The spell thieves, p.13
The Spell Thieves, page 13
“What did she do to me?” asked Sakura.
“It was you who attacked her,” growled Pan.
Daire shivered as the anger of the wolf washed over him. He hadn’t counted on coming face to face with one of Zarya’s attackers. His own anger burned within him.
“She deserved it. A ghost hunter… what an embarrassment.”
Daire clenched his jaw closed in an attempt to stop himself from hissing at her. Now more than ever, he wished he had his teeth. He’d attack her straight away, sink his fangs into her white neck, and feast until she was dead.
“No, she didn’t, Sakura.” Pan moved quickly, even though he remained in his human form. He grabbed her with a growl as she screamed.
Daire braced himself for fireworks of magic to come from her hand and the wolf to be sent flying into the air. Instead, there was nothing. His forehead wrinkled in thought. Why didn’t she fight back? Defend herself as Pan lifted her into the air above his head.
“Stop,” yelled Daire.
“Not your business,” said Pan, turning his head, revealing his animal eyes.
“Don’t you go changing now,” warned Daire. “You’ll put us all at risk.”
Pan growled and managed to stop the transformation, his eyes remaining in animal form.
“We can use her,” said Daire. “Don’t hurt her.”
“We can’t take her back to the Academy.” He lowered Sakura from below his head, putting her on the ground, holding tightly to stop her from escaping.
“She doesn’t have her magic. We need to tell Avery,” said Daire.
“He’s right,” said Kaia, stepping forward toward them. “Let’s take her back.”
“But then she’ll know where the Academy is.”
Kaia lifted her hands and placed them on Sakura’s temples. The witch’s eyes widened, and her mouth opened as if ready to scream, then she slipped into unconsciousness. “She won’t now. You’ll need to hurry.”
“I guess it won’t be the first bad idea of the night,” grumbled Pan as he lifted her over his shoulder as if she were a sack of grain. “Why stop now?”
“You’ve got no idea,” said Daire. While he wanted to avoid telling Avery, if there were other witches without magic, then they would need all the help they could get to stop whatever this was.
“Let’s go back.”
“Yeah, you can face the music first,” Pan held out his hand. “After you.”
Daire used a slower version of his vampire speed and headed back to the Academy. A witch with no magic, that was Zarya’s issue too. Their nightly outing might just yield the answers they needed to help her.
Could it be the same thing had happened to Sakura?
Daire
Daire pushed on the door of the Academy and stepped inside. Pan stumbled in behind him, restraining Sakura in his arms, followed by Kaia. All three of them stopped short when they registered who else was in the foyer area.
“Where have you been?” asked a very angry-looking Avery as she sat on the bottom stair, her legs stretched out in front of her, clicking the toes of her boots together.
“Finding answers,” said Daire with confidence, keeping his stronghold on his book. Once they told Avery what they had found, she might be angry but hopefully not enough to keep them in the basement. Though, he might have extra time because of what he did to Crowe. He could handle that.
“You’re meant to be in your rooms for your own good,” said Avery as she stood. She held out her right arm, and a ball of magic burst into existence in a flash of green light.
Daire swallowed hard. He had to think quickly to cool Avery down before something bad happened.
“Where have you taken me?” asked Sakura, beginning to struggle in Pan’s strong arms as she came to. He set her down on the floor, pinning both her arms by her side.
“You better have a very good reason for bringing her here,” said Avery, her voice low, thick with anger, her eyes flashed with an excess of magic. “Don’t tell me, Panguar, you think she might be someone I can enlist.”
“No, she’s not here as a recruit. She has information,” replied Pan looking pleased with himself.
At least Avery still has her magic, thought Daire. He did note that Avery kept her distance from all of them.
“I didn’t want to come here,” spoke Sakura.
“Of course, you didn’t,” said Avery with no compassion.
“Sakura was one of the witches who attacked Zarya,” interrupted Pan.
“So, you thought that was a reason to bring her here?” Avery’s eyebrow raised.
Daire shifted uneasily on his feet. This wasn’t going well. Avery could very well give Sakura the same fate as Holly. That could happen later, but first, he wanted to make sure they gleaned enough information from her.
“All I wanted to know was what Zarya had done to me. Then this idiot brought me here.” Sakura turned around to glare at him. Pan kept a tight hold on her arms while she stood in front of him.
“Pan does have a habit of bringing the wrong people here.” She moved the ball of green magic up and down above her open palm as if preparing to throw it full pelt to one of them. Daire braced himself, ready to jump out of the way.
“She’s lost her magic,” blurted out Kaia. “At least I think she has,” she added hastily.
“Finally, someone is giving me information I can work with.” She stopped moving the ball of magic.
Daire could see the flash of fear in her eyes. Avery knew something. “Is Zarya all right?”
Avery ignored him. “It’s rather unfortunate you brought her here, you know.”
“What was I meant to do? Leave her in the park?”
“Would’ve been a better option than bringing her here.”
“She needs to pay for what she did to Zarya.”
“You didn’t have to bring her here to do that.”
Pan snarled. Hair grew on his arms, and his hands began to contort as the transformation began.
