The Magic Wakes (30 page)

“I’ll find you and peel the skin from your soft body while you are yet alive. No one orders me to come or go.” Her harsh voice disturbed Kansisi’s sleep. She nudged him. “Kansisi, wake up.”

He mumbled something and she elbowed him in the side until he opened his eyes.

“What is it?”

“A dream about the mage woman. She thinks she will destroy all of us.”

“You are just angry about Nysyk’s death and it’s slipped into your dreams. What time is it?”

“No I’m not, and it’s almost dawn. We should begin a full scale attack before the mage comes for us.”

Kansisi sat up in the bed.

“I think you are overreacting, but I’ll humor you. We can go to the command center and pull together another team to search for her.”

Shishali did not wait for another word but jumped out of the bed and headed for the door. Kansisi followed her a little more slowly.

“It is simple. Much easier than getting the demon. Climb on my back and we will go in between.”

“How . . . is that . . . different . . . from portal?” Jaron crawled toward Jewel.

“Dragons can stay between. Your portal is a bubble that passes through the between. We will stay long enough for the demon to lose hold on your cellular structure. It will be trapped there.”

The demon gripped Jaron’s heart and squeezed before exploding outward again in an effort to gain control of the body. Jaron struggled to climb onto the dragon’s back. Impatient, Jewel slid her hind leg forward and pushed the man up with her foot. Jaron did not feel her push off the ground or pass between. He lost consciousness long before they returned to the here and now.

Shishali knew the female mage hid in the forest. She took the chance the mage would stay close to the city and walked into the trees. She fumed as she thrashed through the woods. Kansisi had refused to come with her. Her anger increased at the thought of him and fueled her search, the fury piling until she found it difficult to concentrate.

After a few hours stomping through the woods, she calmed enough to notice a fuzzy wall of sorts around her thoughts. She had searched this section of the forest thoroughly and should have moved on a long time ago. However, every time she thought about moving east, her mind turned her west again. Her lips curled back from her teeth.

Where there is magic, there is a mage.

Shishali worked harder to calm and clear her mind before walking eastward. Whenever she grew muddled and disoriented, she sat down and meditated until her mind cleared and she could continue.

An hour of inching forward moved her through the magical barrier. Head pounding, eyes dry, Shishali took a deep breath and set off to find the mage woman with violet eyes.

After calming down from the effects of the dream casting, Talia begged Landry for some space. She realized that she had not been alone since escaping from Joharadin. How long ago had that been? Three, four days? Time had lost all meaning; each day blurred together.

She paced for a while in the small ship until she couldn’t stand it anymore. What she really needed was to find her balance. There was only one way to do that. She needed to be closer to the earth elements.

After checking to make sure no one watched, Talia slipped away to a small clearing out of sight from the practicing mages. She lay down on the cool grass and closed her eyes. Using the techniques Landry taught her, she built walls around her magical core to block out the chattering trees. Now she could enjoy the sound of the birds twittering and wind blowing without commentary. The serenity and peace seeped in slowly.

A slight breeze ruffled the leaves, making a pleasant whispery sound. The sunslight danced and shimmered through the canopy. It was all so beautiful, why did war have to mess up something so perfect?

The birds stopped singing and everything fell unnaturally quiet.

Talia stood and scanned the trees, but saw nothing unusual. She removed the barrier and was bombarded with a flood of warnings. The trees yelled at her with such urgency, she couldn’t separate their voices.

Calm down so I can understand you.

Danger.
They all yelled at once.

An image of the red Dragumon entered Talia’s mind. She sauntered through the trees. She was close.

Talia’s legs tensed, her heart quickened, and sweat broke out on her upper lip as she visualized the death from her dreams. Would it be quick? She pulled in a deep breath as Shishali walked into the clearing. For a moment, Talia hoped she dreamed. But this was not Joharadin. She had not tried to dream cast. It had to be the real thing.

“I’m so glad I found you,” Shishali purred. She stood tall and walked toward Talia with the grace of a cat on the prowl. “Nothing to say?”

Talia found it hard to swallow as Shishali’s lips curled back to reveal the dagger sharp teeth. When she did swallow, her mind pulled away from her body. Her emotions shut down, leaving her numb but freeing her voice.

“Not really.”

“Too bad. I plan to kill you slowly for what you did to Nysyk.” She circled and Talia turned to keep her in sight.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Talia said.

“I found him in a canyon in the mountains. How did you do it? You don’t look strong enough.”

Understanding dawned. Talia knew the Dragumon wouldn’t believe her, but she tried anyway. “I didn’t.”

Talia braced herself as the Dragumon circled. Every muscle tightened. She hugged her arms around her and hoped death would be quick. Her enemy stepped closer, towering a foot and a half over her.

“What do you mean you didn’t?” The creature sneered. “You’re the only little mage I’ve met. What kind of trap did you set?”

The Dragumon flexed her muscles and the light rippled across her scales. For a moment, Talia wondered at the beauty of all those shades of red. Then she remembered what it felt like to use that body.

