A Power of Old(42)

The thought made me feel sick.

My mind was brought back to the present as a faint green glow had started to emanate from behind me.

“Ruby!” I called out, already running toward the temple. “Get Hazel away from there!”

I saw the blonde girl scurrying across the sand. As I reached the entrance, Hazel and Ruby were already slowly backing away from the stone door.

“Get behind me,” I growled at Hazel, resisting the urge to yank her back. Both of them moved swiftly, joining Julian and Ragnhild in the cover of the trees. The door had started to tremor in its setting, causing the ground to rumble with a low, intense shudder. Slowly the door started to grind sideways, and more green light spilled from the entrance, lighting up the path.

The silhouette of Benedict was slowly revealed. He stood, patiently waiting, statue still, as the door opened fully. He moved forward, his steps slow and unhurried as he ascended the slope of the path.

“B-Benedict?” Hazel whispered. I held up my hand in warning—I wanted her to be silent. Whatever Benedict was about to do, I wanted him to do it without being interrupted…I needed to know more, and this was our only chance.

I hastily backed away, avoiding the glare of the green light. I didn’t know if he knew we were there or not—sometimes when we’d encountered him under possession he appeared to be completely oblivious to our presence, and then sometimes not.

Silently, I watched as he turned in the direction of the water. He moved steadily over the rocks and dunes, avoiding the remains of the ships. As he moved out of the intensity of the light, I realized that he was clutching one of the stones in his hand. It glowed softly. It meant that Benedict would be strong right now. We had to be careful.

I edged forward, wondering what he was doing. He looked as if he was heading straight for the sea…

He was. He walked swiftly over the sand where the tide had gone out, but didn’t stop when he got to the water, wading straight in, his splashes echoing through the absolute silence of the cove.

Is the entity trying to drown him?

Hazel had obviously reached the same conclusion I had.

“Benedict, no!” she cried out, running out from the trees to follow him. I grabbed her as she tried to run past me.

“Hazel, stop!”

The searing pain of her syphon flooded my body, disorientating me with pulsing shocks like someone was digging pins into my brain matter, but I held on, not willing to let her anywhere near her brother. Knowing she would hate me for it later.

My grip tightened.

“Come back!” she screamed, and I held my hand over her mouth, willing her to be quiet.

While she struggled in my arms Benedict waded into the water up to his waist. He paused, waiting for something, and then raised his arm in the air, holding the stone aloft. Hazel stopped struggling.

With an almost careless flick of his arm, the stone went flying into the water. I heard the heavy ‘plop’ as it hit the surface, sinking to the bottom of the ocean. I waited, looking out to the sea…what’s supposed to happen?

Benedict lowered his arm and started to walk back toward the shore.

“Don’t move,” I commanded in Hazel’s ear, gritting my teeth against the pain. I released her, praying she would do as I asked. This was our chance to restrain him—if the stone had left his possession he should be in a weakened state…

“Ragnhild! A barrier!” I cried, needing the extra mental strength the guard would provide after holding onto Hazel. He ran toward me, throwing out his energy. It wasn’t very strong, not what I would expect from a lieutenant, but our energy linked nonetheless.

I was about to throw the barrier outward, but before I could focus, Benedict stumbled on a rock. Rather than righting himself, his body fell forward, collapsing onto the sand.

“BENEDICT!”

Hazel started to run, and I didn’t have the energy to stop her.





Rose





We stood around the portal, suspended inches from the surface of the water. The black tar-like substance hadn’t moved, despite the witches and the jinn working their magic on it for hours.

“This is impossible!” declared Aisha. “I’ve never even seen this black stuff before. It’s gross.”

I rolled my eyes. This wasn’t the first tirade of complaint that Aisha had exploded with, and if this continued much longer, it wouldn’t be the last.

“Patience, girl,” Nuriya scolded. “Go back to the moldy drinking hole if you want.”

“No, thanks,” Aisha retorted. “It stinks like wet dog.”

Corrine sighed irritably—Aisha had broken her concentration. The witch looked downhearted, and I started to worry. Really worry. What if we could never get it open? Given all that I’d survived in my life, I’d kind of always believed that where there was a will, there was a way…but it didn’t look like all the will in the world was having much luck here.