Mine to Spell (Mine #2) (26 page)

“Run!”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

I run, but only because he’s coming with me. Conrad is hurrying toward us, though, toward our attackers. Can’t have him and Chadwick fighting alone just because of me. Both of their lives are worth more than this.

“
Leave them,” I call.

“
Just shielding your backs,” he calls back as he darts behind us to join Chadwick in facing down our foes.

Ignoring my wavering, Lukas pulls me forward, putting me in front of him. At this point, it feels like running is the only thing I should be doing, but with each step, guilt jolts through me. Crimson and gray spells flash around us, proving running is the right thing to do, but also meaning I’m leaving others to face what’s meant for me.

Lukas puts a hand to my back, pushing me on.

“
Wait. I have to help. I can.” I lift my hand and start to turn, but he grabs my wrist and ushers me on.

“
They’re following.”

I glance over my shoulder to see that Chadwick and Conrad are retreating, but the attackers are following with a flurry of reds, yellows, and bright greens. We’re going to die.

“Get in.” Lukas shoves me in the carriage before I’ve had a chance to realize we’ve come to it, the door slamming closed behind me. Moments later, we’re off, my heart frantic to beat out of my chest. Now that we’ve got horses on our side, I’m sure we can outrun them, but Chadwick and Conrad? Are they going to make it?

An amber spell smashes against the one-sided window with a pop. Suddenly the door is on fire. Someone screams. When I realize that someone is me, I snap my mouth shut, cover my hand with my sleeve, and kick at the bottom of the door that hasn’t caught on fire yet.

It thuds and cracks against my attack but doesn’t give way. The carriage has stopped, the air filling with smoke. I sit on the floor, bracing myself against the sidewall and kick as hard as I can. The smoke seems to be sucking my energy out along with my air. It’s hot. Choking hot.

Is Lukas trying to help from the outside, or has some other spell attacked him? The thought makes me kick harder even as the flames lick closer to me. The bottom of my skirt catches fire, pain searing my lower legs. Can’t give in.

I kick again, thrusting both feet out as hard as I can. The door crumbles open, the flames roaring higher with the new air, stealing it all. I jump from the inferno and run. Everything hurts like I’m still next to the flames. Then I realize I’m on fire.

Suddenly someone pushes me to the ground, smothering me, smacking at the flames still flickering across me. Pain racks through me, my vision going dark. Then the weight lifts from me, my body slowly cooling, taking the aching with it.

Opening my eyes, I find I’m encompassed by a blue spell cast by Lukas who's hovering over me. Another moment, and I’m feeling almost, but not quite, like myself, and the spell stops.

“
Than—” Before I finish, he slumps to the ground. “Lukas!”

“
Fine.” His voice is faint. “Tired.”

Chadwick is there, lifting Lukas as Conrad pulls me to my feet, his hand firm on mine. “We have to go. We’ve cut them off, but it won’t last.”

With Chadwick carrying Lukas, there’s nothing left to stop me from running.

***

“I hope there are no further plans of me going out before the tournament,” I say.

“
Definitely not.” Lukas says as he reclines on a couch, eyelids drooping.

“
It is a good thing there are still two more days, or you wouldn’t have enough time to regain your strength.” I lightly brush my hand against his. “Thank you. For saving me and healing me.”

He clasps a hold of my hand with a grip that’s firm and reassuring, I wouldn’t know he was so exhausted if he wasn’t lying before me half awake. “I shouldn’t have taken you in the first place.”

“No, you were right to take me. I don’t feel as anxious about going to the tournament now, and no one was hurt. If anything, we know they are still out there, keeping too close an eye on us. I just wish I knew who attacked. Do you think they are watching the house?”

“
We’ve searched a lot, both physically and with spells, but haven’t found anything. Seems likely, though.” He closes his eyes, and I drop his hand, even though he tries to take it back.

“
I should let you rest.”

“
Probably, but one more thing, and don’t be upset about it. Just learn from it.” Lukas takes a deep breath before continuing. “That would have been a good time to cast a spell.”

“
Blast it all! I will never learn.”

“
Don’t be so hard on yourself. Everything up until the last few weeks has been to hide magic. You’ll learn how to let it out.”

Maybe, but with the tournament so close, there isn't time. The next opportunity I have to go to the tournament grounds will be to show everyone what I can do. And possibly die for it. Seeing how I almost died today, that possibility has grown all too likely.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

“
Councilman Daniel, good to see you.” Zade’s words draw me to the entrance to find not only the councilman, but his wife, Annabelle, and Katherine.

“
Katherine! Annabelle!” I wrap them both in hugs. My loud exclamations bring the girls from all around the house down as well.

Soon the entrance is alive with chatter and excitement. Finally, mother sneaks in long enough to say, “I’m certain our guests don’t wish to make their entire visit in the hall.”

The girls immediately quiet and line themselves along the hall wall. The thought sends a pinch through me from all of the times we were trained to calm ourselves before father scolded us. Or worse, being caught doing something that required scolding.

The thought quickly passes as Waverly ushers the youngest girls back toward the playroom, and Serena leads our guests to the receiving room.

Before I follow the others in, Katherine stops me by putting a large bundle in my hands. “Your clothes for the tournament. A good variety for you to pick from. We can size them before I go, but I’m sure they’ll all fit.”

