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Sefton told me the Echo is his gift to me and that we will be invincible together. He also said we would rule the world. Given his personal force field, or whatever it is, I assume he meant magic would give us the power to protect ourselves and control everyone else. He created a frigging golem that could smash a city with one step of its gigantic foot. So yeah, Sefton is very powerful.
But he said "we" would be invincible.
That implies I have power too. I'm the catalyst, that's what Dax said. Without me, Sefton couldn't have created the Echo. I can't prove that, but the evidence suggests it's true. If Sefton has insanely powerful magics, then maybe I do too. Can I use the power he gave me to escape from him and his monsters?
Yeah, if I had any clue how to do that. This is magic, right? Maybe I can just…will it to happen.
Since I don't want to let on that I'm trying to do that, I force myself to focus on Sefton and maintain a neutral expression while I wish with all my mental focus that I were somewhere far away, somewhere Sefton can't find me. While I do that, I need to keep Sefton talking.
"Will there be more waves of beings coming out of the Echo?" I ask.
"No, but there will be waves of…other sorts."
"Like what?"Get me out of here, I command the magics.Get me out of here now, do it, right now, far away from this place, somewhere safe."I have to admit what you've done so far is impressive."
"We can discuss that later. Now, it is time to go."
Come on, you stupid magics. Whisk me away.
Peripherally, I see Dax squinting at me. Has he figured out what I'm doing? If Sefton realizes… I am so screwed. He seems a touch annoyed, rather than incensed, so I don't think he's figured it out yet. But I'm pretty sure Dax has. How? I can ask him that later, after we escape from his brother.
My heart stutters.We.I thought that word. I want Dax to come with me.
No time to consider the repercussions of that impulse. I keep chanting in my head, keep willing the Echo to do my bidding, though I have no idea if this is how magic works.Do it, you goddamn magics, do my bidding. I command it. Take me and Dax away right now.
Sefton squints at me, just like his brother is doing.
A strange sensation sifts through me, like electricity and cool water in my veins. I can't breathe. Can't move. Not because I'm paralyzed, but because I sense the magics heeding my command. It's about to happen.
"No!" Sefton shouts. "You can't—"
He lunges for me just as I lunge for Dax and throw my arms around him.
And we vanish.
Chapter Fifteen
Dax
The world spins away from us, and we rush through a void deeper and darker than the furthest reaches of outer space. Then we drop down onto a solid surface, swaying for a moment. Allison still has her arms around me. I don't understand what just happened, but I'm certain she is responsible for it. The brightness that engulfs us blinds me for several seconds, but then my vision returns.
I blink swiftly as I try to make sense of our surroundings.
We stand in a meadow filled with wildflowers. The sun shines down on us, warm and soothing. The scent of the outdoors suffuses my senses, and I find myself wrapping my arms around Allison, though I don't know why. It feels…good. That's all I know.
Allison glances around. "Where are we?"
"I should ask you that. This is your doing, isn't it?"
"Well, I tried to use magic to whisk us away. Didn't know if it would work." She takes two steps away from me so she can turn in a circle to inspect the area. "Guess it did work. I wished for us to be far away from Sefton and his apocalypse, in a safe place."
Her statement stops me for a moment as I digest its full meaning. "You wished for me to come with you?"
She faces me, hunching her shoulders and biting her lip. "Yeah. I guess I, um, kind of did."
"Why?"
Yes, I sound stunned. Of course I do. After the way I've treated Allison, she should despise me. But she seems to have stopped hating me and decided to… What? She can't like me. No, she must want me around to protect her from any monsters that might come for us.
