Chapter Nineteen

Myra woke, covered in sweat, shivering even though the room felt sweltering. She lay on a long couch with a light blanket over her. Muted sounds of battle still sounded all around. Blearily, she scanned the room. It looked like a regular sitting room with multiple arrangements of couches and armchairs centered around coffee tables or fireplaces.

Shea stood near the door. Though her body was relaxed as she leaned against the wall, tension lined her face. A slight current ran through the air. Was it magic?

The castle shuddered. Both girls looked up.

"What's going on?" Myra asked.

"Another school is attacking us." Shea answered. "It happens sometimes. A way of showing strength, gaining attention from the upper sidhe lords and ladies, and -" Shea paused, her face twisted. "To cull the weak. Though, that last one is mostly a by-product.

"I'm here to make sure no one comes after you. As far as we know, they don't know that anyone else outside the school is here."

"Thanks," Myra said softly.

In her mind's eye, she saw the dark figures falling from the sky again. Would the fae she met today come back? Or would they fall as well, dark figures far away and unable to be recognized.

Heart pounding, the room became too bright. "How are we doing out there?"

Shea took a second before answering. "Hard to say for sure, but given the sounds of battle and that we don't hear anyone swarming the halls, I think it's safe to say our school is holding out."

Myra stayed silent.

"Usually these bouts don't last for long, but you aren't safe here. At least, not completely. I can get you out, but to do that we have to go to one of the gate rooms. Most of the castle is warded against any fae just popping in. You could start here if you want. Either way will be a risk."

"Where would I be able to go? Can you get me back to my school in the human world?"

"Naturally, yes."

Myra interjected. "My friends have their own wards around their rooms. That's part of why I haven't been able to get home."

"Then why don't we send you just outside the school? The grounds? Then the wards won't get in the way."

Myra blinked her own ridiculousness. Of course, it could be that simple. "Ok, that sounds good to me."

She'd be back soon enough for the trial, but being back home? Even a few hours would be worth it.

"Let me scout out the hall first."

Shea laid her hand on the door as if to support herself. She closed her eyes and a quiet current of energy rose up around her before cautiously moving out into the hallway. She stayed like that for a few moments. At one point, she nodded to herself, but still didn't stop. Finally, she raised her head.

"It's clear."

The two girls walked out slowly. Myra could still feel Shea's magic reaching out. As for herself, she darted her gaze back and forth. It wouldn't do to try to use her new found magical senses and be incapacitated again.

"I might be able to shield you," Myra said softly. "I did help Toran a little in the trial against the hobs." She refused to remember what the dying creatures looked like.

Shea nodded once. "Appreciated. We can go through the side paths further down. Hopefully no one is there."

The two slowly stalked down the hall with only occasional torches for company. The further they went, the further apart the torches and doors were spaced until Shea decided to bring forth a tiny light.

Myra's heart pounded in her chest. She flinched at every echo of their footsteps. Every so often, she darted a glance behind them. In her mind's eye, fae snuck through the halls, attacks at the ready to take them unaware.

"These halls are rarely used," she said. "They were built for when our numbers grow too high. The enemy students shouldn't come here. They'll be too busy with everyone else pouring out to fight them." Despite her reassuring words, Shea spoke in a low whisper.

The sounds of battle faded into the distance.

"There's an old gate room down here," Shea said. "I'll get you out and then go join the fight." She rubbed her thumb against the edge of her bow.

Myra wondered if she'd have enough arrows to survive the battle. But she had to have other attacks and defenses, right?

Looking in an open door, a quick glance showed her no windows or decoration of any kind. The room had a single table and a few chairs.

"We must be deep in the castle," Myra breathed.

"Actually, no. We are on the very edge, but underground. Just a little further."

Shea suddenly paused at the next intersection. She stood still and even Myra could feel her magical senses stretching out. Myra strained her eyes, willing herself to see more in the darkness. If she could conjure that same feeling as before with the hobs, she'd be able to help protect them, but first they had to find the threat.

Seconds stretched into minutes that felt like an eternity. Dark shapes fell from the sky in Myra's memory. She struggled to breathe slowly.

"Ok, I think we are alone." Shea said at last. Still, she crept forward, senses searching.

Myra swept her gaze front and back. The only sound was the hammering in her ears. Shea's tiny light suddenly seemed dangerously bright.

No one jumped out at them. No sound whispered off the castle walls. The girls turned right. Myra flicked her gaze to the left turn they didn't take. Her back tingled with the fear that someone was there.

The hall dead ended into double doors. The gate room was bigger than any of the others she'd seen so far except for the cafeteria. Only a few of the torches were lit. The closest one looked like it was about to go out. In the dim light, Myra could make out a few, sparse tapestries and what looked like a platform. As she and Shea walked closer, other platforms spread across the room came into view.

"These are spelled to make it easier to cut through the wards on the castle," Shea whispered. "The enemy students shouldn't know that they are here, but let's get you out of here."

They stepped up onto the closest platform. Shea took Myra's hand.

"Think about where you want to go. The grounds outside your school. What do they look like? Sound like? Smell like even? See your school close by."

