We stayed together. Even if Izzy and Jaclyn could have been there instantaneously, it was just safer.
The park was largely empty--not completely because there were stragglers and groups that were still talking. There were also a few police officers.
Vaughn sat on the grass, his face lit by his phone's screen. As we ca closer, he turned off his phone and stared at us.
"How did you do that? We were talking and now you're all over--"
He stopped. "Sothing bad just happened. I wasn't talking to you, was I?"
Jaclyn glanced around the park. “Daniel? Izzy?”
Daniel shook his head. “Give a second. I’m trying sothing.”
Izzy closed her eyes, and said, “There’s too many people even now. I don’t see anyone we know, or anyone I’ve heard of.”
Next to , Haley sniffed the air. “I sll sothing that doesn’t fit.”
Looking down at her, I asked, “How?”
“It doesn’t sll like Denver. It’s got the wrong soil, the wrong plants. I've never been wherever the slls are from, but it’s wetter there. It’s more like Michigan, but different plants.”
I didn’t say anything, thinking about that.
Haley continued, “I know it sounds weird, and it’s not very strong. I don’t think it’s here anymore…”
I pulled myself out of my thoughts. “It?”
“I don’t think it was human, but instead of it, I should be saying he.”
I raised an eyebrow.
Haley looked up at and shrugged. “Look, I know the difference.”
I wondered if I should ask her how. Dogs and cats constantly seed to be slling each other’s butts. That might explain it for them—
Daniel shot a look. I was probably distracting him. It was hardly my fault he could read minds. It might be our fault collectively that we so easily slipped into each other’s.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from . Please report it.
Vaughn pulled himself up and put away his phone. “I’m kind of surprised none of you are asking what happened.”
Jaclyn shook her head. “Daniel’s got what? A ten minute window while he can… do what I think he’s doing. I didn’t want to distract him.”
“ either,” I said, sensing amusent from him.
“Don’t worry about it,” Daniel said. “I got what I could—which wasn’t much.”
Then I felt everyone’s thoughts, not as strongly as I sotis felt Daniel’s, but strongly enough.
Here’s Vaughn a few minutes before we arrived.
He sat alone on the ground, leaning his back against a tree. His smart phone was in his hand, and he was clicking on it, and holding it out to the side as if showing it to soone else. Sotis he said a few words, but no one appeared.
I felt a flash of anger, and Vaughn thought, We were talking more about the Turknistan regi’s weaknesses, and how we might take them down, and then Amy said she didn’t have a copy of the docunts, so I sent them to her.
Fear and anger erupted. Daniel must have done sothing then because it faded—the others’ fear faded, that is. Mine stayed with , but at least it wasn’t being reinforced.
The email address. Do you have it? I asked.
I felt Vaughn thinking. Yeah. Well, I don’t rember it, but it’s got to be in my email, right?
Daniel let the vision of the past fade as Vaughn clicked away on his phone. Then Vaughn thought, Got it.
He opened the phone up to the “Sent” folder. It wasn’t there.
Vaughn stared at the phone. I know I sent it. Maybe I deleted it?
Don’t worry about it, I told everyone. I’m sure I can find the ssage and get the address. The League’s server keeps a record of the ssages it sends even if you delete the ssage.
Huh, Jaclyn thought at .
I thought back, I don’t read them. Anyway, it’s not sothing I can do instantly. We’re going to want to walk back to the van, and if I haven’t gotten into the server by the end of my walk soone else will have to drive back.
I felt a poke, but not a real, physical poke.
Daniel thought, I wasn’t quite done. I couldn’t find any people we recognized, but I did notice this.
Obscured by the shade of the trees, the streetlights didn’t fully illuminate the creature. Purplish, leathery skin covered a humanoid shape. Naked, it had pointed ears and sharp teeth.
A wave of annoyance hit along with confusion as Cassie thought, What’s that supposed to be?
Izzy’s attention stayed on the creature. I could feel her noting every detail. A fairy?
Jaclyn’s thought ca almost too quick to catch. An evil fairy.
You can’t know that, I thought back. Hypothetically, it could just be ugly.
Evil. Amy’s ntal presence felt completely confident. I don’t know what kind it is, but I’ve seen pictures of them before.
Okay, I thought, so now fairies want to steal plans for taking over Turknistan? Why? What’s the motive?
Amy pulled sothing out of her purse. It sparkled in the streetlight—a pin. Easy. They don’t have a motive. The person who’s controlling them? That person’s got a motive. Everyone, gather in. Unless you want to fall prey to every illusion they throw, I need to cast a spell.
User Comments
0 comments from readers