Page 28

No, no, no! My eyes searched the empty space where Topine had been.

With my magic, I doubted I could teleport to her accurately even if I knew where she was in Ellion City.

I’d have to run there and search every area of downtown to be able to track her location.

Spikes of fear prickled at my skin. “Shit, shit, shit.”

What’s going on? Fletcher’s voice filled my head.

She left! My hands didn’t light up.

Ripley. Answer me .

A frustrated growl tore through my throat. She left! I tried again. I screwed my eyes shut, balled my fists, and forced out, She left! She left! She left!

It’s okay. I will get her once this meeting is over.

No, it’ll be too late!

For fuck’s sake, do not leave.

I sprinted down the stairs and raced to the front door, halting when his voice filled my head again.

Promise me.

I huffed and touched the door knob. I can’t. I yanked the door open and ran outside where the garden by Aldris’s front door was damp and the street was dark from morning dew.

Dammit, Ripley. I hit the corner of the street when I heard an echo of his voice softly say, Stay safe.

I sprinted all the way to the downtown, Fletcher’s loose t-shirt waving behind me.

It was late morning and most of the shops were open.

There weren’t as many people as there would be during the night, but there were a handful of people walking around and eating breakfast. I wondered if there were any Cidris in my presence now.

I stopped to catch my breath and scanned for her white-blonde hair. Nothing .

I rushed to the left, swinging open the first shop with a curved roof that resembled the brim of a floppy hat. And when she wasn’t in there, I exited and did the same with the next. I would go into every single one if I had to. As I left the fourth store, I heard someone calling me.

“Etta?” a woman trotted toward me from my left.

I recognized her immediately. She had been one of my customers when I used to teach yoga here in the mornings.

“Oh, hi.” I smiled and waved.

“Where have you been? We waited for you every morning for a week.” The look across her face turned serious as her thin brows pulled up.

“I know. I, uh, I came down with an illness suddenly. So,” I swallowed and kept talking through my heavy breathing, “I couldn’t come. I hope you can forgive me.”

Her hand came down on my shoulder. “Oh, gosh. I’m so sorry to hear that.” Her hand left me.

Update me .

I couldn’t. I put all my effort into not letting my magic swirl down my bare skin.

Think about Topine. Not Fletcher. He seemed to always draw that unpredictability out of me.

Perhaps it was because his magic spun somewhere in my body.

No, I had to stop thinking about it. The woman. Focus on the woman.

“That’s okay.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“Not really. I feel much better now. Taking up running, actually.”

Her brows lifted with a smile. “Oh. Good for you. I’ve always hated running.” By the way her shoulder suddenly squared to me, I thought maybe she was about to start a whole conversation. “Anyway, it was good seeing you!”

“You too.” I waved again and flashed a smile, twisting to continue away from her.

Just as I turned my head to scan the crowd again, she tapped my shoulder to gain my attention.

“The other girls are going to be so sad when they hear of your illness.”

I smiled. “Yeah, well—”

Ripley. Tell me you’re okay.

“—I miss them. I hope they’re doing okay.”

“They are! Amy says she misses you watching her kids. In fact, the entire city does—”

If I leave this meeting to come find you, I’ll be in a lot of trouble. I’ll give you two minutes to talk to me .

Lightning bolts zapped up and down my back with anxiety. “I’m sorry, I really have to go.”

“To run, right? I mean, how’d you even get into running from yoga? They couldn’t be more different—”

“Bye,” I interrupted and turned to race off into the heart of downtown, looking for a bathroom.

I hurried into one and locked myself in a stall, wrapping my arms in the bottom of Fletcher’s shirt to block the light of my magic. I’m fine. I can’t talk. I have short-sleeves on.

He didn’t answer. Had it gotten to him? Fuck, had it gone to someone else?

Did you hear me?

Heard.

The way it ran in my head made it feel like he was distracted and needed to focus. I rushed out of the stall and almost trampled Topine.

She laughed and took a step back, resting her bottom on one of the sinks. “This place is boring,” she huffed as she made a disappointed face.

“Great. Can we go back now?”

She sighed. “I guess. ”

I grabbed her hand, linking my fingers between hers so that if she were to teleport elsewhere, she’d be forced to take me with her. “Take us back.”

She narrowed her eyes at me and scrunched her face. “Just because you’re the princess, doesn’t mean I have to listen to you, you know.”

“I know,” I said with a frown. “But you are my friend. And I love you. And I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Her head tilted to the side, a happy expression glimmering with awe. “You love me?”

I furrowed my brows. “Of course I do, Topine. You’re lovely and energetic and kind.”

Her thin arms wrapped around my waist slowly. “No one has ever said that to me before.”

“I will say it to you whenever you’d like. But, please take us home.”

“You can’t do it?”

I tightened my hand intertwined with hers. “No. My magic doesn’t work right.”

“Oh gosh. I didn’t know that.”

I smiled wide, lowering my lips to the top of her head. “Take us home please.”

She shook her head. “But, I want to see more. ”

My chest tightened at her defiance. I had to appease her and get her home somehow. “Well, what if we walk home? That way you can see more of Ellion City on our way back.”

She shrugged. “I guess.”

With her hand in mine, we left the bathroom and began walking. The feeling of eyes on us spiked my anxiety. I obsessively scanned the vicinity, examining anyone and everything for a threat.

And as we exited the downtown area, turning down the red-bricked road, we bumped into two large men wearing black coats and gray pants.

Something clanked together on their hips as they halted in front of us.

“Move,” Topine spat.

I caught a glimpse of golden shackles strung on one of their belts from under their coats. “Excuse us,” I muttered and yanked Topine around them.

They whispered to each other as we hurried away. I looked over my shoulder to see that they had turned in our direction and had fallen into step behind us.

“Topine. Take us back now,” I mumbled. “Cidris.”

Topine’s face scrunched in anger as she turned in one fluid movement to face them, breaking her hand free from mine. Her spine was straight, a smile graced over her face, and her pointed chin was tipped down.

Out came her hand as glitters of gorgeous, coiled patterns snaked down to her fingertips.

My breath hitched, watching as the two men broke apart, reaching for their shackles. “No!”

Out of her hand came a blast of diamond smoke that raced toward one of the men. And while she focused on one of the Cidris, the other flung his shackle at me.

I watched in horror as it curved from the far left to a straight line right in front of me like a homing missile set to detonate on my wrists.

I gasped as I stepped to the left to dodge, but it moved with me and latched onto my wrist with a crunching clasp.

Blood pooled at the pressure in my hands, cutting off the circulation and my magic. “Topine!”

Her attack landed. Glittering smoke lassoed around the man’s chest, sending him backward onto his ass. Then, she laughed and disappeared.

I turned to run, hearing the whistle of the second shackle coming for me.

My feet fled, one after another in a straight line toward Aldris’s house, praying I could outrun them somehow.

With my free wrist secured to my chest and out of line from the shackle, I felt it smack against my shoulder blade and fall to the floor.

I let out a small cry, catching the attention of other passerby.

Fletcher’s magic awakened, zipping through me like it wanted to help, but I couldn’t get it down my free arm.

I gave my magic rapt attention, calling it forward, knowing it was my best chance.

It ran in shaky straight lines down my arms, only collecting in one of my hands as I tried my best to teleport.

Thankfully, I felt it. I felt the wind. I felt it take me away. And when I pieced together, two sets of strong hands grasped my arms and a second shackle clasped down on my wrist.