Jonas (Darkness #7)(29)

“She doesn’t. But she’s with people who do.”

Emmy slowed to a walk as a large patch of daylight crept up the hall. Up ahead about fifty feet was a huge hole in the wall that might’ve once been a doorway. Three dead guards lay strewn around the opening, two having been crushed under pieces of the wall, and one with a stone lodged in half his face. They probably hadn’t seen it coming.

“Holy shit,” Emmy breathed, starting to jog again. “Someone sure knows what they’re about.”

Jonas couldn’t help a swelling of pride. Sasha made shit up on the fly, but when she got into making a point, she really went all out. This spoke of her like nothing else would.

With freedom waiting beyond the opening, and a groaning collection of walls and ceiling behind them, Emmy put on a burst of speed into the bright sunlight. Laughing with glee, she put up her hands and reached for the sky. A second later, she gave a terrified scream and put her hands up to shield her face.

“No!” Jonas yelled in horror.

* * *

I stared in wonder at a large, three-story building with gaping holes dotting the front. The dust hadn’t even settled before people were staggering out like drunk ants, waving swords, squinting, and shaking their heads. They probably should’ve taken a second to recover, though, because our guys were already running at a full sprint to any opening they saw.

“Okay, Sasha, let’s link.” Cato turned to me and put out his hand like a handshake. “It is easier if we have physical contact the first few times.”

I saw Stefan and Dominicous start jogging forward with the last line of their warriors, swords drawn, tattoos blazing. My heart leapt in my throat. My muscles started to tingle. I had to go. I had to go with them. I couldn’t let them go in alone.

“Link, Sasha,” the calm but insistent voice implored.

“Are you sure this is a good idea, sir?” Mage June asked.

Paulie shifted where he stood. His knuckles were white around the handle of his sword. Charles stared at me, not moving, not showing his impatience, waiting for my cue. He was the more experienced of the two. He knew what was important, what needed to happen before the charge, and he was staring at me with expectancy.

I turned my face toward Cato with barely-contained impatience. With those faded-blue eyes, shining with a terrible light of death and destruction, backed with knowledge and wisdom, he was more prepared for battle than any person on this battle field. I could see past bloodshed haunting his vision. I could almost feel the deadly spells churning in his memory.

I reached out and took his old, wrinkled hand. His magic reached for mine. And he’d been right—it wasn’t like when I linked with Toa. For one, the link delved deeper until it clutched at my root. It seemed to wrap around the base of me in a firm grip. At the same time, his magic implored that I reach forward and do the same to him. Equal. Balanced.

I followed his lead, so easy when I could see it being done. No lectures, just doing.

“Strong connection. Good work.” Cato closed his eyes.

Toa stepped forward to brace his shoulders while throwing Charles a look. That’s when it happened. My world heaved. My stomach roiled and my head swam. I felt like I was floating and sinking at the same time. Like I couldn’t get enough breath. Focusing on Charles’ hands on my shoulders, I squeezed my eyes shut and gave in to it. I felt the foreign type of magic seep into and wrap around mine. It was almost like the two forms of magic were threading their fingers together.

Within a few seconds, the feeling cleared. I opened my eyes to a smiling, though still serious, Cato. “Excellent. That went off marvelously. And just in time. It seems our number one enemy has advanced.”

Cato turned and started walking, slowly, toward the battlefield. Fighting raged before us. Flashes of magic and swinging swords were often followed by splashes of deep crimson flying through the bright sky. Within the casing of a window on the second floor of the building, which was about fifty yards from the street, stood one man in a bright white robe. Equally-bright white magic rolled and boiled between his hands before a floating orb descended toward the battlefield. Toward Jameson, who fought directly below on the dais, working his way into the building!

Without thinking, just reacting, I rocketed out a mix of water and earth to smother that ball while I quickly unraveled it. But it wasn’t just me. I felt the deft touch of Cato, not following on my coattails this time, but working with me. Right beside me. As if we had the same magical body and four hands with which to work the spells.

My smothering wrapped around the orb with a black sheen as a white gloss worked within. I could feel Cato tweaking and manipulating my spell with that complex mastery that he was known for. Within seconds, the orb fizzled into nothing. Jameson, none the wiser, slashed through the neck of a woman in front of him and charged into the building.

The man in the white robe looked around wildly. His robes were disturbed in the wind.

“Surprise, you bastard!” I started throwing out spells without a second thought—hitting those on the battlefield standing in the way of our guys. Cato was always there, working with me. Improving me. Helping me learn.

“Nathanial is drawing off of a group of… I would say four powerful mages.” Cato’s eyes went distant. He was working on my spells while figuring out the enemy.

If I didn’t think I was a novice before, this would be a rude awakening.