“Control it,” demanded Avery.
“He’s going to kill us all,” cried Sakura. “Let me go.”
“I’m sure he’s only got eyes for you,” said Avery. “So you really have lost your magic, have you?”
“It’s all that bitch’s fault,” spat Sakura. “If anyone needs to pay, it’s her.”
Pan growled softly and deeply.
“I wouldn’t be saying that. You’ll only rile him up further, and you’re the one right in front of him,” said Avery calmly.
“Get me away from him,” yelled Sakura.
“Why? You’ve seen this place. I can’t have you leaving.”
“I don’t even know where I am. They knocked me out.”
“Maybe I’ll find it in my heart to help you if you answer my question. How is your magic disappearing Zarya’s fault?”
“She did something to me. To us. All three of us when we saw her in the park.”
“Like hell,” mumbled Pan.
To Daire’s relief, he looked like he was actually maintaining control over his emotions and transformation. He wasn’t looking forward to having to get Pan out to the back without being bitten.
“What could she have done. She was a mess when I saw her afterward, and it didn’t look like she managed anything.”
“I don’t know what she did. When we went back to the Witches Academy, we felt fine, then later, I went to do a spell, and I couldn’t. When I saw Clytie and Melusine, they were the same, unable to use their magic.”
“Not very helpful you don’t know what she did.”
Daire noticed Avery kept her distance. He managed to put together what he was hearing. “It’s infectious?” he blurted out his question.
“Indeed, it is,” said Avery.
“See, she did something to us. Let me see her. I demand she undoes this straight away.”
Daire’s skin prickled. Things had gotten worse for him than he’d planned. Bringing Sakura here had put them all at a greater risk of being infected. Though, he was feeling his usual self. Pan looked like he could transform any moment, though he was surprisingly managing to control his ability for a change. Kaia didn’t seem infected either, and her ability with the energies and elements had helped them tonight on more than one occasion. All he needed now was for Avery to find out about Crowe, and he was going to be the only one ending up dead around here.
Zarya
Zarya’s scream was silent yet loud in her head. She clenched the sheets in her hands, trying to keep still and be compliant with Raiden’s experiments on her. Her breaking point was close. She had refused to be restrained, but he had insisted, and now she knew with a sickening feeling why.
Get out, she yelled. Zarya knew it was for their own good, but she couldn’t stand whatever Raiden was doing to her. It felt like he was inside her mind once again, but the pain roiled throughout her entire being. There were bolts of sharp pain, pulses of electricity, and waves of nausea that rotated regularly, and she didn’t think she could tolerate anymore.
“Nearly finished,” Raiden spoke, his usual peaceful tone not affecting her. She needed this nightmare over, not just the one where he was experimenting on her, but the one where she didn’t have her magic.
Abaddon will do worse on me, she tried to remind herself, while attempting to find more inner strength to endure this torture.
“I’ve finished,” said Raiden.
Zarya continued to feel a burning pain sear through her body and didn’t believe him.
“I have. You can relax now,” he added.
“Doesn’t feel like it,” groaned Zarya. Numbness spread through her, yet her muscles still remembered the pain. She opened her eyes to see him unbuckling the restraints around her wrists and ankles.
“I’ve given you something for the pain. It will kick in better in a few minutes.”
Zarya took a deep breath, tentatively moving her wrists now they were free from the restraints. She could see red marks from where she’d resisted. She lay back, looking up at the wood-paneled ceiling, wishing that this would all be over.
“Will you need to do this again?” she asked softly.
“I hope not.” Raiden squeezed her arm reassuringly. “I’ll do everything I can, so I don’t.”
“Please, I don’t think I can…” Zarya didn’t finish the sentence. She would, of course, endure more. Right now, that was the last thing she wanted to contemplate as the pain remained throbbing through her worn-out body.
“I’ll get to work now.” He went over to the cupboard along the wall at the end of the bed, shuffled a few jars around, and loaded up with three of them.
Zarya watched, focusing on her breathing in an attempt to relax her overstrained body. His face a seriousness of thought as he walked past the bed.
“Rest up now.”
Zarya nodded, hoping that the pain relief would kick in soon. She shifted in the bed, trying to find some comfort, the discomfort in her muscles making it near impossible. Instead, she opted to lay looking up at the ceiling, unable even to find sleep.
A moment passed before she realized from the sounds of Raiden working, he was cooking up some concoction and surely would be absorbed in what he was doing. He’d told her a few times in the past that this was what he enjoyed doing—his experiments. He would potentially be busy for hours. Avery wasn’t coming anywhere near her in case she got infected. This was her chance.
Cautiously, she pulled the blanket from her body, swung her legs to the side of the bed, and slipped down. She stepped quietly over to the door, her socked feet making no sound on the rug over the wooden floorboards. She slipped on her leather jacket, enjoying the feel of it around her sore shoulders. Her boots were nearby, and she picked them up, along with her backpack. She didn’t have much of a plan other than to get out of here and to her room. Maybe along the way, the library might see fit to assist her and provide a book that would get her magic back. It was very idealistic thinking, but she couldn’t help it as she slipped out the door, closing it behind her. She paused for a moment to ensure that Raiden wasn’t coming after her. No sounds from inside the room indicated movement. She exhaled slowly, glad Raiden was consumed with his work. Zarya hated having to rely on her senses in human form and not have the added benefits of using her magic to support her.
