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Chapter 74
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2024-10-29 19:42:56EZRA
It was well past sunset. A young monk had visited us in the twilight hour, bringing fresh food and lighting the candles set in little alcoves along the walls of our room. Avery and I sat on the far side from where Hunter was still parked near the doorway. He'd curled on to his side, using his arm as a pillow. Even with his eyes closed, I didn't think he was asleep. I could see the tension in his body clear across the room.
Avery offered a piece of the green fruit she'd peeled and I took it. The thought of eating turned my stomach, but it was something to do, and I knew I'd probably feel better if I did eat. But honestly, I was more concerned with what was happening with John,
I kept trying to distract myself by making plans, but my thoughts just circled. What were we supposed to do now that we'd gotten John here? We still needed to head back to Tamner's village and meet up with the twins and Benji. And Hunter still needed to lear
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JOHNI had the sensation of someone sitting very close to me, with a hand wrapped around one of my own. I didn't want to wake up just yet. A heaviness had filled my body and there was no resisting the exhaustion that threatened to pull me under.Whispers drifted across the room and I forced my eyes open. Poe and Ezra stood in the doorway across the room, but I couldn't catch what they were saying to each other.The hand around mine tightened. "John?"Hunter was perched on the edge of the bed, leaning over. I felt a smile pull at my lips as I struggled to keep my eyes open. "Hey.""How are you feeling?" His voice sounded as tired as I felt."Sleepy," I mumbled. I pulled at his hand weakly. "Lay down with me."As Hunter stretched out beside me, the thin wooden bed protesting our combined weight, I felt whole. More so than I had before I fell through that first portal with Ezra last year. More than when I left
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EZRAI was still struggling to catch my breath from the fight as Chief Naekas turned to cast a searching look over his people. Other than fear and concern on the villager's faces, everything else seemed normal. No injuries, no signs of fighting. So, why was everyone here?"What happened?" I asked Tamner.The healer's expression was grim, though it softened he focused on me. "Warriors, Hassim. Many warriors from the north. They took the village."Chief Naekas said something in his native language to Amna. She replied quickly before bowing to him and Tamner, her thick braid falling over her shoulder as she leaned forward. "Come into the temple," she said in English as she straightened. "I'll see to it that your people are given shelter and food.""We'll help." Hunter dismissed his demon as he and John followed Amna into the crowd of villagers. Chief Naekas addressed his people in a big booming voice that echoed off the hig
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JOHNMy whole body ached by the time I reached the little room that Hunter and I shared. I grabbed the edge of the door as the world swam around me. It'd already been a long day, and I needed to be at the top of my game tonight. But I wasn't really sure I could be. Gaining my balance again, I was conflicted. I needed to be there for Ezra but the big question was, could I?"John?"I turned to see Hunter walking down the hall towards me, two bowls of fruit in his hands. His hair was wet, the ends dripping on a fresh linen shirt that he must have borrowed from the monks. He looked sure and strong, and the exact opposite of everything I was feeling."Are you okay?" he asked me, slowing to a stop."Yeah, just a little winded." I walked into our room and took a seat on the edge of the bed, trying not to look like I almost passed out.Hunter passed over one of the wooden bowls and sat next to me. "How did the meeting go
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JOHNI followed Hunter through the portal and stepped out into a small clearing. It was full dark now and only Ezra's magic gave off any light. Ezra closed the portal and then immediately continued his hand movements into a summoning spell, calling Kastem.The other summoners followed his lead, each calling one of their own. Hunter and Anissa stood on either side of me and soon their demons did too. Anissa had found one that looked half-lizard, half-bird, but was nearly the size of a small dog. The tan and white feathers on its claw-like arms seemed to glow in the light of the summoners' magics.Benji summoned a demon that resembled a gorilla, its dark shape blending with the night, making it hard to know just how large it was. Its piercing amber eyes shone with a deep intelligence I didn't want to cross.Kastem sniffed the air, a tension held in his muscles before the large dog-like demon turned to me. It stepped across the sm
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EZRAI could barely make out the village through the trees. Anissa and I followed Suon, keeping the village on our left. Kastem was a like shadow, another part of the jungle's quiet presence. The sounds from the group of warriors in the village were anything but silent. It was obvious the war-band hadn't left yet. A big fire blazed in the village center and the sounds of the men talking and laughing in rowdy bouts echoed off into the trees with the smoke.We paused behind one of the outer huts and Suon and I peered around its edge as Anissa kept an eye out behind us. I could see clearly through to the heart of the village, where Nako's hut sat nestled in with the others. The only thing that stood out definitely between the Chief's hut and the others in the village was that it was slightly larger. Tamner had told me that was for all the meetings with village elders, but otherwise, the Chief was treated the same as any of the village elders.
