if I bled.

When I looked back up from my hand, she was gone.

Want to know one of the bad parts of having a body? Adrenaline.

As the “priest”—NFW was that dude a real priest—sauntered out of the clearing, I went into shock. Full body shakes, so violent my teeth chattered. I had the passing thought that I should move. Do something. But nothing was working.

Runes.

Smoke.

Water.

Freaking smoke.

Gladys.

Shit. Gladys.

Next thing I was aware of, Orion’s face shoved into my line of sight, and by the concern written across it, I could tell he had been trying to get my attention. I couldn’t move. Shit, what had he said?

I forced my mouth to move. The vowels and consonants strung together in what I hoped was a semi-coherent sentence.

“It’s Gladys. She’s... gone.”

CHAPTER 28

Niko

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