And then he goes over to the window, waiting for Mr. Trent to come back. I try to stay alert but each second gets harder and harder. I might be strong, but my body can only take so much. It’s been beat to hell and drugged since yesterday. Once this is over, I’m booking myself a spa day and sleeping in until noon.
“Does Mr. Trent have powers?” Jac asks me, hands going to the cuffs around my wrist.
“No.”
Jacques runs his finger over the cuff, thinking. “An incantation was used to put these on. It can be used to take them off.” He takes my right hand in his and holds it over the cuff on my left wrist. “Can you think of a spell?”
“Just make one up?”
“Yes. All spells were just ‘made up’ at one time, you know.”
“Always the teacher,” I say with a smile, flicking my eyes to his. “Umm…okay. Give me a second.” I close my eyes again, mind wanting to check out. “Undo what has been done to me, unlock the bindings so I can be free.” I open my eyes and look at Jac. “Does that work?”
“It’s enough to channel your energy into a specific intent. Now focus. Imagine the cuffs falling off. Say the spell.”
“Undo what has been done to me, unlock the bindings so I can be free,” I whisper, and Jacques says the spell along with me. “Undo what has been done to me, unlock the bindings so I can be free.”
“It’s working,” Jacques says, and I feel the cuffs loosen on my wrists. “Keep saying the spell.”
“Undo what has been done to me, unlock the bindings so I can be free.” The cuffs start to vibrate on my wrists. “Undo what has been done to me, unlock the bindings so I can be free.”
The cuff on my left wrist comes loose. I pick up my hand and Jacques slides it off.
“Feel better?”
I take in a breath, pain webbing through my ribs. But my head isn’t as fuzzy. “Yes.” I summon the fire, flames burning bright along my fingers, and go to melt the cuff on my other wrist.
“Wait, Ace,” Jacques says, reaching for me. I close my fist at the last second, keeping him from getting burned. “We don’t want to be detected, remember?”
“Oh, right.” The smell of burning can seep under the door, and setting off a fire alarm again wouldn’t be a good idea.
“It should be easier this time.”
I nod and hold my left hand over my right wrist. “Undo what has been done to me, unlock the bindings so I can be free. Undo what has been done to me, unlock the bindings so I can be free.” I don’t even finish saying the spell for the second time before the cuff loosens and falls to the ground.
“Now try to heal yourself.”
“What?”
“You’re injured, Ace. You can’t fight like this.”
“I know.”
“You need to try and heal yourself by bringing in energy.” He cups his hands around my face. “Take mine.”
“Jac, no. You need your energy.”
He kisses me softly. “I’m human now, Ace. Fighting was never my strong suit. But you…you’re a fighter.”
“Will it kill you?” My heart starts to race again and the same fear courses through my veins. “I thought I lost you just minutes ago, Jac. I’m not losing you again.”
“Don’t take all of my energy and I’ll be fine. Just a little tired.”
I look into his dark eyes and nod. “Okay.”
He takes my hands and places them on his chest. Then he rests his forehead against mine. I exhale and close my eyes. I’ve never taken energy from something before. I’m not sure how to do it.
Using the same method I use when I pull in energy from the air around me, I almost immediately feel Jac’s energy rushing into mine. It’s intense, like the best caffeine rush I’ve ever had. I pull in more, until my ribs stop aching with every breath and my head doesn’t throb anymore.