I squeeze the bundle closer to me. “They’ll be perfect.”

“You haven’t even seen them yet.”

“
But you always come through.”

“
One of these days, I may disappoint you.”

“
Unlikely,” I counter. “But if you did, I’m sure you’d find a brilliant fix for it in no time at all.”

She laughs. “You’re too nice. Sadly, though, I can’t stay for the beginning of the tournament. Hopefully, I can return to watch it sometime toward the end.”

The purple glow of her tattoos suddenly looks sinister. Blast the council. “I understand and will be happy to see you when you make it,” I say. “I’ll be in as soon as I put these away.”

“
See you soon.”

I take my things and head to my room, wondering what marvels she’s tucked in this package for me. It’s been hard being here and not seeing her as much. I miss her.

“That girl sure is sweet.” Mother’s voice makes me stop. She’s standing just inside the last door I passed, the door to her room.

“
She is.”

I linger, wondering if there’s something more, but not knowing what to say. Suddenly, mother says, “Your baby sister is kicking. I think she's the most active yet. Would you like to feel it?”

The package in my hands seems like a very good excuse not to. Although she always seems to be pregnant, I’ve never felt one of the babies move before. I’ve never done anything with them until they were old enough to be weaned. Bethany and mother always took care of them before that.

“
Do you miss father?” The words blurt out before I realized my thoughts were traveling there. Why would I ask her such a thing? Why do I even care? Our lives are so much better without him around.

She looks at some point far past me. “I don’t know if miss is the right word for it.”

I move closer to her, leaning against the doorframe. “What do you mean?”

“
Almost my entire adult life, he’s been around. That’s the way it was supposed to be. Me obeying his every whim. When your sister gained her freedom and first became our owner, I was so lost. I didn’t know what to do. Not having your father around to punish anyone was a blessing.”

“
Very much so.”

“
Yet, you must admit it was odd.”

A deep, grating sort of exhaustion pulls through me. “It is still odd without him sometimes. But I wouldn’t want him here.”

“No, none of us want that.” But her voice sounds as heavy as I feel. “Sometimes I just wonder where he is, what he’s doing. I still find myself thinking on what chores I need to complete for him. Things I’d still be doing if Serena wasn’t our owner.”

I rub my ring. “Are you upset she’s your owner?”

“Not upset. Just worried.” Her hand presses tightly on her belly.

“
And what I’m doing, does that worry you?”

“
Of course it does. Everyone seems to think it will be all right, though. Zade has us well protected.” The fondness in her voice when she says his name is unmistakable. His presence probably has done more for changing mother’s attitude than having father gone.

“
You know, I could teach you a spell or two.”

Her face goes pale, but she recovers quickly. “And you could feel your baby sister kicking.”

I’d rather go practice more even though it feels as if I’ve done nothing but practice. I never deal with the babies when she carries them. Still, if she needs to see me be brave to do the same in return…

I reach my hand out. A jab pops out of her belly before I even reach it, making my hand dart back. “Uh. I don't think she’s ready to say hello yet.”

Mother laughs. “She’s probably just so excited to hear your voice she can’t contain herself.”

Can she hear my voice? Has she heard what I’m trying to do for women? For her? Not that she would understand it, but when mother’s belly shifts again, it doesn’t make me want to run down the hall like before. After placing my package on the floor, I slowly reach forward and hover my hand over mother’s belly. She reaches up and presses it firmly against her stomach, just in time for a swift kick to my palm.

I laugh, but let my hand fall back to my side. “She really is eager for something.”

“
Most active of you girls yet, that’s for certain.”

I pick up my package and step back into the hall. “So when can I teach you a spell?”

She simply smiles and retreats into her room. Guess I shouldn’t expect too much progress in one conversation. Still, it’s something. I understand her a little better now. And my sister. That push against my hand wasn’t like I expected it to be. The thrill was almost exciting rather than scary.

That sister, she’s going to be the first born under Serena’s ownership. If everything goes well, the first to know, from birth, that women can do magic. What will become of a female who knows their worth and what they are capable of?

Chapter Thirty

It’s still dark when I leave the house. Lukas left earlier this morning to make certain things are going well. And they are, a little too well. We’ll not be able to take the carriage all the way to the grounds because of how busy it already is. My skirts are full, swishing around my legs as I get in the carriage. A new one with no spelled window for me to see out. No matter. I suppose I could fix it, but the dark is familiar. No sense rattling my already withered nerves.

The carriage moves, the sound of horses clopping filling the air. While many of the guards are staying to protect the girls, and others are going with Bethany and Serena, several are accompanying me. I grip my skirt the entire way, too much like Serena, but this is it. This is the day.

My stomach feels like revolting, also like Serena. I’m glad I left before she or the others could see me off. Things are frayed enough without having to hide more emotions from them as well. Each bump or dip of the carriage is another step closer to my doom or salvation, yet all I want to do is stay in this carriage. Never leave its dark confines.

All too soon the carriage stops. There’s chatter outside but not close by. A few moments later, the carriage door opens. My hands grip my seat as if that’s enough to keep me here, but of course my own will power and desires propel me, even if I’m having a hard time remembering what desires those are. Chadwick, Xyer, and Conrad are in a semi-circle around me.

“Where’s Lukas? I thought he was to meet us here.”

Chadwick glances around as if simply looking for him will make him appear.