I inch closer, every instinct screaming at me to run.
“Please don’t do this,” Ned says, his voice low but firm.
Jade doesn’t respond, but his chanting has stopped.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Baltazar appears. My mind balks in bewilderment at seeing him. He is an old vampire. A member of the paranormal Council. He was involved in helping us with the drama with Lello.
Why is he here? Did someone call him? Or did he simply sense all the magic spewing everywhere and came to investigate?
There is no time to ponder it because as soon as he arrives, Baltazar strides into the clearing like some avenging angel, dagger in hand. The moment Jade sees him, everything happens too fast. Magic explodes from Jade’s body, and Baltazar is gone. Just... gone.
Nothing but a pillar of dust where he was just standing.
I scream, but the sound barely registers. My heart is pumping liquid horror through my veins. I’m trembling with it.
“Jade! Don’t hurt Ned!” I shout, stepping into the circle despite every nerve in my body telling me not to. I can’t let this happen. I need to do something.
Ned and Jade are really not on the best of terms at the moment, and if Jade is in a state of mind to coldly kill Baltazar like that, then Ned is in grave danger.
Jade’s eyes lock on me, glowing brighter than the runes. He starts chanting softly again, almost under his breath.
“Don’t let the fey in! You don’t want this!” I plead desperately. Anything to distract him from Ned.
His gaze softens. The light in his eyes dims slightly as he looks at me. I can see a glimmer of the real Jade in them. Deep, deep in there somewhere, my friend still exists.
“Jade,” Ned says, his voice sharper now.
Jade’s attention snaps back to the vampire. I bite back my wail of dismay. What the hell is Ned doing?
I watch in dread as my friends face each other. Animosity crackles in the air even more potent than the magic.
Slowly, shockingly, Jade’s body slackens. His muttering stops. I don’t know what Ned is doing, but whatever it is, it’s working.
“Stop this!” commands Ned in a voice that raises the hairs on the back of my neck.
Oh my goodness! Ned is trying to glamor Jade! What a genius idea. Jade is mostly human, so it should work. It just depends on who is stronger, whatever is controlling Jade, or Ned.
The silent battle rages. On the surface, it looks like Jade and Ned are merely glaring at each other, but I can feel the immense struggle. The clash of wills. It is intense. I can’t breathe. I can’t blink. I’m a frozen observer, mentally willing Ned on, as if my thoughts and prayers are going to help.
Long, long moments pass. It feels like a hundred years. Then, suddenly, something splinters and cracks. Like the frozen ice of a pond giving way.
It is Jade’s resolve.
“Sleep!” Ned commands.
And Jade collapses. His eyes roll back, he falls and lands in a crumpled heap on the floor.
The runes flicker out, and the magic disappears, leaving only silence and the sound of my ragged breaths.
Jade lies motionless, and we all rush to him. Behind me, I hear Ned stagger, but when I turn, he’s already out cold on the ground.
Lello shrieks and leaves Jade’s side to rush to his best friend. Carter follows him. It is okay, Ned is being looked after. Hopefully, he is simply spent after that epic battle of wills.
I turn my attention back to Jade. He is far too still, but I can see him breathing. I watch numbly as Brodie checks his pulse.
This is awful. I should have done more with my concerns. I knew damn well that something wasn’t right. Now look at this mess.
I shudder and wrap my arms around myself. I wish Monty was here. He’d know what to do. I’d give anything for him to appear and wrap me in his arms. He’d whisper that everything is going to be okay. It would be a lie. But I would let myself believe it.
