Page 13 of Witch Please
“So, River do you come here often?” My drawl earned me a raised eyebrow which I returned with as straight a face as I could.
“Before I dropped my phone when I am assuming River yanked me out of the truck, I am pretty sure Danika was about to tell me something regarding the demons and the reason the exorcism did not work on them.” After an awkward silence stretched between us with my attempt at humor, I decided to put River out of his misery, the situation we were in was more important than making his life miserable. “Looking at them now, I get this sinking feeling, they were not sent to harm the pack or anyone else. I could be wrong, but I think we were herded like sheep, and they have us right where they want us.”
“I believe you are correct Miss Byrne. The fact that we can’t land, nor can we fly away from here confirms your suspicions.” River muttered under his breath, intently staring at all the Mazzikin floating passively around us.
“Okay, I need both of you to shut up and help me come up with a solution that will place the soles of my feet on the ground.” Sissily hissed at us through clinched teeth which she followed by blowing a piece of hair out of her face, harsh enough to plop it to the back of her skull.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you are afraid of heights girl.” If looks could kill, I’m pretty sure I would’ve been dead by now. I had to back track before she decided to zap me with magic. “Take it easy there, killer, it was only a joke. I would rather be down there as well…”
My voice trailed off when gurgling sounded from the lake below us accompanied by large bubbles that rose to the surface of the lake toward us. River twisted around pulling both of us with him in his futile attempts to escape whatever was about to make an appearance. His wings stretched wide behind us forming a flimsy protection from what seemed to be a goddess forsaken kraken. Tentacles as wide as my waist wiggled up in the air reaching for us and although it couldn’t get anywhere near, I still kicked at it.
Shivers slithered up my spine as my brain produced all types of worse case scenarios, and in none of them did I escape the creature that was eyeing us from below the lake. I bet it was coming up with ideas on how to best snatch us. Now I knew how a fly would feel when a frog catches sight of it.
“Sissily don’t just sit there, zap it.” Not daring to take my eyes off the octopus thingy, I plastered myself to River, they will have to surgically remove me from him when we end up landing.
“The only thing I will do is piss him off, I think this a perfect situation to test your magic.” My best friend pointed out very reasonably, which reminded me.
“About that. Do you remember that you were the one pushing the Mazzikin back this whole evening?” Not waiting for an answer, I smiled tightly at her. “I can’t use my magic, it’s gone.”
“What do you mean it’s gone?” Both of them shouted at the same time.
“Funny story, after the failed attempt at exorcism, it kinda fell dormant. All through the night I had a roller coaster ride of emotional trauma and nothing,” Sticking my arm out, I wiggled it in their faces.” See, not even a spark. Nothing.”
“It could be because me and River are here.” Sissily ever the helpful rushed to assure me that there was nothing wrong with me. “You know that your magic always pulls back around people you care about.”
“Right.” My snort echoed in the silent air around us.” I will never feel safe around River when it comes to my magic. Every time I see his face, all I can think about is how would a fried pigeon taste. All joking aside I think I screwed something up or that spell backfired. Can you imagine if I turn out to be a dud again? I would pay to see Danika’s face then.”
“It could be all the blood loss too.” My best friend reached across River to give my arm an affectionate squeeze. “You have been bleeding left and right the last month or so every chance you get. Despite your Fae lineage, you are a witch after all. No blood, no magic I am afraid.”
“You say such sweet things.” I deadpanned although I did smile tightly at her to soften the sting. She meant well and it was not her fault. My life was all screwed up, if anything, her friendship made it bearable.
“Get ready ladies,” Blackman flapped his wings and shifted us sideways so that we could float away further from the creature below us. “Here it comes again.”
All things considered, it was kind of nice for Blackman to let the banter between Sissily and I to go on as long as it did. Not like I would have admitted it to anyone, but despite all of his faults, he was a decent guy. As a friend, nothing else, he would have been a perfect candidate to serve as a joy ride, but I changed my ways. Okay fine, I just don’t want to kill anyone, and I light up like a Christmas tree. A geyser shot from the lake high enough to spray us from head to toe. River tried to shield us with his wings but was not fast enough. Brown stinky water dripped down my face, sending rage spiking through my veins.
Horrified, I looked down and my five-hundred-dollar blouse and wanted to cry. Yet another designer piece ruined by cursed demons with the rate they were going, I had every intention to ask Leviathan for reimbursement when I ended up finding him, of course.
“Incoming!” Sissily warned, flinging her forearm in front of her face.
Following her example, I did the same, but I should not have bothered. River tucked both of us closer to his body and cocooned us in the circle of his wings so he could take the brunt of the impact. We knew we were stuck up in the air, so he took the risk to protect us rather than to keep us afloat. I should have known something horrible was about to happen. I didn’t expect it.
Something solid slammed into us from the side so hard that I lost my grip on River. The sound of a bone cracking was like a bullet firing next to my ear. To hear Blackman shouting in pain was something that I did not think I would hear. Despite the fact that I was plummeting toward the churning lake, my heart hurt from the sound. Sissily’s scream told me that she was yanked away from us too, and although I twisted and turned to see them too, the only thing in front of my eyes was the foaming dark waters from the lake.
There was no time to scream, pray, or even laugh at the absurdity of it all.
I was so close to it I could smell the fishy stench of the tentacle waiting at the bottom of the lake. Anger stabbed me at the center of the chest that whoever it was gunning for my head had no decency to look me in the eye before they took my life. I didn’t care about that either. What I did care about was that fucker was about to kill my best friend and the guy that has been the thorn in my side for so long.
A slimy tentacle triumphantly curled around my body and tightened hard enough to make my bones grind. It only fueled my rage more. It yanked me under water a second after I filled my lungs with air.
And that is when it happened.
That was when my magic had had enough, my skin burst into shimmering words of forgotten tongues and the lake exploded from rays of light as if the sun took a dive in the middle of Lake Erie and illuminated everything within sight.
Take that Kraken.
CHAPTER8
Aslow clapping brought me back from the pit of nothingness that I was enjoying more than I should. With a groan, I burrowed my face into the soft pillow hoping whoever it was thinking they were a comedian and applauding my ability to sleep would simply go away. It’s been a while since I felt as good as I did at that very moment. The best thing was that I don’t remember bleeding at all before the night was over and sleep took me.
