Bit by tiny bit, I could feel Dread getting pulled in closer. At the same time, I could feel myself linking deeper to it. Was this how it ended? Would Dread end up absorbed by whatever magic we were upon, and I along with it? Was this my end as well?
I shifted until my chest was resting on my knees, my hands still firmly on the ground in the exact same place they’d started as the battle I’d thought would take minutes stretched on. Minutes seemed to be dragging out as Dread fought the trap, making me fight for every tiny speck of progress. I dripped sweat in the frigid temperatures. My hands were so warm that they had melted through all the snow and then thawed the ground. They were lodged in mud that had begun to take on the same color of my magic, a rainbow sludge of sorts.
“Tippi…” Hawk took a hesitant step toward me.
“I’m good.” I shot a hard look past him to Lou, who was waiting this out as well. With a last glance at Hawk, I said, “I’ve got this.”
He nodded, letting me know he’d keep up his end, which meant he’d keep Lou from killing me, or whatever his plan might be. Lou was patient if nothing else, standing back and waiting.
Another hour or so rolled by, my body feeling battered as I stayed in the crumpled position, directing all my energy to the feeling of the hill. Mentally, I was no longer there. I was nowhere, nothing in focus but an internal battle to keep fighting.
When I did open my eyes again, we’d been joined by Bautere, and another ten of his kind. They’d joined Hawk, forming a circle around me and Dread as we battled, keeping Lou on the outskirts. The air around me was nearly glowing with my magic, lighting the entire hill as it continued to flow from my body.
Bautere nodded at me. I nodded back, hoping he could see the gratefulness in my gaze.
I didn’t know if he could, but as I looked at the others of his kind, at Hawk, even at Lou, they all stared upon me with a mix of disbelief and awe in varying degrees.
I dropped my head to my knees again, concentrating all the energy I had on one sole purpose: Dread.
There was a gasp and my eyes shot open.
Dread, still not opaque but not transparent enough to let the sun filter through anymore, writhed forward, casting us all in shadow as it partially sank.
It got closer and closer to me as I struggled to not give an inch. I wanted to pull back from the approaching creature. The only thing keeping me going was sheer will.
The closer it got, the more I feared a trap, but not for it, as Lou had promised. It was nearly upon me when one last step set off a roar of agony that nearly shattered my eardrums and blew my hair back. The creature was slowly sucked into the hill, clawing at the air as it was.
I stayed in place, not sure if I could break contact with the hill or if I should, afraid it would rear up again.
Suddenly I was blasted from the spot and thrown several feet away.
Hawk was beside me within seconds, Bautere by him. Hawk took my hand, laying it over my still-bleeding magic.
“Say the words. Say them,” Hawk demanded, grabbing my shoulders and holding me up.
“My gift is finished.”
My hand dropped to my lap and he moved his fingers to my wrist.
Hawk nodded to Bautere.
Bautere leaned his head back, raising his arms to the air. “I don’t feel it anymore.”
“Neither do I,” Hawk said.
Neither did I.
There was nothing but silence as I looked around. Bautere’s fighters had all closed ranks around us, protecting us as we regrouped.
“You did well,” Bautere said, giving me a nod. As I looked past him, his people did the same. One by one, they all nodded to me, a heavy silence filling the air.
“Is there pain anywhere else?” Hawk asked, feeling the bones of my legs and then arms.
“No. I’m good.” I tried to sit up on my own but didn’t make it more than a few inches before leaning back into him.
“You did enough. Rest now. I’ll take care of you.” Hawk bent down and scooped me up into his arms. I didn’t fight him. Couldn’t if I wanted to, and at that moment, I didn’t want to at all. I laid my head on his shoulder, knowing he’d get me home safe, no matter what.
A gap opened in the fighters’ circle as Lou stepped forward. The fighters barely gave him more than an inch of buffer, making it clear whose side they were on.
He stepped forward, a smile forced upon his face. “Impressive. I wasn’t sure you would be up to it, but you’ve proven yourself quite capable.”
“Thank you. It was a good plan.”
Hawk said nothing, but his arms tensed around me.
Lou nodded. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again,” he said, before disappearing.
“You weren’t supposed to survive this,” Hawk said.
“No, I don’t think I was.”
34
“You’re awake.” Bibbi was sitting at the end of my bed, staring at me.
I nodded, wondering how long she’d been there as I stretched my stiff muscles.
“Hawk didn’t want me to wake you, but I wanted to make sure you were okay. You were half out of it when you came back, and Hawk told us what happened. You should have told us what you were going to do. I would’ve come with you.” She ran a hand back and forth on the quilted spread.
Which was the exact reason I hadn’t told her. There was no way I was giving full disclosure so she could get herself killed.
Shit. Why did that have a familiar feel? Did that mean I was like Hawk?
No. Definitely not. Wasn’t in the same stratosphere.
“I’m sorry. I woke up and knew I had to do it right then and there.” It was all I had to offer, and I hoped it was enough.
She pointed to a tea on my nightstand. “I’ve been keeping it warm for you.”
“Thank you. This is perfect,” I said, wrapping my hands around the hot cup. A cold, invisible nose pressed against my arm, but I didn’t dare pet Dusty while Bibbi watched. The last time she’d watched him, it had taken an hour to get the bow off his head and the shimmer powder off his fur. I’d woken to some dust bunnies for a few days after.
“As soon as you’re ready, everyone is downstairs waiting for you,” she said, her eyes narrowing on the indent in the cover where Dusty was sitting. He froze.
“Tell them I’ll be down shortly,” I said, knowing I owed Dusty. I got out of bed, throwing the blanket over where Dusty was.
“Great, see you in a couple.” She only looked back at the bed a couple more times before she left.
A poof of dust exploded through a gap in the blanket.
“I already apologized five times. Was that really called for?”
There were a few chattering sounds, but no more dust.
The sound of talking, yelling, laughing, and just being met me as I made my way downstairs. How had I ever disliked this noise? It sounded like happiness and home. It was the best background music I’d ever heard.
As I headed for the back room, Helen began grinding her wheels until she made a whirring noise I’d never heard before.
I changed directions and walked across the workspace to lay a hand on her machinery, feeling a little buzz.
“I’m good. Just glad that day is over,” I reassured her.
She made a humming noise that reminded me of a cat purring.