“See anything on your end?”Necia asks in my ear.
“No.Just old paintings,” Taz replies.“Not even a raccoon.”
We continue walking for another minute, shining our flashlights on every surface.The quiet is almost worse than if a monster were howling at us.Why couldn’t this cult make more noise?
My sad prayers are answered when Max says over the earpiece, “I…I just felt a huge surge of dark magic!”
“You did?”I ask.
“I got visual,” Necia adds.“Freeze!We’re with the feds, put your hands up.”
I nod at Taz, wordlessly telling him to double back.We need to get to the others to back them up.
Before we can run, however, we’re frozen at the sight before us; we’re shining our flashlights on an old woman in a pink cardigan.
“Ah!”I yelp, but she doesn’t move, choosing to stare at both of us.
Taz glances at me, then we approach her.“Ma’am, we’re with the feds.You shouldn’t be here right now,” he says.
How did she even get here?
Necia and Max are hollering, but I ignore them in lieu of the strange woman before us, a mortal bystander.When we walk closer to her, I notice dark fluid dripping down her lips.
“This building is dangerous.You need to leave,” I say.She doesn’t respond, and more dark fluid drips down.“Ma’am?”
She opens her mouth, and in a deep, scratchy voice, she says, “Sacrifices…must be made…”
The woman falls over, and I gasp.On instinct, I crouch down to check her pulse.Before I can touch her neck, fluid that resembles black ink trickles out of her mouth.
“Luther!”Taz pushes me over just as the black ink flies up.The unnatural liquid engulfs Taz, knocking him back a few yards.
When I finally stand up and rush over to him, the black ink has spread all over his body.I watch in horror as the darkness goes into his open mouth and he gasps, trying to pull it off him, to no avail.The dark ink spreads, wider and wider, forming a black circle on the floor.
Taz is drowning in a supernatural pool of poison.
“Taz…Taz!”I grab his hand and struggle for purchase on the plain floor to pull him out.I tug and tug, but the dark pool has its hold on him.The last thing I see before the darkness covers his eyes is the horrified look of realization.
Taz is going to suffocate.
His hand slips from mine, knocking me back.The black ink reaches my foot, and I manage to kick it off and crawl backward.Taz’s silhouette flails underneath waves of ink, and all I can think of is needing to save him.When I stand up, I muster up any spell I can think of in a panic.I blast it with energy, but the inky darkness swallows it up.Some elaborate hexes absorb magic depending on their make and origin; I know this.
But I don’t have time to interpret this dark magic.Taz.Is dying.
I blast the pool with conjured fire, but to no effect.The ink grows and spreads, and Taz’s body stills.I can’t keep a clear head with the panic in my mind.He’s going to die in front of me, and it’s all my fault for failing as a wizard.
I can’t lose you, Taz.
Memories of us as teenagers learning all sorts of magical maneuvers flit through my mind.I was always so angry at Taz, but he gave me a drive.He made my life better.And working with him is my second chance to have that spark again.When he dropped out, I lost a piece of me.He was so creative, and he deserved to be the best in our class.And I deserve to tell him how much he meant to me.
Creative…creative…
Shutting my eyes, I calm my mind.I focus all my magic into my hands.Then, I crouch down and reach my fists into the inky blackness.Focus…
A moment later, I open my eyes when I feel the alchemical reaction.The ink wanes, and with a flash of light, the liquid bursts into black butterflies.When the supernatural bugs fly off, I spot Taz slowly sitting up.His chest is heaving as he breathes through his nose, looking around.
I laugh with relief and rush up to him.On my knees, I pull him into me, hugging him hard.“Oh, thank the stars, Taz!”
When I pull off, I take a good look at his distressed face before me.He blinks with a half-confused, half-relieved look on his face.“You’re…you’re okay!”I say, rubbing his shoulders.My eyes sting, and I’m sure tears are falling down my cheeks.“I…thought I lost you.”