“No trap. Just little old me as you said. Perhaps you should be worried.” Talia straightened her shoulders and stood taller.

Shishali made a sound like tree branches breaking in a storm. “Don’t make me laugh. You waited for him and used some kind of weapon. I notice you don’t have anything with you now.”

Time slowed. Shishali reached out with her taloned hand and sliced through Talia’s left side. Talia gasped as the pain shot through her. The warm blood flowed through the rip in her shirt leaving her fingers sticky. She didn’t dare look away from Shishali, but she pulled energy from the trees to stop the bleeding.

Shishali’s eyes narrowed. Her jaw twitched. Then she growled as she watched the wound heal. “How long can you do that before you are too weak? I’m going to enjoy finding out.”

This time Shishali rushed Talia, slicing through the side of her face and down her chest with a long slash. The wounds bit deeper this time. Nausea threatened to bowl Talia over as her life flowed away. Gathering energy, she repaired the damage and ran for the forest.

“Yes, make it more fun for me little mage.” Shishali gave Talia a head start while she lowered herself to the ground and stretched her spine before leaping into the chase.

Talia communicated with the trees, looking for a place to hide. She considered running to camp, but knew they couldn’t help her. No matter what, she had to keep the camp a secret so they could perform the spell. She turned and headed the opposite direction.

Although Shishali didn’t make a sound as she sprinted through the forest, the trees provided Talia with a clear image of her position. They guided Talia, but Shishali was faster. Pain shot through her back as the Dragumon grabbed onto her shoulders and slung her to the side.

Talia landed in a heap at the base of a tree. She dug her fingers into the ground and pulled from the tree’s roots.

“What are you waiting for?” Talia tried not to pant as the pain slowly ebbed.

“Whatever do you mean? I just want to have a little fun.” Shishali paced before the tree, licking her talons.

“You forget, I know that trick.”

“Ah, yes, our previous meeting. Then you remember how good fresh blood tastes.”

Talia stood slowly.
There has to be a way out of this. Think!

In one fluid movement Shishali tackled her. They slammed into the ground. Talia’s newly healed lungs took a beating as the air rushed out of them. The Dragumon straddled her, making it even harder to draw a breath.

“Why don’t you kill me like the councilwoman? Remember how much you enjoyed that?” Talia wheezed the words but pushed the memory from her mind.

“I’m sure you would like that. But no, a quick death won’t be as entertaining for me. I want to show you what I’m going to do to the people on this planet. Where to start? How about your shoulders?” Shishali swept away the tattered fabric covering Talia’s shoulder and sunk her talons halfway through before pulling them out.

Talia clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut, but she couldn’t stop the moan from escaping. Shishali drew her talon along her shoulder blade and halfway down her arm, then peeled the skin away from the muscle beneath.

“How does that feel little mage?” Shishali ripped a section of skin from her other shoulder. “Now why don’t you tell me how you killed Nysyk?”

“Didn’t.” Talia hissed and bit her tongue as a strip was ripped from her stomach.

“You still lie?” Shishali growled. “It doesn’t matter, he’s gone and you will pay for it.”

Talia burned with each rip of skin. The breeze stung instead of soothed. Healing energy came, but Shishali sliced and peeled faster than Talia could keep up. Her blood mingled with the earth beneath her, but she could no longer feel it as it flowed from her. She stopped pulling the energy needed to heal and thought of her parents.

I’ll be with you soon.
She sobbed as the pain consumed her.

Shishali paused. “Every human I find will suffer a slow death because you are too weak to stop me.” She ripped a length of skin from across Talia’s chest.

Talia screamed and arched her back. It was as if her body tried to stay close to the removed skin that stuck to the Dragumon’s talon.

“Maybe I’ll let you live so you can watch. If only there were someone special I could start with.” She cocked her head to the side and her ears swiveled around. “A male perhaps? Talia, where are you?” She finished in a mocking voice.

“No!”

“Oh yes, he’s coming, but not close enough yet. Perhaps he needs to hear you scream some more?”

Shishali lifted Talia’s arm and twisted, breaking it at the elbow. She tried not to scream, but the pain would not be held in. Talia’s eyesight blurred.

Talia! Where are you?
Landry’s voice sounded in Talia’s head, bringing a moment of clarity. She envisioned him running through the woods.

He’ll try to save me, but she’ll kill him too
.

“I won’t let you kill him.” Talia forced the words out and opened her eyes.

“You can’t stop me.” Shishali’s lips curled up in her cruel smile. She looked around the clearing. “Not much longer now.”

A raging fire ignited deep within Talia. It matched the fire burning on her skin. She remembered the feel of life slipping through Shishali’s fingers. Remembered her delight in death. Talia had lost the fight for herself, but she would kill for Landry. The hot knot of anger grew and spread. Talia opened her mind and drew energy from deep within the suns, losing all sense of control as she stared into eyes that mirrored hers.

“Talia!” Landry’s voice sounded close.