Page 31 of Body of Echoes

ELEVEN

I grunted as I tried to break free from the Cidris’s grip, kicking and thrashing, hoping one hit would do enough damage to release me.

“Got you, creature,” one growled.

“Get off me!” I roared.

“Drabe,” one shouted to the other.

I kept yanking, even when I heard the small chitter of the tiny insect with hair-thin legs between the fingers of the Cidris. I knew with one squish, it would teleport us to their facility.

“No!” I screamed in shrill pain. To watch another creature from my lands die in front of me would be heartbreaking. It would be cutting the golden thread that connected our two souls.

Ruptures of a diamond smoke swallowed me in shadow as the Cidris’s hands fell away. I stumbled forward through the heavy fog that smelled of ocaberries.

Two small hands reached out to me through the haze. When I gripped them, I was yanked out of the distorted cloud and to Topine’s side.

“I forgot you can’t use your magic.” She giggled as if this was all too amusing to her.

She took me away with a precise, powerful wind. It felt as if the gust was her friend, licking our skin in a welcoming hello. This must be just a shred of the extreme control she had over her magic. Perhaps I, too, would be as confident if I could wield my magic as she did.

In a gentle landing, we were back in Aldris’s room and Topine was doubled over laughing. “The look on their stupid faces.” Then, her magic ripped down her pale arms and snapped the shackles around my wrists in half, setting me free.

My breathing went rigid with adrenaline and fright and panic and everything in between.

We’re home, but Cidris found us. And I’m wearing your shirt, Fletcher! They’ll know about you! Y-your shirt!

There wasn’t an answer, so I tried again, not seeing my skin light up.

Fletcher!

In a blink of an eye, Fletcher appeared beside Topine, dashed his hand to her arm, then they were both gone.

I had been alone all day, trying to communicate with Fletcher, but my magic wasn’t working right. I accidently shattered the ceramic lamp on the nightstand and put a hole in one of the stairs, so I gave up before I took Aldris’s entire house down.

I went through a set of stretches, found a deck of cards to play solitaire, munched on some food from the fridge, rebraided my hair a dozen times, reread some ofInvisible Etta, and took a cold shower.

I huffed, arms crossed over my chest and paced Aldris’s bedroom.

“Ripley.” His voice was smooth like velvet.

I spun around to see him standing like a tall shadow in the corner of the room.

He took a solid step forward, tipping my chin upward to meet his gaze. “Are you hurt?”

I shook my head and rubbed my wrist unintentionally at the thought of the shackles that had been on me. “No. Sorry. I tried telling you, but my magic isn’t working right today.”

He gulped and looked down at my wrists. “They said they had you in both shackles.”

“It’s fine. I’m just worried they smelled you on me and recognized your shirt.”

“It’s just a black shirt. I’m okay.” An apologetic tornado eddied through his eyes as he dropped his hand, stepped forward, and laid a gentle kiss on my head. “I didn’t know she’d behave that way. I’m sorry I put you in that position.”

I wrapped my arms around his waist, paying attention to the tranquility that entered my system, soothing our magic to sleep, just from Fletcher being here. I knew what I wanted to do. “Take me to Elizy. I want to give you your magic back. And I want to learn how to use my own.”

His brows lifted. “Really? You want to give me my magic back?”

I shrugged. “It’s yours.”

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