“You dare?” He thrust his finger at me, stalking close. “You dare untie my son’s illusion?” He swiped a hand through the air. “Daughter! Kill her.”
Last looked at me. She looked back at her father.
Behind him, Primus straightened and gave her a single hard nod.
She straightened her shoulders and turned toward me. She twisted her hand, and the ground rolled out from beneath her. It was like a rug, suddenly flung open, snapping wildly. The concrete bucked, and then the ground revolted and flung the Clark backward.
At that exact moment, the horror reared forward. It opened its maw and snatched the Clark out of the air. Then it snapped its jaw and swallowed.
It happened in a millisecond. The Clark was gone.
The horror roared and ballooned in size, doubling from the Clark’s cruelty.
Last stumbled forward and gasped. She shook from the influx of power.
Primus threw open his arms and laughed. The raging maelstrom of the Clark’s power slammed through his son. He twisted his hand, throwing fistfuls of concrete and ripping pipes from the ground. Water burst. Steam rocketed. Concrete became dust and fell around him like confetti.
“Take note!” he roared, his voice gleeful and cruel. “I am your principal now!”
Last took a step back, her eyes glassy. “I didn’t mean to,” she whispered, shaking her head. “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t mean to.”
Primus barred his teeth. “Yes, you did.” He pointed at me. Smiled.
Then, from behind him, the stone horse bucked and kicked him with its metal-lined hoof.
Primus flew across the shadows and hit a brick wall. The wall crumbled as he flew through it. There was a whistling scream, and then, seconds later, Primus walked out, dusting the mortar from his sleeves.
He smiled at Luvic and Celia and laughed at their shining horse.
He lifted his arms, and I could hear the word before he spoke it.
“Die,” he was going to say.
But then, the ball of darkness that had been writhing in the center of the horror spun and screamed and writhed, and then?—
It exploded.
“Jacob!” Celia screamed.
Then, out of the black ooze, my brother appeared, grinning like a maniac. His blond hair was covered in a tar-like substance, and his face was smeared in blood and black gore.
Behind him, Ragnor Bard gave a melancholy sigh, as if to say, “Why me?” Then he gave Luvic and his sister a double-take, his eyes widening at the shining rubble horse.
“Ah, the Ward,” Primus said. “Congratulate me. I’m principal now.”
Jacob wrinkled his nose and wiped the ooze from his eyes. “Oh, wonderful. Now you can do all the things you’ve always wanted.” He smiled at Primus. “That’ll be fun.”
Celia looked at him in outrage. Jacob widened his eyes and shrugged, as if to say, “What?”
I could imagine their conversation.
Why are you congratulating him?
What else am I supposed to do?
Kill him!
Why would I do that? He’s practically harmless.