Confident she was alone and didn’t have to rush, she slipped on her boots, tying them loosely. Zarya had heard the announcement earlier from Avery and knew all the students would be in their rooms. Avery would be hiding in her office, so it should be easy to walk around without anyone confronting her about what she was doing. The announcement hadn’t said anything about her being infectious, and so no one would realize she should be isolated in the infirmary.
Adjusting the backpack on her shoulders, she started down the corridor, ignoring the pain and tiredness from walking. Her head spun slightly, and she paused until her balance normalized.
Zarya heard voices arguing and commotion up ahead in the foyer area. Knots formed in her stomach as she edged closer to hear what was going on. She had to go through the foyer to head upstairs. Perhaps they won’t see me? There was a lot of heated words flying back and forth. Her blood chilled as the words became audible. The low growling from Pan put her nerves on edge. Was he all right? Was he going to transform and go into a rage? She edged closer, torn between wanting to hear more and to flee back to the safety of the infirmary.
Was she hearing right? Sakura didn’t have her magic? How was that possible? Her mind clouded for a moment, then it all made sense. She couldn’t stay here in the shadows. She needed to confront the witch, even if she didn’t have her magic.
Zarya stepped into the foyer with her chin up. “No, you did this to yourself. Serves you right for attacking me.” It was clear now. When they’d attacked her, part of their magic had melded with hers and gone back to them, taking the infection with it. It probably wasn’t a lot, but it was enough for them to be infected.
“You have a nerve,” yelled Sakura. “Get her to give me my magic back. She had no right to take it.”
“I didn’t take your magic.” Zarya’s mind turned over. It seemed even though she was in pain, leaving the infirmary helped her to think clearer. If she had an infection, then maybe she could recover, that’s what Raiden had said. Could it be like the flu? And if so, then could it be she’d get over it, and her magic would return? Or something like that. And if that was indeed the case, then her magic wasn’t actually gone. It was inside of her, just no longer accessible. She hoped against the odds that Raiden would be able to find a way to kill the infection within her.
Avery played with the green ball of magic in her hand for a moment, thinking. “No, and there’s a bigger issue here than your magic. You’ve been here. Clearly, we can’t let you go, nor do we want you here with us.”
“Good, because I don’t want to stay here, not if you let witches in like Zarya. Whatever this place is, it can’t be particularly good if that’s the type of student you have here.”
Avery narrowed her eyes as she glared at Sakura. “We’re in need of a test patient.”
Sakura paled as Avery stepped a little closer to her, raising her hand with the ball of energy. “You’ll be perfect. Give Zarya a rest. You see, we look after our own kind here, and here, you’re the one who doesn’t belong.”
With a flick of the wrist, Avery sent the ball hurtling toward Sakura’s chest. The green light flashed, encasing the young witch, flooding her with pain.
Sakura screamed.
Zarya froze, her gut twisting with fear. This was all her fault. How far would Avery go? Even so, she didn’t move to interrupt.
“Did The Guild send you?” asked Avery vehemently.
Sakura gasped as the pain subsided. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“If you’ve lost your magic, why were you wandering around alone at night?” She snapped her fingers to create another green ball of magic.
“To find Zarya. It was a risk, but I had to get my magic back.”
“Why alone?”
“The others were too scared to come.”
“I don’t believe you.” Avery sent the ball flying to the witch.
“No, enough,” yelled Kaia, as she moved toward Sakura.
“You keep out of this,” said Avery, as Sakura yelled out in pain once more. Avery sent an orange wave of magic to keep Kaia from getting any closer.
“We aren’t the only ones infected,” said Sakura. “Other witches are losing their magic, too.”
“Have they informed The Guild?” asked Avery, her hand in mid-air, paused, ready to snap her fingers and create another ball of energy.
Sakura nodded.
Avery cursed. “This night is just getting worse and worse.” She snapped her fingers, created a small ball, and sent it thundering toward Sakura, who sobbed as more pain raked over her body.
Zarya thought she should be glad that the witch who had tormented her for years was finally getting a good dose of karma, but it didn’t sit well with her. This wasn’t the time or place, and Avery was putting herself at risk.
“You better stop before you lose your magic,” said Zarya abruptly. She stepped closer toward the group.
Avery glared. “You should be in the infirmary.”
“Too much going on out here,” she shot back.
“Get back there, or the next person I’ll attack will be you. I’m sure Raiden hasn’t finished with the experiments.”
“As you said, there’s a need for a test patient.”
“I’m not here for any tests,” said Sakura as she tried to straighten against the pain.
“You don’t get a choice. Not since stepping in here, infected, and thinking you’re better than us,” snapped Avery.
“And you,” said Avery pointing to Zarya. “You’ll have all the experiments done on you until you either remember where you got infected, or it’s pulled from you.”
