Page 98 of The Tribes of Magic
When that was done, I linked my arm with Conner’s. “Ok, now we pool our magic and channel our combined power into fueling the teleportation spell. Ready?”
“I’m ready.”
I felt a rush of energy the moment our magic connected, like I’d just grabbed the sun. It didn’t burn me, though, it exhilarated me. There was so much magic, so much power, so much potential. It felt like we could do anything.
It was invigorating, inspiring, overpowering…but most of all, deeply personal, like I was sharing a piece of my soul with him. And he was sharing a piece of his with me. There was something so familiar about his magic.
“Your magic feels a lot like Kato’s.”
“Does it? Huh. Interesting. Well, we are both Polymages. So I guess that makes sense.”
“I wonder if my magic feels like yours and Kato’s too. I can’t sense my own magic. What does it feel like to you?”
“Your magic feels optimistic and eager and…fluttery.”
“Fluttery?”
“Indeed. I have that effect on girls, you know.” He winked at me.
I laughed. “You’re unbelievable.”
“I know.”
I laughed again. “Ready to activate the teleportation spell?”
“Of course.”
His confidence was obviously infectious because I felt a sudden boost in my own. Our magic continued to blend, beating together like one heart. One heart to power the spell.
I felt a sharp snap, and then a hard, sudden stop. Conner and I bumped heads.
“Are you all right?” He was usually so easy and relaxed, but right now he looked more than a little disoriented from the jump.
“I think so.”
I looked around. We stood in a forest. The underbrush was thick and overgrown, like it hadn’t been cleared in years. There were all sorts of trees. Tall trees, thick trees, tiny trees, spindly trees with bright green foliage. The ground was rocky. It wasn’t hard to imagine those rocks sparkling gold in the sun, but today, on this very overcast morning, the rocks were variations between beige and red-brown.
There had to be a waterfall nearby. I could hear the dynamic yet soothing crash of falling water. The air was thick with a cool, pleasant mist, a welcome respite from the harsh summer sun.
“This is the place?” I asked. “The Dark Woods?”
“Yes. This is the place.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “We made it. We’re here.”
A feral, inhuman scream cut through the peaceful forest. We weren’t the only ones here. The Cursed Ones were here too.
CHAPTER 6
CONSPIRACY
Three Cursed Ones staggered toward us, their bulky, monstrous bodies slow and uneven. Their skin was as pale as death, their veins as black as night, their hair as wild as the overgrown forest around us. Their clothing was a mixed bag of torn, dirty, and missing articles. None of them wore shoes. Those rarely survived the transformation.
Three pairs of bright red eyes, burning with hunger, watched us. Drool dripped from their lips. They wanted to bite us. From the day someone was cursed, that was all they knew: biting and spreading the Curse. That single, terrible purpose defined their existence from that moment forward.
“Leave,” I told them. “You are not wanted here.”
And just like that, the Cursed Ones turned and fled.