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EZRAAs soon as we were clear of the village, I opened a portal back to the Temple. We all rushed through, and I quickly shut it down, not wanting to chance that one of them would follow us."What the hell?" Anissa said, dismissing her lizard-like demon. "Why are they still camped there?""They're waiting." I thought to say more, but another portal opened next to us, throwing a bright light throughout the Temple's courtyard.Hunter and John came through, Benji and their demons followed. Benji turned and immediately closed his portal just as quickly as I had.A tightness in my chest eased. We'd all made it back in one piece. No one had been hurt or captured, and we'd gotten the information we'd needed.Suon clapped me on the shoulder, "A good night, Hassim. Rest now. We talk in the sunlight.""Yeah," I said, watching Suon and Anissa head for the Temple's entrance. Hunter hovered over John like a nursemaid. J
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JOHNI felt odd, electrified in my own skin. Hurrying up the stairs of the Temple, I disappeared down a hallway that led deeper into the cave system. I didn't have a destination in mind, I only knew I wanted to be alone. I needed space. I didn't want to hurt anyone else before I could figure out what hell I'd invited into myself.This power wasn't at all what I expected. When Poe said it would be different, I thought it would be different like daffodils to daisies, not daffodils to zombies.The memory of the cold energy flashing through me and into the warrior, the feeling as his life drained away, stopped me in my tracks. I stumbled and stopped, leaning against the smooth carved earthen wall of the hallway, and wished I could feel its cool and steady power once more."John?"Hunter's voice echoed through the hall, pulling me up straighter and forcing me back into my 'I'm okay' mask. I wasn't okay, and I knew Hunter knew
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EZRASleep did not come easily. I tossed and turned all night, only to give up altogether when Avery grumbled at me in the early morning. I walked the temple halls instead, passing the monks on the stairs, heading for the top of the Temple, near the tiny shrine where I'd reconnected with Poe. I paused at the chest-high wall that protected the stairs from the steep drop down the cliff face. The sky was starting to brighten in the east and the birds were coming alive with song and chatter. The jungle was peaceful.Soon, I would need to take everyone through to the other world, but after that? We needed to find the last Reinhardt necromancer. We needed to figure out what the hell Nathan was up to and stop him before he killed us all.Overwhelmed didn't even begin to cover how I was feeling."I thought I would find you here."I turned to find Poe climbing the last few stairs behind me. He'd changed into robes the same cut as
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EZRA I stepped out onto the deserted street, looking both ways. Plowed snow had been pushed aside into small mountains on the edge of the sidewalks. Steam rose from manhole covers, a car rolled past at the end of the street. I'd never been to New York City before, and even with all my traveling between the worlds, I'd never seen a city like this. Vasco shifted his weight on my shoulder, and let out a soft caw. "It's alright," I said, reaching up to steady him. The crow-like demon had nearly doubled his size since I'd first found him weeks ago. Now, he was nearly the same as a full-grown raven. I hoped he didn't get too much larger, or carrying him around on my shoulder was going to be a problem in a number of different ways. "Settle." Taking a deep breath of the cold air, I focused on the last of my missing family, turned, and started walking. I'd wanted to do this weeks ago. I needed to have it done months ago. But things kept getting in the way. I turned a corner, pulling my jac
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HENRYEverything was harder back then. I was young and naive, and I didn't get along well with the other children my age. I remembered the day when everything changed, even though it was years ago nothing could make me forget. The day had started like any other. There was morning work to do on my family's patch of land but by the time the afternoon sun was burning up her head, I'd slipped into the woods. Often, I tried to find a hollow or a stream to explore on my own, just to avoid the others, but the peace never lasted long.I was not favored among the small group of my peers. I was the smallest of the boys, and therefore I was usually the one most picked on. Francis had a flair for creating games that often ended in me being humiliated for the other's enjoyment. And everyone had always had a good laugh. Except for Mary. She was nicer and would try to defend me when she could.But that day was different. Most of the others had trave
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JOHNBreaking the surface of the water, I gasped for breath before pushing back my hair. The stone room was brighter than before. Brackets were added to the cave walls while we were gone, allowing more torches for light. And that wasn't the only change. The monks of the Temple had added more storage chests, another bench, and a rug. There was even a table and chairs. And yet, despite the attention to detail, it still felt off. Wrong.I felt wrong.Sinking into the water's embrace again, I concentrated on the way it drew the feeling of death from my body, the way it tried to leech the chill that had set into my bones. The night had been long, our escape from the camp nearly flawless, or so I overheard Benji tell Ezra.I was like I was disconnected from reality. I could remember parts of the last six hours. Hunter pulling me away from the greenhouse. Anissa fighting hand to hand with a witch I didn't recognize. Going through Benj
