I stumbled, releasing both Breandan and Devlin in shock at the abrupt shift of location. Shocked and a little misty eyed, I looked down at the palm-sized green and gold amulet clutched in my fist. Runes I didn't recognize were etched into the circumference, and it had two smaller rings in the circle. It looked like you could slot two smaller pieces in. I had hoped Devlin would have slotted the two pieces the Tribe had together, but this was only one third. The power of it hummed, rattled my bones. The amulet seemed to sigh and ripples of power slid across my hand, up over my torso and flowed over my legs. Biting down as it adjusted itself to its new master. Then it bubbled out, extending until I felt more connected to everything. Huh? I didn't feel protected, I felt wide open. I knew my amulet was meant to inspire wisdom (yeah right), but his one was meant to protect. I made a noise of triumph that morphed into one of annoyance. I'd meant to leave Devlin behind with the others and take us to my dorm room, not the crumbling church I'd met the white witch in earlier. And, I had meant for this damn thing to go to Breandan, not attach itself to me. I tried to drop it on the floor hoping it would reverse whatever had happened, but my hand wouldn't let it fall.
The gods be damned, I could not catch a break.
I stuffed the amulet in my pocket then the sheer impossibility of what I had done caught up with me. Giggling in disbelief my brain rattled in my skull, settling back into place as I toppled over to puke my guts up. Scraping my mouth with the back of my hand, I whirled in fright at the commotion behind me.
Devlin and Breandan darted around each other in smooth, bold movement. The fight was beastly and magnificent. Their speed alternated from painfully slow to supernaturally fast. I couldn't see half the moves they executed, but when I could I felt sick.
The need to protect Breandan submerged the rock of my fears in a sea of courage. Confident we had broken away from Devlin's guard, I felt for the Source. Grasping the pulsing energy a wave of nausea rolled over me, head to toe. Stomach heaving and pitching dangerously, I steadied my legs. My attention was drawn once again to the fight at the sound of a pained grunt. Gone was the illusion of normalcy and tentative peace. Both feral and vicious, the boys feinted around the space with lethal intent. Breandan and Devlin smacked each other about with their fists and feet, and loud thumps, and hollow crunches accompanied each blow.
I spat a curse and planted my feet, swallowed the bile burning the back of my throat and nose. It tasted sour. I drew deeply on the Source until I thought my body would burst from the pressure bubbling my blood. Focusing my energies on what I wanted was hard. Each of Devlin's punches on Breandan's body was like a blow to my own. I molded the mass of chaotic energy I summoned into a fist of air, panting under the strain.
Breandan lost concentration; eyes darting to mine they filled with concern. Victory flashed across Devlin's face as he struck with fatal precision.
Releasing air, I reached to fire. A ball of light appeared before me and grew. Larger, and larger until I realized it was more than I could control. Breandan would be too close to use the damn thing, so what did I do with it? The flames stared to burn blue then whips of white started to flash across its surface.
'Rae, hold very, very still and do not let it go.'
I looked up to see Breandan and Devlin had stopped fighting. They stood side by side, and the alarm on their faces terrified me.
My lip trembled and the fireball bloated slightly.
Breandan took a hesitant step toward me. 'Rae, love, please stay calm.'
'I think I think it's a little big,' I said nervously. 'At least you've stopped fighting.'
'It was either stop or watch you kill us all,' Devlin said angrily.
A ferocious hate blazed across Breandan's face as he looked at the fairy-lord, but he schooled his expression and focused on me. His face was blank, but his eyes were tight. 'It's going to be fine. I want you to do exactly what I say, alright?'
I nodded manically. The ball of fire hovered in front of me, rolling, expanding and collapsing in on itself slightly. What would happen if it exploded in my face?
'I have courage and I can do this,' I said out loud.
Devlin rolled his eyes.
'Yes,' Breandan agreed. 'You are very brave. Now, I want you to think of the fire ball as the wind.'
'Like a tornado?'
'No!'
The fireball lengthened, and spun into a cyclone of flames. A face flashed into my mind and then it was off, sucking Devlin into its centre. Consumed in wildfire he bellowed in anger. The fire swirled into a glowing ball leaving him singed, but unharmed. He bounced the bloated sphere of death in his palm then hurled it toward Breandan.
'Stop,' I cried and reached out to call the power back.
The fire winked from existence, but the heat of it enveloped me. Falling to my knees, I batted at the small fires that erupted on my clothes, and watched in confusion as the fist of air I'd conjured hurtled toward the fairy- boys, who had returned to their fight. I was powerful enough to conjure two spells at once? Even as I realized something was wrong with my conjuring, my eyes widened at the glow surrounding them, and I understood too late they used magics of their own.
The casting broke with such impact the ground shook.
Shields conjured for protection bent and exploded. Both boys were flung back and carried by an unstoppable force. The churning energy of their spells rent apart fanned out, like ripples in a still pond. I vibrated as the force encountered my mass and hammered it. I was thrown from my knees, and kicked across the floor at breakneck speed. Each ripple slammed and beat at me until all I could do wait for it to end. A wall was in my way and as I crashed through it the stone dragged at my skin. I lay dazed. Unable to move, think or breathe. Black spots danced across my vision and my ears filled with a high note of sound. I scrunched my eyes shut. There was blood in my mouth and dirt rammed to back of my throat. I couldn't smell anything, my nose felt thick and throbbed. Amulet of protection my left butt cheek. I gasped, my chest expanding to suck in air in heaving gulps. The busted up thing known as my body was numb.
A hand pressed on me, checking I was whole.
'Breandan,' I sobbed. 'It hurts so bad.'
Coughing up speckles of dirt, I lay a hand on my chest and brought it away to see dark red.
'Lie still.'
The voice, familiar yet unwelcome caused bizarre dread to gush through me. It was not the voice I wanted to hear.
'Get off me,' I said, breathless. 'Don't touch me.'
Despite the pain I wrestled and twisted and attacked with my hands but Devlin deflected me without difficulty.
'Let go.' Breandan loomed above, not a scratch on him. His blade bit into Devlin's jugular drawing blood that trickled to soak his collar. Yet he hesitated to let me go. I glared up at him like he was a mad man. 'Now,' he snapped.
Breandan clasped my extended arm and pulled me into him, keeping his eyes deadlocked on Devlin. On his knees, Devlin's hair and eyes were half crazed. My blood stained his hands, and his clothes were singed and smoking at the edges.
If I were a were-cat I would be roaring.
My heart battered my chest as I reached the conclusion the fight had ended. Breandan had won, and I saw in Devlin's face he was facing something nasty. The defeat at the hands of a younger and weaker enemy, something a tribal leader could never live down. Sweat slicked my palms, and I rubbed them on my jeans. I thought it through quickly, if I wanted to suggest something extreme. I mean, reverse the situation and Devlin would kill Breandan without hesitation. Was his life Breandan's to claim? The fairy culture seemed deeply steeped in honor and tradition. Lochlann was the rightful leader of the rebels, not Breandan. If he killed the tribal leader I didn't know what it would mean. It could cause more damage to the fairy hierarchy than leaving him alive would. My eyes travelled down to a puddle of my blood dripping in steady plunks to the floor. I swayed, but before I staggered, I was in his arms.
'This is your own fault for not minding your own business,' Breandan said and looked down his perfect nose at me. 'Our shields were only conjured to protect. If they had triggers attached you would be dead. Using magics on a whim is beyond irresponsible, Rae. It puts you in danger. You must not go beyond your capabilities.'
