AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hello?” I call softly, not wanting to wake Malia when she’s finally found peace.
No one answers.
I reach for the light switch and flip it, but nothing happens. The power must have gone out. I groan to myself and flick on the light that’s on my phone.
As I walk down the hallway, a faint sound, like someone shuffling around comes from the prof’s study. My heart races as I grip my phone tightly, ready to dial the guys if needed. I take a deep breath and cautiously peek into the library, shining my torch around the space.
There’s no one there.
A muffled thud comes from behind me and I spin on the spot shining my torch out into the corridor. Another noise – this time a scraping sound – seems to come from the lounge, so I tiptoe my way back along the corridor to see what’s going on.
Maybe Malia’s awake and has come to investigate the noises.
In the lounge, at first I don’t see anything, but then a figure steps out of the shadows. It’s not one of the guys or the professor – it’s a man I’ve never seen before. Or at least, don’t recall ever seeing before.
He’s completely nondescript, except for the wave tattoo on his wrist which marks him as one of the Aerwyna people.
“Who are you?” I demand, trying to keep my voice steady. He may be one of us, but he’s not one ofusso I’m not letting my guard down at all. Not with Malia in the house.
Shit. Malia. I hope she’s okay.
His lips curl into a sneer, and I know I was right not to relax around this guy. “I’m looking for something,” he says.
I raise an eyebrow. “What are you looking for?”
“That’s none of your concern,” he responds, his tone smug.
I narrow my eyes at him. “I think itismy concern if you’re in the professor’s house in the middle of the night.”
He takes a step closer to me and I take a step back, my heart beating faster. I need to keep myself between him and the stairs up to Malia.
“You don’t want to get involved in things that don’t concern you,” he warns.
I swallow hard, but stand my ground. “Sorry, but I’m already involved. You’re not supposed to be here. So tell me what you’re looking for, or I’ll have to call the authorities.”
For a moment, he just stares at me, his eyes dark and intense. Then, he seems to come to a decision, and takes another step closer. “Fine. I’m looking for a girl. I think you know who.”
Before I can answer, he pulls a knife on me and charges. The blade blazes bright blue with magic and I realise how completely and utterly fucked I am.
Diving out of the way, I stab at my phone and hope for the best, but then I’m dropping the handset and fighting for my life.
His magic pulses through the air, crackling with energy and intent. His movements are fluid, precise, and deadly. I dodge another swing of his knife and lunge forward, my own suppressed magic flaring to life.
A gust of wind whips through the room, sending books and papers flying. He staggers back, momentarily disoriented, and I take the opportunity to strike. My hand glows with a blinding light as I land a solid punch to his chest.
He grunts in pain, but doesn’t go down. Instead, he lashes out with his knife once more, and I barely dodge in time. The blade icy touch grazes my skin and then…blinding agony.
Adrenaline pumps through my veins as I realise that I’m not going to win this fight. But I can’t back down now. Not when Malia’s life is on the line.
With a fierce battle cry, my opponent unleashes a powerful blast of magic that sends me flying across the room. I crash into a bookshelf, sending it toppling over and crushing me beneath its weight.
Breathless and shaking, I struggle to lift the heavy bookcase off me. Blood is gushing from the wound on my arm where the blade nicked me, and I have a wound on my forehead. My vision is fuzzy, rapidly darkening. I’m still conscious, but barely. My eyes are hazy and my breathing is ragged and shallow.
He kneels down beside me and grasps the hilt of the knife, sinking it into my flesh once more. I roar with pain, hoping that the commotion will awaken Malia, and she’ll know to flee or hide. Pulling it out of my flesh, he seems to enjoy my hiss of pain. Blood oozes from the new wound and I press my hand to it, trying to stem the flow.
I cough, spitting up blood as I struggle to stay conscious. “What do you want with Malia?” I demand, my voice trembling with anger and fear.
“She’s...special...the key to everything, but not like you’re thinking...we need her…”
