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“Exactly, that’s what I’m saying. The guy has always been hundred percent about the job. He’s fine as hell, ya know, but I never got the vibe that he was interested.”
Nowthatcertainly caught my attention. “Did he say he was?”
“No.” Oh, well in that case… “But he did kiss me, right out of the blue.”
Wait…
What?
Straitlaced Oren just up and kissed an underling?
“The craziest thing, it was like the best kiss of my life. I’m talking about a foot raising, heart-pumping, full on romantic soundtrack kiss.”
“Holy shit,” I said, putting my plate to the side, and that was saying something considering how hungry I was and just how good the food tasted. “What did he do after that?”
“Well, that part is less awesome. He freaked out and ran away.”
“He what now?”
“Ran away. Vacated the area. Beat a hasty retreat. Withdrew the troops.”
“Okay, okay, I get it. That’s not exactly the best response, but he probably just panicked. He doesn’t exactly seem like he’s experienced with spontaneous romantic gestures.”
“You got a point there.”
I wanted to keep going. I'd so many things to ask her. But before we could continue galling around, the fort’s alarm sounded.
The enemy forces had been spotted.
Shit.
I sprinted out of there without another word. I’d been working on mentally duplicating myself all night, even in my dreams, but I was nowhere near ready for that yet. I’d known I was running out of time, and still, I'd hoped…
Well, it didn’t matter now. I had maybe a half hour at best to figure it out.
“Medic Everton!” Another sorcerer named Corporal Bane shouted as I approached. “There you are!”
“Here I am,” I retorted, my mind whirring at about a thousand miles a minute. “I need all of you to pour whatever energy you have into the protective and offensive spells you’ve already set up or tapped into.”
“What about the relic?”
“I’ll handle it. We’ve set up the trifecta of spells we need, I just need it to accept the application of them.”
“Are you sure?” Dandybrass said.
“Yes. I’m the only witch here, so if I fail, I need the rest of you to be ready with whatever we can muster.”
“Understood.”
Everyone present went to the spots on the wall where they’d set up their spells or tapped into already existing ones. That was one of the best things about Canid’s defense: though it was a huge, sprawling place, it'd been layered with dozens of different types of spells with dozens of different types of magic, allowingfor a truly great offense and defense to supplement the shifters and other cryptids on the ground.
Not all of my team had arrived yet, but I knew that they would soon, and they’d no doubt figure out what to do. I couldn’t worry about them, though, because I had a crystal to convince.
Gently placing my hands on either side of it, I opened my mind, letting it feel me out and that I was one of its kin, or at least that of the witches it was supposed to protect.
Hey there, I projected, trying to echo my thoughts within my own head as if I wasn’t the only one in my mind.I really could use your help.
It didn’t respond, but it didn’t snap closed on me, either, so I tried pressing a little further.
