Annie's Song(33)

“Look out!”

She hit the ground, rolling as the elemental dove at her. It was bolder with its moves, more confident. By instinct, Annie took Zach’s suggestion and created a sphere of water. When she threw it the elemental screeched, dodging the ball of liquid.

“God.” Using her power like this was draining her, too fast. Claire and Marcus both warned her about using it in battle, how fast it would tap out. And all she did was piss the thing off.

Zach crawled over to her, ignoring her order to stay back. “Are you okay?” One hand touched her wrist, and her exhaustion eased. She blinked, put the questions aside for after the death battle.

“I’ve been better.” She wiped at the sweat burning her eyes, watched the elemental as it beat against her spell. Every time it hit the barrier she flinched, her hold on the spell more frayed. “I can’t keep it in here much longer . . .” Her voice faded as she thought of a way out—or rather, a way in. Pushing to her feet, she ran over to the pedestal. “I need to send it home.”

For the first time since she stepped inside the castle, she had hope.

“Zach.” He knelt on the ground, staring up at the elemental with a look of—recognition. Please, God, not now. Don’t let him remember now. “Get over here. I need your help.” She really needed him out of the way—out of the castle, but that wasn’t going to happen. They were as trapped in here as the elemental. “Zach.”

She spoke quietly this time, and his head snapped around. Those blue eyes that always looked curious, surprised, delighted with the world around him were vacant as they stared at her. And that scared her more than being burned alive.

“Oh, sweet God—” The breakthrough Claire expected, and waited for with dread, looked like it was about to explode. “Zach!”

Both he and the elemental jerked at her shout. The boy she knew came back, blinking at her. “Annie . . . what was I . . .” He closed his hand over the amethyst and looked up at the elemental again. It shrieked the second he laid eyes on it. “What the—”

The elemental dive bombed him.

Annie shot across the room, digging in past the pain of holding up the blocking spell to create another water ball. This time she hit it dead on. Screaming like the devil was on its heels, it recoiled, smoke pouring from the point of contact.

“Come on.” She yanked Zach to his feet and all but threw him toward the pedestal. “I need the amethyst, Zach.”

He clutched it, shaking his head. “It’s my only connection to Mom—”

“And it’s our only way out of this in one piece. We don’t get out, she doesn’t get the counter spell.” Nodding, he slowly pulled it off. Annie tried not to jerk it out of his hand, and wrapped the long chain around her fingers. Her attack only gave them so much breathing room. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

She glanced over, and saw the elemental in the far end of the room. It looked like it was—growing.

“Annie—”

“I see it. Do me the greatest favor, Zach, and make your way to that far corner. No matter what happens, you stay there this time.”

“But—”

“Go.” She turned around, trusting he would do what she said. Her breath caught when she saw the size of the thing coming at her. Throwing water on it only gave it the power to regenerate. “God help me,” she whispered.

Standing in front of the pedestal, blocking it as best she could, she closed her hand over the amethyst, and scrambled for a binding spell, any binding spell. She had nothing to use except the box behind her. No candles, no ribbon, no poppet. She was screwed.

“Come on—something simple—I just need—”

The elemental rushed her.

With a cry she spun—and tripped over the length of velvet hanging off the pedestal. Everything toppled, landing right on top of her.

The velvet tangling around her muffled Zach’s shout. She opened her mouth to yell at him, stilled as she felt the heat wrap her. Tendrils poked under the velvet, scorching as they brushed over her jacket, over bare skin. She bit her lip, hard enough to draw blood, waited for the velvet to turn to ash before it came for her.

Instead she heard a war cry, and something sharp smacked her ribs. The heat disappeared, replaced by a frantic pair of hands.

“Annie—hurry, Annie, it’s coming back.”

She fought her way out of the velvet trap. Saw it hover just over them, pulsing, malevolent, enraged.

“Get behind me,” she whispered, grabbing Zach’s wrist. “I’m going to send it to—”

It swooped down on them.

“NO!” Zach raised both hands. And it stopped, trembling, just beyond his outstretched palms. His tattoo glowed against the pale skin of his wrist, the flaming sword and wings blue and brilliant. “Get out, Annie—I don’t know how I’m holding it back.”