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“That makes sense,” I said.
Professor Halifax settled into one of the cushions on the ground, then patted the empty one. “Sit. We have time to unfreeze.”
“Got it,” I said, taking the seat next to her. “How do we do this? I’ve never used the time magic on purpose.”
“That’s not true. We practiced, remember?”
“That was containing it,” I said.
“What do you think closing off a time bubble is?” She lifted an eyebrow. “You have to reverse the spell. It’s exactly what we did before but on a much larger scale.”
“I lit candles,” I said. “I never re-started time. Even when I stopped time, it never held this long.”
“You nearly opened a portal. That’s far more powerful than whatever caused this. I’d wager that you’re stronger than the caster who put us in this bubble. This will be an interesting test of what you’re capable of.”
Those seemed like impossibly big shoes to fill.
“Set your hands, palm up on your knees,” she said. “Close your eyes.”
I followed her instructions, opening my palms and closing my eyes.
“Now, breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth,” she said.
“Like yoga class?” I asked.
“Exactly,” she said. “It’s calming. Centering. A way to clear your mind. You have to find the magic.”
“Okay.” I took a deep breath in through my nose and blew it out through my mouth. I felt ridiculous. This was never going to work. My friends were going to be frozen forever and I was going to spend the rest of my life in a creepy castle with Professor Halifax and Officer M.
A shudder ran down my spine.
I could not let that happen. No way was I going to be stuck here with him. Ugh. I tried again, focusing on breathing. Trying to empty my mind.
“Feel for the source of the magic, just like you did when you connected with Matt,” Professor Halifax said. “It might be a little more difficult because you don’t know the caster. And you’re not bonded. But the practice is the same.”
I nodded, not sure if she could see me. Either way, she didn’t say anything else while I sat there, breathing and emptying my mind. Finally, feeling centered, I started to reach out for any signs of magic that wasn’t mine.
It felt like I’d been there for hours and I could feel frustration creeping in around the edges of my calm. My fingers twitched and my ass was starting to hurt despite the cushion under me.
I blew out another breath, hoping for any signs of magic. In desperation, I reached out toward Professor Halifax. Her magic pulsed like a beating heart. It was pure and clean and vibrant. Not the hot spark mine was.
Then, I noticed something else. Something a little unstable, like a live electric wire. I let go of the feeling of Professor Halifax’s magic and shifted my senses to the new feeling.
That was it. It had to be.
Whatever I was feeling was charged and alive. It felt similar to my magic but it wasn’t quite the same. There was a vibration to it that seemed to hum like the wings of an insect. And like an insect, it felt both fragile and powerful at the same time.
I reached out, tugging on it. My own magic flared to life, sending a rush of shockwaves across my skin. I winced, but the discomfort passed quickly.
Grabbing hold of my magic, I sent it toward the foreign magic. I needed to squash it like a bug.
Sending my magic out, I surrounded the fluttering unfamiliar magic, squeezing it with mine until I could feel it shudder in violent bursts as it struggled to stay alive. I was smothering it, extinguishing it.
The magic fought me, pushing back against mine. I felt sweat drip down my back and my pulse raced. My hands balled into fists as I fought back, containing the offending magic.
Finally, with a gasp, the other magic dissipated like smoke. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding then my shoulders slumped in exhaustion.
I ran a hand through my hair, pushing it away from my face. It was damp with sweat. Something dripped down my face and I wiped under my nose. When I pulled my hand away, it was covered in blood.
