Page 12 of Witch Please
“Disappointed?” I asked River, then blinked at his profile because I was unsure if I said it out loud to him or just thought it. After a long second of no comment coming my way and without moving too much in case, he decided to drop me, I tried to see where we were pressing my mouth firmly shut in case the contents from the late dinner that we had what felt like a year ago came out. With each flap of River’s wings, I was getting a horrible case of motion sickness. Seeing that my best friend was not hurt lifted a mountain that was pressing on my chest, and I was already lightheaded because of it without the feeling like something was tugging me gradually towards the horizon.
Lights were blinking from below us. At least they looked like lights from whatever I could see from the spirits darting all around us like a swarm of bees, so at least we were out of that cursed forest. I felt better knowing that if I fell, I would splatter on the ground like a ripe melon instead of being impaled on a tree like a skewer. Perspective was the key to happiness. Another thing I learned was very important if I wanted to keep my sanity.
“Almost there.” Blondie finally turned his head to look at me and my lower belly tightened from the intensity of his gaze. “Hold on.” With no further warning his arm tightened around me and I swallowed a scream when we dipped low in the air increasing in speed as he shot like a bullet toward the ground while I was clinging to him like a spider monkey.
I’m sure everyone would agree that I would’ve had a lot to say about the situation, or even cause a scene, but the truth of the matter was, I was afraid. What could’ve been probably the first time in my life I was genuinely and utterly rendered speechless because I was scared. There are a number of ways I saw myself going down and most of them were epic if I could say so myself. None included Mazzikin possession. In general, I was a control freak. Being killed because I was a nutcase with no control of my actions was my worst nightmare.
First that damn book, now the demons.
A body of water came into view, which at first, I mistook as my mind playing tricks on me. The tears gathering at the corners of my eyes were turning everything distorted so it took me a long moment between that and digging my nails into River’s arm to realize that it was indeed the reflection of the moon I was seeing in the distance. Nervously, I glanced around at the Mazzikin; although they seemed more agitated, they stayed away from our little bubble of safety.
Blackman swayed slightly and I dug my manicure harder into his arm, breaking skin. Worried he might decide to drop me if he was hurt and couldn’t carry my weight any longer, I summoned all the courage I could to release him with one hand so I could point at what looked like a lake. As we got closer, I realized it was Lake Erie.
“Aim there, River.” I shouted at him. “It’ll cushion the fall.” At the same time, he shot me a glare like it was my fault he skipped shoulder day at the gym and couldn’t carry Sissily and I easily. My best friend was done dangling silently on the other side as well. I caught a sight of her arm flicking the air in front of her and ropes of fire burst from her fingertips smacking the demons who got closer while I was not paying them any attention.
My heart skipped a beat.
Whatever was keeping us safe was wearing off and they were crowding us more and more with each inch of altitude we lost. Sissily was saying something too from the other side but between the screams and the flapping wings her voice was lost to my ears. Blackman however was nodding so I took that as a good sign. Especially when he twisted harshly and pointed us at the lake as we increased speed going down.
Fear clawed a hole in my gut for more reasons than just breathing my last breath. Ever since the spell backfired with the Mazzikin my magic turned its back on me. By now I should’ve been lit up like fireworks but not a spark was to be seen. Fortunately, I had other, more crucial things to worry about than the lack of powers when I needed them most.
Suddenly the wings that loomed over us like an umbrella retracted when he tucked them closer to his body and we zipped faster than I thought possible going down. I’d never been the praying type, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t praying to anyone that would listen to save our lives. Many things went through my head, dumb ones like maybe I should’ve kissed River at least once before I splattered like a water balloon in the middle of Cleveland, Ohio.
Instead, I snuggled closer to his body and closing my eyes I braced for impact. It didn’t happen immediately, so naturally I cracked my eyelids open which I regretted instantly. A shriek louder than the Mazzikin ripped from my throat.
