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“Elf magic,” Noctus said, “of the dark variety, tied to a pendant that Chloe is holding in her mouth. It’s anchored to the pendant, so we must break it to stop the spell, but fae magic won’t work.”
“Of course, it won’t. I assume it must have some kind of weakness—though if you say the fires of a mountain volcano, be prepared to be tackled.”
Noctus raised his rapier. “I can destroy it.”
“Of course, you can, Mr. Overpowered,” the Paragon groused. “Do you need help?”
“No,” Noctus said. “As long as you maintain the barrier. This is going to be…loud.”
“It just keeps getting better and better. In that case, I’m moving back.” He started to turn away, then paused. “But therewillbe a reckoning for this, Noctus.”
Noctus didn’t answer him. He faced me, and his hand that rested on my shoulder slipped down my back, settling on my waist. “You’ll spit the pendant out, Chloe, and set it on the ground, then get back,” he said. “The magic won’t harm you, but there will be a collision of power. You’re going to feel that, even if you aren’t affected.”
A collision of power, that sounds fun.
“Chloe?” Pat, still holding my phone, limped closer to us, but hesitated a few steps away.
I pulled away from Noctus so I could approach my brother.
Pat studied me. “There’s a lot you haven’t been telling us, isn’t there? He knows you.Reallyknows you.”
I hung my head.I’m sorry. I didn’t know what else to do.
Pat sighed. “I had a hunch something had happened before Joy and I were kidnapped, but…” He trailed off as he rubbed his face. “We must talk about this, but your knight is right. That spell is awful, and it needs to be destroyed.”
I nodded so violently the pendant rattled around in my mouth.
Pat glanced down the street, where Aristide, Oleander, Prydwen, and the humans stood—Charon and Ker still weren’t anywhere to be seen. “I’ll wait to call—for a few minutes,” Pat said. “And then you’re telling meeverything.”
Since I couldn’t say anything, I reached up and gingerly hugged him, trying not to touch any of his wounds.
It’s going to be okay. I’m not scared, don’t worry.
I hoped my feelings got through the hug.
When I pulled back, Pat’s face was set as he made the switch from big-brother to work-mode. He turned on his heel and headed toward the others, digging in his pocket for his wallet and badge. “My name is Pat Anderson, I’m with the task force from the Curia Cloisters…” he called as he walked up to them.
The humans immediately abandoned Oleander and Prydwen to cluster around him.
Excellent, now’s the time to destroy the pendant.I did a quick scan of the area, trying to choose a suitable location.
We had to do this fast—the longer we delayed, the greater the chance someone was going to realize there was a giant fae barrier up.
Here.I walked up to the patch of asphalt that Noctus had already destroyed—no sense costing the city extra money for repairs, because if Noctus was afraid I was going to feel this “collision of power”, there was no way the road was going to make it out just fine.
I crouched down next to the pavement, then looked up at Noctus, who had followed behind me.
Noctus raised his rapier—still holding it with one hand. The circles of glowing elvish script reappeared around his weapon. “Ready.”
I spat the pendant into my palm and set it on the street before it could even flicker with magic, then I turned to a cat—my faster form for short distances—and sprinted off.
Just when I reached the sidewalk, I felt the throb of magic deep in my bones, followed by a horrible roaring noise.
Hurricane level winds ripped at my fur. I had to turn into a human to keep from being blown off my feet. Power rippled through my body, striking my bones and making them vibrate like a tuning fork.
I held my arm up over my eyes as I tried to look back at Noctus, but all I saw was white light. Above all the racket, I heard a click that reverberated through the street itself.
Slowly, the light faded, and silence descended on the street.
