Page 28 of Black and White, Twice the Might

I watch everyone drop to the ground, including the wolves, as Sly sends his magic out. I hear a boom and look towards the zombies to see they have all now gone, as have the treadmills.

We get up and rush over to Ernest, who is holding his neck, his bloody neck.

Adhan kneels beside Ernest, helping him to sit up. Temp clicks his fingers, and Adhan is again clothed. Ernest leans into his side.

Justice and Temp drop down next to him. Sly, Elliot and I are kneeling close. Kean and Jude are still in wolf form, keeping watch.

“Please tell me a zombie didn’t just chomp me,” Ernest says generally, while holding his neck. Blood is seeping through his fingers, turning them red.

“Yeah, it did, Pops. We need to get you back to the manor and sorted out,” Justice says, moving Ernest’s hand and looking at the bite mark. He clicks his fingers and covers the bite with a pad and uses tape to secure it in place.

“How could a hologram chomp me? My hand went through him.”

“Dark magic. When I destroyed the zombies, I broke all other dark magic left in this forest,” Sly tells us.

Adhan looks at him. “Thank you. Can you stand, sweetheart?” Adhan asks gently.

“I can,” Ernest says, moving. Sly and Adhan help him up.

“Shall we go to The Winchester?” I say, grinning.

Temp and Elliot laugh.

“We should...” Ernest starts to say, but suddenly stops and looks concerned. “Wait, am I about to turn into a zombie?”

Silence suddenly descends as we all look at him.

Well, there’s a thought. Could he?

“Temp, call Molly, Elaine and the other witchlings back. Have everyone meet at the manor,” Adhan practically orders.

“Ernest ..,” I start to say. Just as Ernest pales, his eyes roll, and he starts to fall.

Adhan catches him and picks him up. “Everyone to the manor now,” he commands, practically running out of the haunted walk with an unconscious Ernest in his arms.

The rest of us go with them.

CHAPTER 11

It doesn’t take us long to get to the manor. Adhan carries Ernest straight up to their room and lays him on the bed. We all follow him in.

Sly steps forward. “Can I check Ernest to make sure he is dark magic free and won’t turn into a zombie?”

By the look on Sly’s face, he expects his offer to be rebuffed.

Adhan nods. “Please, Sly, thank you.”

Sly steps forward and sends his magic out. A moment later, he pulls it back. “There is no dark magic inside of him, and I can’t find any zombie tendencies inside of him, either. But to be safe, I can make up an anti-zombie tea for him to drink when he wakes up.”

“I can help you with that,” Temp offers.

“Thank you, Sly, Temp,” Adhan says to them.

“Come on, Sly, let’s make tea.” And with that, they both leave the bedroom.

As they leave, others arrive. The lady from the glass shop rushes in and over to the bed. “What happened?”

“While you fill Jodie in, let me sort out Ernest's neck,” Justice says, stepping closer to the bed.