I didn’t think, I just reacted. My magic had been coiled and wound tight like a snake waiting to strike, and strike she did. I didn’t lash out in any specific manner so much as I just … exploded with purple fire. It came out of my every pore and laced around Steven with one intent—burn him to acrisp.
The shriek that came from him before he poofed out of existence was so satisfying it almost made me not even think about the ear-splitting headache that was rocking my world.Almost.The purple magic was pouring out of me. Now that Steven was gone I tried to stop it … but Icouldn’t.
‘Sloane!’Logan yelled, sounding pained; his voice inside my head only increased my agony. I couldn’t see him. I couldn’t seeanything!
“I can’t stop it!” I shrieked to the darkness, feeling like I might drown in purple fire and this stabbing head pain. Suddenly, my vision began to clear and I could see blurryshapes.
Isaac was standing over me, one hand on his staff, the other on his manhood. He took one look at me and raised hisstaff.
“Sorry,” he said, and the blunt edge of his staff came down hard on my temple, knocking me cleanout.
Chapter 10
When I came to,I was assaulted with the smell of paint. My head felt like it had been split open. The throbbing was brutal. It would throb twice, then give me a slicing sharp jab for goodmeasure.
I groaned, opening myeyes.
“Sloane!” Logan was bent down, peering into the bunk at me. I was on the bus … we were driving. I could see from the shafts of natural light that fell on my face that it was daylight. My mouth felt so dry I could barely peel my lips apart tospeak.
“Where are we?” It all came back to me then. Griddish’s backyard, the piece of paper … Steven. That mofo better bedead.
Logan stroked my forehead and handed me a bottle of water. “We’re on the border of Texas and Louisiana. You’ve been out for a day and ahalf.
A day and a half? Oh my God. My stomach growled. “What happened? Is everyoneokay?”
Sophie popped her head and her boobs into my bunk and stared down at me. “You nearly killed all of us, and then Isaac had to knock you out. But yeah, we’re allokay.”
“Sophie!” Loganscolded.
Shit. I remembered now, the purple magic … it had poured out of me and I couldn’t turn itoff.
“But...” Sophie held up a finger. “When that nasty druid had you pinned like that…” A look of pride showed on her face and I gave a slightgrin.
“Did you see me knee him in the balls?” I croaked. She nodded, giving me a highfive.
Logan ignored us both. “Isaac had to do a tree healing on you, and even then you didn’t wake up. He said the only thing we could do is get your staff. Without it, you can’t use your power unless you want to have seriousrepercussions.”
Not exactly rosynews.
I nodded. “I didn’t want to use it, but he was on me, his hips pressing into me…” I couldn’t finish, because Logan snarled and took my face in his hands, his green eyes flaring toslits.
“You did good, Sloane. If he’s not already dead, I’m going to kill him,slowly.”
A shadow crossed over Logan, then Isaac kneeled down to meet my eyes. “The second that staff is in your hands, we begin your training. You can no longer afford to go withoutit.”
I nodded. I wasn’t in control, not even a little bit. Something struck methen.
“Isaac, if my mother was a fire druid, how did she control her power without a staff? I never saw her withone?”
Isaac shrugged. “From what I gather, your mother gave up on her power when she had you. She might have destroyed the staff or had another power object of some kind. A dagger or anamulet.”
I gasped at the memory of her necklace. “She had this red ruby necklace. It was ungodly huge for how poor we were, and she never took it off or tried to sellit.”
He shrugged as if to say “I told youso.”
“So why am I going to carry around a five-foot-tall staff when I could just get a cool necklace?” Iasked.
Because, ya know, I wasn’t too crazy about heading to Starbucks, with Logan and the pack, and my big old Gandalfstaff.