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EzraLiam could have dropped an 'F' bomb and caused less shock than that sentence. I glanced at my Dad. His expression was stern.This wasn't right, Liam going against Dad. What the hell had happened to him while we were gone? What nonsense had Nathan convinced him of now? Thinking of the war camp on the other side, waiting for Nathan to bring them over, the Gods only knew what that mad man wanted to do next."Oh, don't look so worried, Ezra. I've plans for you, too," Liam said, bringing my attention back to him.Kastem growled and was echoed by another roll of thunder. The wind was howling through the trees now, and it was only a matter of time before the rain fell with force."I'm not worried about that," I lied to him. "I'm just trying to figure out what I'm supposed to tell Mom."Surprise flickered over Liam's features. He lifted the knife and pointed it at me. "You won't be telling her anything."Before I could figure out what to
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JOHNMy power spread from one plant to the next as it wove its way through the connected root system. Then, like a wave of death, the plants shriveled and fell, decayed and useless, to the earth in a spreading circle around me."No!"My father's scream echoed through the plastic enclosure."John!" Hunter's voice was a relief to hear. In my rush to grab the plants, I hadn't cared about the roar or what had pulled my Dad off me. Now, I could clearly see as I sat up, Mai, Hunter's panther-like demon growling over my father."Are you hurt?" Hunter knelt down in the dirt next to me, reaching to help me up.Shaking my head, I took stock of myself. Besides the dirt on my hands and clothes, and the relative trauma of physically fighting my dad, I was fine. I still had the power Poe had given me. Still could feel the essence of the plants I'd killed.In the skin of my hands, the dark designs appeared, the swirling patterns tracing their way up
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EZRAThe portal opened exactly where I'd pictured John earlier. Unfortunately, it'd taken longer than I'd wanted to get everyone together. Hunter and Benji stepped through first, then Dad, Anissa, and Tessa. Once the six of us were through, I closed the portal down and looked around, trying to get a bearing of where we were and which way John had gone."It's too dark. I don't see anything," Benji commented.Hunter didn't waste time, summoning his demon there on the spot. Anissa and Tessa did the same. I focused first on which way John had gone, knowing he still had to be here, and sure enough, as soon as I'd opened up to my power, he was there on the web, easy enough to find now that I knew what to look for."He's east of here, not too far-"I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I was tempted to leave it, but the thought of Avery home with our moms and as well as Thea and Kaylee had me pulling it out of my pocket. If there
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JOHNThe forest was dark as ink as I came through the portal. I'd opened it right on the edge of the camp I'd spent many summers at when I was younger. Camp Meadow Creek was a compound of over one hundred acres in the Cumberland mountains outside of Louisville.In front of me were the main entrance, the Community Hall, and the fifteen smaller cabins the earth witch trainees stayed in when they were here.The main area was lit up with outdoor lighting attached to the buildings, showing off the yard. Memories made me pause. The hot summers eating popsicles on the lake dock. That time I fell off the top bunk and sprained my wrist. The first time I made a tree grow from a pine cone to a full towering pine in a matter of minutes. The nostalgia rocked me hard, but it was all bittersweet now. The friendships, the lessons I'd learned. They all seemed tainted by what I knew now.A whisper of feeling brushed by, and I turned, expecting E
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EZRAThe house was quieter when we returned. Benji and the others had yet to come back, but I found Kaylee and Thea curled up together on the couch in a nest of blankets with the baby demon between them. Kaylee had offered to look after it while we investigated Lyssa's house and I'd let her.It chirped softly at me, flapping its wings in a way that could only be described as a 'pick me up' motion. I obliged, before the demon decided it was upset and screeched."Shh," I whispered to it, cradling it in my arms. There was no need to wake the entire house."William, is that you?" Mom's voice called softly from the kitchen. Avery and I followed Dad as he went to find Mom. Her eyes watered as soon as she set eyes on us, as if she already knew what we'd found."How bad is it?" Mom whispered."We think Nathan took her-""No, we're p
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JOHNThere was none of the dizzy vertigo like when I travelled through Ezra or Benji's portal. It was more like a long step through a doorway that led me right back where I was only weeks ago. The freshly cut grass left a thick scent in the air that brought back many memories of family barbecues and parties.I turned back to the portal. Cameron and the other Witches still appeared awestruck, but Hunter looked as though he wanted to jump through after me, the pain clear on his unhappy face."I'm sorry," I said, and shut down the portal.My chest throbbed. Part of me had wanted Hunter to come, because I didn't want to face this alone. What if we were caught? On my own, I would at least have a chance to escape again, but after what'd happened after they'd caught Ezra, they probably would kill Hunter on the spot.Facing the house, I distracted myself by focusing on the details. New cushions covered the patio furniture and ne
