Page 118 of Owned

But as I released it, the projectile veered wildly off course and exploded into the underbrush instead of hitting my pursuers. The violet light flared and turned the shadows into strange caricatures that somehow made the forest even more frightening.

The crackle of smoking energy fizzled out uselessly and left me trembling with frustration.

“Nice try!” another voice sneered. The shapes darted behind the trees and wove in and out of my vision like malevolent phantoms. Failure pressed down on me and my heart raced as I fought to keep moving, but my limbs were heavy and uncooperative.

And I was tired—so tired.

So cold.

“Why won’t you work?!” I hissed as my breath dragged from my lungs in ragged gasps. With each step, my strength waned, and I felt the primal urge to survive warring against the exhaustion threatening to drown me. My muscles screamed in protest, and I staggered, nearly losing my footing again.

“Come now, little one… You don’t need to keep running,” a mocking voice cooed from the depths of the forest. Their words slithered into my ears like venom. “Give up now...”

“Shut up!” I screamed.

Where are you—

I wanted the grimoire.

I wanted Titus. Valen. Bastian.

They were so ruthless. Merciless.

And their magic was so much stronger…

Mine was—

No.

Mine was just as strong… But why wasn’t it working?

I lashed out again, but the ball of smoking violet energy barely left my hand before it extinguished itself into nothingness. The fleeting light revealed the shapes, monstrous and looming, their features exaggerated by the shadows. They looked almost human at a glance, but the distorted outlines were hard to make out for sure.

“The keyline did its job—” one shadow said.

A keyline— was that why I was feeling so weak?

Was that why my magic was muffled?

Taunts and laughter filled the air like physical blows, and I stumbled forward—then stopped, gasping.

The motorcycle!

I almost didn’t believe it.

It was so close now.

All I had to do was reach it.

Mocking cries chased me as I willed my legs to move, but my strength was fading fast. My breath tore from my lungs in painful rasps, and my vision swam as I pushed forward.

With one last desperate surge, I closed the distance and stumbled against the bike.

I was freezing.

Exhausted.

But I was here.

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