Page 208 of Pixie Problems

"Got him!" Keir said, scrambling that way to drag Hawke back towards us even while Hawke was still trying to get to his feet.

Bracken was right back beside me. I knew the others were near, but this had just turned into complete chaos. A moment ago, I'd been outnumbered. Now there were so many people moving I couldn't keep track of them all.

"Rain," Bracken said, "do the shadows!"

"I need more power!" I told him.

And the Huntsman looked back at me. "Ride with me, le Fae."

"Over my dead body!" Bracken hissed, shoving a hand at the man.

A rush of wind pushed the Huntsman back a step. It was just enough to let Hawke and Keir get around him, and then Bracken shoved at me, making me go with my friends. I hesitated, refusing to leave my zez like that, but Hawke snagged my arm, yanking me with him.

More fae were rushing in. I saw Tag move to stand beside Ms. Rhodes. Over there was my math teacher. Moving to help Bracken was the woman from the front office - the one I'd thought was a secretary.

Then Keir slung me around, using my arm to make me change directions. I staggered, then stumbled, letting the shield dissipate into swirls of darkness in my attempt to catch myself. Torian caught me, keeping me on my feet so I ended up face-to-face with Aspen.

"Light her up," Aspen said, and both of them poured magic into my body.

My mind spun. My insides expanded. I felt my ears pop, and the roar behind my ears sounded like the pounding of some marching band or something. My back arched at the impact of so much raw magic, and I had a vision of myself floating into the sky like the prince in Beauty and the Beast, but my feet never left the ground. They simply felt like they should've.

But the darkness was there. I could see it. Every shadow looked like it had been placed over the world, waiting for me to grab it - so I did. It was daytime, and cloudy, which limited my options, but there were always shadows, so I pulled. I gathered. I reached for each and every thing I could.

Overhead, the crows cawed before swooping down like a volley of arrows. Before me, our teachers fought like something straight out of a movie. None of it stopped the Huntsman. Pushing and shoving like he was immune to mere physical harm, the desiccated man had his eyes locked on Aspen and was marching straight for her - for us!

"You cannot have her!" Torian screamed.

The Huntsman's eyes snapped to him. "This is not your fight. You are not on my list."

Torian's response was a rush of flames. The dried grasses ignited, flaring up, but it didn't even slow the Huntsman down. It also didn't continue to burn. The fires shifted to ice, cracked, and dissolved into soft, powdery snow that was melting right before my eyes.

I kept pulling. They needed something to ride. They had to be swept away. I needed all the force I could get, because this asshole wasn't just talking this time. He looked stronger! He appeared to be thicker, less wasted, like something had changed!

"Fool!" the Huntsman barked. "You know better than that. Your magic does not hurt me!"

"Keep your cursed hands off her!" Torian yelled at him.

The Huntsman just cackled. "Foolish boy. I only answer to the crown!" And he lifted his blade.

So I pushed. With my mind, both of my arms, and every ounce of strength, magic, and shadows I had, I shoved it all at the creature bearing down on us. My body was braced before my girlfriend, beside her brother, and so far from where my father still fought with all he had, but this was my best weapon.

Once, when I was little, I'd seen a tornado. It had been far away, but the next day, we'd had to drive past the area. The splintered wood, fallen trees, and flipped cars had always haunted my mind. The power of a storm was terrible, but not even that scared me as much as allowing the Huntsman to take one more step towards Aspen.

So I released a storm of my own.

The darkness rushed in. With my arms spread, I controlled it, glaring right at the Huntsman as I forced him back, away from the ones I loved, far from the things I treasured, and back to whatever hell he'd come from.

"Retreat!" Ms. Rhodes screamed. "Fall back! The Morrigan has it handled!"

Silver, gold, and iridescent shades of blues and greens all shifted at the edge of my vision, but I only had eyes for the Huntsman.

"Fuck the crown," I growled, adding even more force to the storm I was creating. "I fight for my friends!"

As the words left my mouth, a vortex opened up. Crows scattered, diving out of the way, but the hunters were pulled up, into the spinning tornado I was making. Before me, the Huntsman tried to resist, pushing himself down, but struggling against my power.

"You cannot stop me, le Fae. I was called," he said.

"Wrong fucking number," I grumbled as I thrust both hands up.