“Brogan!”
A slap across my face rocked me back.The sting bloomed and heated my cheek, bringing me back to the reality of her, the reality of now.
Lula had the book tucked under her arm, her gaze frantic.“Can you hear me?”
Her grip on my wrist was punishing, her fear sharp and overpowering.
I blinked and nodded, trying to orient.
I was in the hideout.In the safe room with Lula.
Abbi stood on tiptoes, ready to bolt out the door for help.
“My wrist,” I said.“Love, my wrist.”
Lu belatedly registered my words and relaxed her grip.“Jesus, Brogan.Are you…are you here?Are you hurt?”
“I think I’m okay.What happened?You hit me?”
She released my wrist.“You were just…you were just frozen, gone.”
“You died!”Abbi shouted from outside of the circle.“Your soul was floating out and Lula couldn’t catch it and I said slap you because you’d come back and you did and youcan’tdie, Brogan.”She wiped the inside of her arm over tears streaming down her face.“You can’t.”
Lula took my hand again, this time weaving her fingers with mine.“You can’t,” she agreed.
“I didn’t mean to—I was lost.The spells.Lula, the power, the concepts, it’s massive.I just…I don’t know how anyone can wield that kind of magic.”
She was nodding and nodding, tears gathering in her eyes.
“We put it away,” she said.“Now.”
I groaned, every joint and muscle complaining as I picked up the witch’s box and held it open for her.
Lula locked the book, and placed it back in the box, her expression equal portions of hatred and fear.
I shut the box, and placed it on the floor again, in the center of the circle of sigils, the shadow cloth smothering out the voices, the images, the magic.
“I hate it,” Lula whispered.
“I know.”
She took my hand, holding on as if she were afraid I’d float away.We stepped outside the circle.
A wave of fatigue and vertigo hit me so hard, my knees went weak.
“Hold on,” I said.
Lula didn’t argue.She was trying to get her feet under her too.
I wasn’t the only one affected by the book.But if just seeing the spells had nearly knocked my soul out of my bones, I couldn’t imagine how hard it had been for her to hold it.
“Abbi,” Lu asked, “did you hear anything?See any magic leaking beyond the room?”
“Nothing.The wards are really good.”She crossed quickly to us and took Lula’s other hand.“I think we should go now, though.I think we should go right now.I want cocoa.Do you think they have cocoa?We all need cocoa.”
She dragged us to the door, and held it open, gently pushing Lu and me past her toward the hall.
Lorde was there, pacing.She whined andwoofed, sniffing Lula and me, and growling.