Myra felt Shea's power begin to rise as she spoke. She thought of the trees she so often walked through, their calming effect, the songs of the birds and chattering squirrels. The warm sun coupled with the still cool, crisp smelling breeze of winter.

Without warning, the air suddenly felt electrified.

For a brief second, there came the sound of heavy breathing. Then a sharp, “hush”.

Shea’s head snapped up. Bewilderment mixed with hostility on her face. She dropped her light and in an instant, she’d drawn an arrow, aiming for something Myra couldn’t see.

Shea didn’t say anything and instead gave Myra a pointed look before firing several arrows in quick succession. Myra watched as each time Shea pulled out an arrow, her quiver glowed ever so slightly that she wondered if she’d see it in a fully lit room. With each glow, another arrow appeared. How long would that hold out? Could it possibly be infinite?

Return fire streamed toward them, dark green bolts of energy. Myra tried to hold back a shriek and ducked. It came out as a mangled half scream. She’d been able to create a shield when Toran was fighting the hobs. How did that work? He said it was stronger than the one he’d shown her or at least, that the one they had done in practice wasn’t as strong and would only last a few seconds. Hers had to be taken down. All she’d done was throw up her hands and suddenly it was there. She thought about the energy balls she’d been able to conjure on the practice field. The dark figures fell in her mind’s eye and her stomach heaved. Shield it was.

Myra struggled to gather her power as she had before. Her hands trembled. Another blast streamed towards her face. Ducking to the side, Myra threw her hands up and desperately hoped. The same blue dome flickered into life in front of her. The dark green magic clipped the side of her shield. It fell. Myra cried out as the heat from the attack scorched her arm. She thrust her hands up, trying again, but nothing happened.

Without a glance in her direction, Shea stepped forward as she continued to fire her arrows. Slightly slower now, she seemed to be trying to pick off targets.

One of their enemies stepped in the firelight. He was a sidhe like Toran, but the sheer malice in his face made him look so much more alien. He wore leathers more like the pixies had the day before, though his were dyed green and brown like Toran's armor had been.

What had Toran said at the practice field? Left arm up, across her body, focus her magic, and thrust her arm diagonally down. A quick flash of blue light appeared in front of her just in time to deflect the sidhe's blast. If she hadn't been so scared, Myra might have jumped for joy.

Shea let out a whoop of excitement as she trained her arrow on the sidhe. "Surrender?" She asked simply.

The sidhe grimaced and glanced backwards. Was someone hurt back there? Myra readied herself to make a shield again.

"Against one opponent and a sidhe practicing child magic? Not likely."

He threw an energy blast just as Shea's arrow flew through the air. The arrow instantly disintegrated. The blast continued right towards Shea's face. Their enemy didn't wait to see if his hit landed. He launched another attack at Shea and then a third at Myra in a fraction of a second.

Shea must have been able to deflect it or shield herself. Myra ducked and tried her own shield again.

A blue shield flickered to life for an instant. The magical energy blast slowed and grew dimmer. It still struck Myra. She cried out as the blast slammed into her chest, knocking her backward. Even at partial strength, the force knocked the wind out of her. Myra struggled to rise. She heard arrows streak through the air and the continued woosh of more energy attacks.

Myra landed in the dark, out of sight of the enemy fae and probably Shea, too. Toran hadn't shown her how to attack someone, but she had fought off that troll. If only she could use her magic so easily at will. At training, it went perfectly. When her life was threatened by the troll and hobs, she was able to defend herself. Now, she must have been in a valley of power. She would have yelled in frustration if it wouldn't have put her in danger.

Heart hammering in her chest, slowly her breath returned, though it came far too quickly. Myra crouched low. Maybe if she wasn't standing any attack would just go over her head.

She focused her magic and imagined it pooling between her hands. Condense, be a ball, Myra thought. Surely, she could do that much, right?

An energy blast slammed into the wall not two inches to her side. She tried and failed to suppress a scream.

Focus. Bring the energy together.

Another blast hit only to the other side and a few feet higher than her head.

Myra readjusted the angle she would throw her own shot at. If only it would form.

She heard the sound of careful steps coming closer. A third blast showed her the face of the other enemy fae. Another guy, his arm bleeding from one of Shea's arrows. He seemed to be limping, but his expression was no less fierce than his companion. He grinned a malicious, mirthless smile.

His fourth shot sprang into existence. Myra heard the woosh of an arrow. A ball of energy finally formed between her hands. Myra almost dropped it in shock. She stood up, threw it where she thought the fae still was, and threw herself to the side. Her chest throbbed with pain from the hit earlier.

His attack hammered into the wall only an instant after Myra fell. A low grunt of pain confirmed her hit. Her stomach heaved and she almost retched.

Heart going crazy in her chest, Myra tried frantically to find out where Shea might have been. Was she even still ok? How would Myra find her and not expose herself?

It felt as if she stood there for an eternity, frozen with no indication of where to go. Without warning, a hand reached out and grabbed her arm.

"It's me," Shea hissed. "It's ok."

Myra clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a scream. She took Shea's hand and gripped it hard for a second.

"They're both wounded. One might be down."