We were dropping deadweight aimed right at a glass building that was placed half on solid ground, the other half over the lake. The building itself was made out entirely of glass on first glace and resembled a pyramid. Under a closer inspection, it was made from different shapes you’d think a toddler stacked up learning forms in a jumbled mess that somehow stayed standing. I would’ve been impressed if my life was not flashing before my eyes. Ropes of flames were still twisting and turning over the water cutting a path between the demons that gave us a clear view of the place where we were going to die, a courtesy of Sissily who unlike me through this whole ordeal was useful. So, as things were, all I could do was continue to scream.
Until the only sound echoing through the night was my embarrassing screech.
That too cut off abruptly when we were jerked to a stop as if an invisible hand plucked us from the sky. What was left was the drumming of my heartbeat between my ears which was making me nauseous and dizzy. And River’s arm which tightened around me so painfully you’d think someone was trying to steal me from him.
“I can’t breathe.” My rasp sounded too loud to my ears forcing me to wince. At least the pressure loosened around my ribs, so I was able to suck in much needed air. Now that my lungs were not deprived, I could also notice a lot of things which were previously unimportant to my brain. “They’re not attacking.” The ill attempt of pointing at the Mazzikin had my hand flopping around like a dead fish.
“Maybe we can go down, River?” Sissily’s tone was raw and hoarse telling me I wasn’t the only one screaming in the last hour. “I can think better when my feet are touching the ground.”
“The goddess didn’t have in mind airborne activities when she created me either.” I was under no obligation to support my best friend at all times, but I did so anyway the very second Blackman turned his peepers my way. “I was made to cruise low where my toes can graze the mother.”
Sissily groaned. “Save her from her misery, I beg of you, River. She’ll keep talking the longer we stay up here.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” my indignation was accompanied by a smug, low chuckle from Blackman that did dumb things to my neither region. Damn him and his stupid pigeon feathers.
“Anyone care to enlighten me, why the Mazzikin are not attacking. Two seconds ago, I had flash backs from my life and now they are looking at me like I am a curiosity to them.” Uneasiness clawed at my insides as I watched the spirits floating around us, as if they were not trying to burst my ear drums a second ago.
“It is rather peculiar how they stopped shrieking the moment we entered the space above the lake.” River gazed thoughtfully around us with a line forming between his brows, but his arm tightened around me, and I am guessing Sissily too.
“They do say curses do not carry over water. I don’t suppose you know who can place a curse on spirits, do you Blackman? That should be right up your alley, only pigeons like yourself can screw with demons, correct?” If I sounded smug, it’s because I was. Not like I was supposed to die anymore and the Mazzikin was staying away from us for now. In the meantime, I needed someone to blame, and Blackman was the perfect candidate.
“I am not sure that is the case here Hazel.” Sissily leaned over Blackman so she could look at me. “I can’t be sure, but I think we entered a protection circle when we entered the building. If I am not mistaken, we are at the right place.
“I will have to agree with Sissily, I have been trying to get us to the ground in the last few minutes with no luck”. My head jerked to the side so I could gape at Blackman who so casually told us we were stuck two hundred feet in the air dangling like Christmas ornaments above Lake Erie. “We’re staying here for now.”
“I don’t know how to break it to you Blackman, but if my boots don’t touch the ground in the next five minutes, I will pluck you feather by feather till there is nothing left.” Ignoring the glare Sissily was shooting my way, I narrowed my eyes at River to ensure that he knew I wasn’t kidding.
Strong winds pelted us from all sides, swinging our bodies this way or that, despite the fact that I hated being stuck with River with no escape route in site, I tightened my hold on him, now that the screeches of the Mazzikin were gone, nothing prevented me from hearing his heart beat thumping across his rib cage to mine. And that did all sorts of dumb things to my brain that I tried so hard to ignore.
What rubbed me wrong was not that I could not resist Blackman at all costs to save my life, it was the fact that he was aware of it if the smirk twitching the corner of his lips was anything to go by. The jerk knew what he was doing to me, and he loved every minute of it.
I fucking hated it!
