《Clavomancy》Chapter 20
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Driving along the private road to the Summer Court’s company that Dean and Aggie visited earlier, Dean stared out his passenger window. Not looking at the building but at the surrounding forest as he sped by. A slight haze hung between the trees that Dean could only see thanks to the setting sun. The beams of sunlight cut through the forest canopy refracting from the white mist.
“Do you smell that?” Sonya asked as she sniffed the air audibly.
Dean’s concentration broken, he closed his eyes and sniffed the air. The smell of a new car mixed with something skunky was the only smell that greeted his nose. Lifting an arm he gave himself a quick pit check. That skunky smell was him. His armpits ripe from a day spent running, fighting, and scared.
“Sorry,” Dean replied. “I should have freshened up before we left.”
“No not that,” Sonya said with a frown. Rolling down the driver’s side window she quickly sniffed the air then sped up.
Dean rolled down his own window to get a better smell. As the air buffeted his face from their increased speed. He smelled something heavy like damp woods with notes of orange peels. But the aftertaste from it was vile as the taste of chewed up aspirin and burnt toast causing Dean to shudder.
“What is that?” Dean asked as he rolled his own window up.
“The World Tree is burning,” Sonya answered through gritted teeth. Her foot pressed down on the gas as her knuckles turned white. “Andromeda would never let that tree burn,” she said through gritted teeth.
Taking the curves of the winding road at unsafe speeds Dean screamed. Flying at unsafe speeds towards the Summer Court’s building Dean's eyes grew large. The sunset wasn’t reflected by the windows but reflected a summer's day. Cloud slowly rolled across the front of the building. Only marred by broken windows that released white smoke that sank to the ground heading straight for the forest.
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The sound of gunfire could be heard coming from the inside. The sounds only coming in short bursts. But tinny with reverb.
Dean's hand trembled as he held the gun, he had liberated from the guards earlier. He should have practice more when given the opportunity but instead chose to do other things. All those hours watching movies and reading were coming back to bite him in the ass now. Sonya took notice of his shaking hand. Placing her hand on the gun she pushed it down.
“You're just as likely to shoot yourself with hands shaking that badly,” she said looking at him.
Dean let the pressure of her hand push the gun down. He knew she was right. But if he was going to only use the nails his range would be limited. Thinking of using a spell or another magical emp could make him too weak. Unable to protect himself as he traveled the Grimmlands to rescue Aggie.
Pushing her hand off the gun Dean said, “I’m taking the gun but I won’t use it unless I absolutely have to.”
“Suit yourself,” Sonya said pulling out her own gun. In an amazing display of dexterity or knowledge, she loaded her own gun one-handed fluidly.
“If we make it out of here you need to show me how you did that,” Dean said in awe. After watching her handling a gun one-handed, he felt even clumsier.
“Just keep up and try not to shoot me,” Sonya replied opening her car door.
Dean followed suit, exiting the car. His heart pumping in his chest as he followed Sonya’s lead. Crouched low they charged up the stairs. The sound of gunfire distorted could be heard but not seen. The mirrored glass making it impossible to see inside.
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After hearing the weird gunfire sounds Sonya stopped them. “Change of plans,” she began, “We don’t know what we are entering. Those gunshots sounded distorted and were probably entering a juxtaposition spell.”
“So like your apartment and the place they had you trapped,” Dean said thinking he knew where she was going with this.
“Yes like those. But whatever were entering will be much more favorable to the Fay. But with your power you might be able to cut through it all and make it to the tree,” Sonya said.
“You’re not coming with me?” Dean asked.
“No, I'm hunting Andromeda,” Sonya replied icily. “She has to answer for what is going on under her watch.”
“But how am I supposed to find the tree?” Dean asked worriedly. With his limited training with magic and just a gun, he didn’t know how he would survive the Grimmlands alone. Let alone find Aggie.
Sonya put her stub on Dean's shoulder and looked him dead in the eye saying, “Be Ben Affleck.”
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