Shea spoke so softly that Myra would have sworn no one else could have heard her, but apparently the enemy fae did.

"Wounded, yes, but not out of the fight." Came one of the guy's voices. "I will accept your surrender. You are wounded and saddled with somatic child gestures. Seems I still have the upper hand."

What did that mean?

Shea carefully edged them to the side of the room until they reached a wall. Standing with their backs to it, she didn't say a word. Instead, she knocked yet another arrow. Myra pressed her shoulders into the wall. At least someone couldn't come at her from behind. Right? Oh, please be right.

They stood in the darkness, unable to see except for a few random spots about the room.

The seconds stretched on. Shea didn't move a muscle.

Each of the other sidhe jumped out at them in Myra's mind. She swore that they would be able to hear her hyperventilating since he'd heard Shea speaking so softly.

With a queue that Myra couldn't tell, Shea released her arrow. She didn't draw another.

A grunt of pain sounded. Someone fell with a loud thump.

Shea still didn't move. Myra saw the others falling from the skies again. She trembled against the wall.

After a moment, Myra felt Shea tapping a hand against her thigh. She kept up a rhythmic pattern. Counting. Shea must have been counting the seconds. Shea stepped cautiously towards the torches. Not wanting to be left by herself, Myra followed a step behind.

Slowly, their enemies came into view. The one who had grinned maliciously slumped backwards against a wall, his eyes slack as if he didn't see anything. Myra couldn't tell in the dim light if he was breathing. His leather had large dark spots where she knew he'd been hurt. Her own breath caught in her chest. The other who had taunted them lounged almost as if he was relaxing, but Myra could see an arrow piercing each leg and a burn mark high on one shoulder.

He eyed them as they came into the light. "And so the wounded and the child gestures make it out on top. Impressive."

Somewhere in the back of her head, Myra thought she'd have to ask someone what that meant.

"I can drag him over to you to send the both of you back," Shea offered.

It was only then that Myra noticed the other fae was on a transport pad.

"A kind offer. You sure you don't want to finish us off?"

Myra stared at him in horror.

"I could," Shea said casually. "But I would really prefer not to. No sense in dwindling our numbers."

He shrugged. "If my friend is awake, he will probably try to take you out again."

Shea breathed in deeply through her nose. "True. I certainly can't leave you here, though."

Risk themselves one way or the other. Would anyone come down here to find them?

"You'd think this one has never seen a battle before," the guy said with a nod toward Myra. Shea ignored him. He continued. "Using somatic gestures like hers, maybe she hasn't. She does have the feel of someone strong, though. At first I thought that your school was recruiting children, but now maybe you're just including those who need extra help to be proficient. Paid off, though, huh?" His eyes fluttered as he spoke. Was he trying to keep himself awake?

Motion from the dazed or unconscious fae caught Myra's attention. She thought of the other saying she felt strong.

On an instinct Myra wasn't sure she had, she thrust one hand out. A bright blue shield appeared like the one she had used against the hobs only this time, it covered Shea as well and formed a few feet from her body. In her other hand, she brought forth a sparking ball of energy.

"I think we can get him," Myra said.

Shea looked at her for a second and nodded.

"So, it is children! That's some power you have at your peak. It will be a treat to go up against you when you've settled."

The girls moved together, keeping Shea behind Myra's shield as much as possible. It made moving awkward, but they managed. Shea hauled the fae to his feet and pushed him in front of her.

"If you want to get out of there, walk. If you can."

He almost fell backwards, but with the force of the shield and Shea's help, he stayed up. He shuffled forward, inch by inch, groaning, but determined. Thankfully he hadn't fallen far from the platform. When they got within a couple feet, he gracelessly slid to the ground.

His voice came out strained. "Thanks."

"Yes, thank you. This really is better treatment than we deserve." The words slurred together. "We train at the Seven Moons school."

Shea merely nodded once. She began to swirl one hand and grasped Myra's arm with the other. Shea closed her eyes. She was trusting Myra to keep her safe. Even with these two injured. Could they still be a threat?

Myra's shield stayed up and the energy ball crackled fiercely over her hand.

"I'll enjoy... fighting... you... again later," he said.

The two guys vanished, leaving Shea and Myra alone.

"Hurry," Shea said. "Get on the platform. And you might want to release your magic."

Myra stepped up onto the platform. She glanced at the energy ball and had an idea. She spread her fingers wide and shook her hand as if dropping something sticky. The ball fell and went out before it hit the ground. The shield, on the other hand. What did she do before? It was just her magic. She could touch it and take it down just like before. It was hers. Just as before, it felt warm instead of harmful. It fell in an instant.

Again, Shea swirled her hand, magic rising once more. Myra thought of the grounds outside her school, the trees, the school in the distance. In the back of her mind, she wondered why the other fae had told Shea what school they trained at. Shea's power took hold. The dark castle room vanished.

Myra flipped over and over, head over heels. Images flashed before her. The castle, a forest, an empty field, a lone bright sun. Faster and faster the images came.

Suddenly she landed with a thump. Her back hit the ground and the pain in her chest wound flared.

It had gone wrong.

Again.

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