there isn’t anything
in there or to you that there is.”
Lincoln pointed down the hall and Dylan ventured into
the child’s bedroom. Ron was right behind him. They flipped on the light. There
was a chair wedged against the closet door, which they moved aside, then opened
the door. The entire inside of the door was covered in long, deep scratches.
* * *
Devon woke very suddenly, and was very blind.
Although the blindfold over his eyes was a hindrance, it was the cloth in his
mouth that made him gag. It tasted foul and was obviously dirty, for the taste
made its way up the back of his throat until it was all he could smell. He
couldn’t identify it. That was probably a good thing.
He knew very well what the situation was; he had been
knocked out during his vision, tied to a chair, and was to be tortured with the
horrendous gag. He tried to reach out with his magic to find the minds around
him, but instead suffered a swift and sharp pain in his head. The harder he
tried to use his magic, the worse the pain grew.
He recognized this; Vincent had showed him how to
contain a person’s power using sigils in a circle. Vincent had showed him by
using it on him. He was in one such circle, and he knew that if it was the same
one he had been taught, fighting was futile. The sigils created a transfer of
energy from the circle to the caster. That meant the more magic and energy he
exerted, the more he was giving to his enemy.
But the worst part was that it was also absorbing the
power of his scorpion healing charm. He tried desperately to calm himself. He
focused on his breathing and pictured sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a
coffee. He soaked in the quietness that surrounded him as if it were peace.
Vincent said he would have about two hours in one of
these circles before the scorpion was “dead.” And then… so was he. How long was
I out ?
* * *
Mordon knocked on the third door and sighed when
there was no answer, just like at the previous two houses. Hail kicked the
door. “Why do we have to be out here when no one is even home? I’m hungry!”
Mordon pulled him away from the door. “I know, but
the diner is closed and we don’t have time to go home to make you something.
Your friends are missing.”
Hail pouted, but Mordon knew he really was trying to
control himself. “I’m just hungry!”
Mordon started to roll his eyes only to catch himself
in time. It was a contagious habit. He was about move on to the fourth house
when he heard a scream and took off running for it. They arrived at a house and
Hail opened the door, easily breaking the lock. Inside, a couple was sheltering
a very small child on the couch between them. In front of them was a creature
that would terrify most people. Instinctively, Mordon drew on the fire inside
him.
The creature was about five feet tall with long, thin
arms and had green and brown, scaly, slimy skin. Instead of a face, it had what
looked like the skull of a canine, with white, spherical eyes. Mordon wished
more than ever that he didn’t have his dragon’s advanced senses. Even Rojan
shuddered in his mind from the scent of rotting flesh that emanated from the
creature.
Rotting flesh and… peppermint ?
It raised one of its long arms to strike at the
family with its sharp claws. Mordon was faster, blasting a stream of his
hottest fire, which could melt most metals.
The creature raised its head amidst the flames and
made a sharp, husky noise that was almost a choking sound. It wasn’t in pain,
though; the creature was laughing. Then, suddenly, it lunged at Mordon. Mordon
grabbed Hail and dove out of the way, allowing the creature to vanish through
the open door. By the time he got back to his feet and reached the door, the
creature had taken off into the night by huge wings.
It was still on fire.
* * *
Devon tried to find a sharp
in there or to you that there is.”
Lincoln pointed down the hall and Dylan ventured into
the child’s bedroom. Ron was right behind him. They flipped on the light. There
was a chair wedged against the closet door, which they moved aside, then opened
the door. The entire inside of the door was covered in long, deep scratches.
* * *
Devon woke very suddenly, and was very blind.
Although the blindfold over his eyes was a hindrance, it was the cloth in his
mouth that made him gag. It tasted foul and was obviously dirty, for the taste
made its way up the back of his throat until it was all he could smell. He
couldn’t identify it. That was probably a good thing.
He knew very well what the situation was; he had been
knocked out during his vision, tied to a chair, and was to be tortured with the
horrendous gag. He tried to reach out with his magic to find the minds around
him, but instead suffered a swift and sharp pain in his head. The harder he
tried to use his magic, the worse the pain grew.
He recognized this; Vincent had showed him how to
contain a person’s power using sigils in a circle. Vincent had showed him by
using it on him. He was in one such circle, and he knew that if it was the same
one he had been taught, fighting was futile. The sigils created a transfer of
energy from the circle to the caster. That meant the more magic and energy he
exerted, the more he was giving to his enemy.
But the worst part was that it was also absorbing the
power of his scorpion healing charm. He tried desperately to calm himself. He
focused on his breathing and pictured sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a
coffee. He soaked in the quietness that surrounded him as if it were peace.
Vincent said he would have about two hours in one of
these circles before the scorpion was “dead.” And then… so was he. How long was
I out ?
* * *
Mordon knocked on the third door and sighed when
there was no answer, just like at the previous two houses. Hail kicked the
door. “Why do we have to be out here when no one is even home? I’m hungry!”
Mordon pulled him away from the door. “I know, but
the diner is closed and we don’t have time to go home to make you something.
Your friends are missing.”
Hail pouted, but Mordon knew he really was trying to
control himself. “I’m just hungry!”
Mordon started to roll his eyes only to catch himself
in time. It was a contagious habit. He was about move on to the fourth house
when he heard a scream and took off running for it. They arrived at a house and
Hail opened the door, easily breaking the lock. Inside, a couple was sheltering
a very small child on the couch between them. In front of them was a creature
that would terrify most people. Instinctively, Mordon drew on the fire inside
him.
The creature was about five feet tall with long, thin
arms and had green and brown, scaly, slimy skin. Instead of a face, it had what
looked like the skull of a canine, with white, spherical eyes. Mordon wished
more than ever that he didn’t have his dragon’s advanced senses. Even Rojan
shuddered in his mind from the scent of rotting flesh that emanated from the
creature.
Rotting flesh and… peppermint ?
It raised one of its long arms to strike at the
family with its sharp claws. Mordon was faster, blasting a stream of his
hottest fire, which could melt most metals.
The creature raised its head amidst the flames and
made a sharp, husky noise that was almost a choking sound. It wasn’t in pain,
though; the creature was laughing. Then, suddenly, it lunged at Mordon. Mordon
grabbed Hail and dove out of the way, allowing the creature to vanish through
the open door. By the time he got back to his feet and reached the door, the
creature had taken off into the night by huge wings.
It was still on fire.
* * *
Devon tried to find a sharp
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