I knew the exact moment that I walked into the wardings. It was like I had been hit by a jolt of electricity. Unlike when I had first arrived at the academy, I had to face it alone, and it was definitely way more intense.
Energy crackled all around me, and I began to feel as though a million tiny needles were pricking at my skin. They probed me as if they were little bugs taking a nibble to decide whether I’d gone bad right before they devoured me entirely.
Even as I felt the overwhelming power of the wardings all around me, I could feel the energy of the elements whirling throughout my body. The lingering sensations of the circle casting stayed with me, and I clung onto them for dear life as I closed my eyes and urged my feet to carry me forward.
One minute I was bone-chillingly freezing, and the next I felt as though I had jumped out of the frying pan and into the flames.
Then as I took one final step, everything suddenly stopped.
It was as if time stood still for just a moment, and I realised that I was holding my breath.
I exhaled before sucking in the cool night air, and when I opened my eyes, I could feel rather than see the wardings crackling behind me.
Glancing over my shoulder one final time I realised that the academy and all that surrounded it was gone. It was as if all the buildings and all the people in them had vanished into thin air.
Although I could no longer see it, the sense that it was still there, and my friends with it, offered me little comfort.
Goddess, please keep them all safe. I prayed silently, even though I had never really been one for praying.
Then, feeling as though I could hear Merrin urging me forward once more, I began to make my way down the long winding road that seemed to lead to nowhere.
Even as I walked, I began to feel the energy draining out of me. It wasn’t the usual draining you felt when walking a long distance but the soul-draining sensation that told me the elements my friends had invoked were leaving me.
My gut filled with sadness with every step I took that led me away from them.
I’m doing this for them as much as I am myself. I remembered, hoping it would lead me safely to whoever was waiting for me down the road.
* * * *
The worry began to set in the longer I walked. Darkness stretched out all around me, and with every step, I became more certain that nobody was waiting for me.
Maybe I was wrong to have put all my trust in Merrin after all.
I was just beginning to think that it might be a good idea to get off the road and go my own way when a small light began to flicker ahead of me.
It wasn’t the strong beam of headlights that I saw but a duller, less powerful beam like that of the torches late night dog walkers used to help them see when they needed to pick up their pooch’s business.
Still, it was bright enough in the near blackness to make me squint and use my hand as a makeshift visor to protect my eyes.
“Brianna Winterwood?’ An unfamiliar and definitely masculine voice sounded out from behind the bright light, and I felt my heart stop beating for a second.
Clearing my throat, I decided it was better to talk than run away screaming.
“Joan?”
The chuckle that erupted was definitely also very masculine, and I was sure that it didn’t belong to anybody called Joan.
The light lowered away from my eyes, and I had to blink several times before I could see anything but darkness.
But when I did, I was entirely certain that whoever I was talking to, it definitely wasn’t a Joan. I instantly began to scowl.
“Sorry about blinding you. You can’t be too careful out here in the middle of nowhere,” the guy said as he stepped forwards out of the wake of some bushes. Although I had been put off by his voice first, I had to admit that it was quite pleasant. There was a slight country twang to it that I couldn’t help but smile at.
“If you aren’t Joan, then how do you know my name?”
“Joan is my grandma,” he replied, and as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I was taken aback by the handsome face staring back at me.
It was almost pitch black out on the country road, but he was standing less than three steps away from me, and the smell of his musky cologne wafted into my nostrils. He must have been at least six feet tall with his checked shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The rolls were so tight around his biceps that they looked as though they might burst if he moved too quickly.
With what appeared in the darkness to be jet black hair, pale skin and brown, almond-shaped eyes, he almost reminded me of someone, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
“Well, grandson of Joan, I was expecting your grandma so if you wouldn’t mind hurrying along so I can be on my way, that would be great,” I said, determined not to feel like the frightened little girl I must have looked like, out here all alone.
Again he chuckled, and it was almost musical.
“Sure thing but you might be waiting a while,” he laughed, “Grandma Joan sent me to fetch you. My truck is parked just up the road. I didn’t want to get too close to the academy.”:
I was startled by that. For someone I hadn’t been expecting, he seemed to know a lot about the academy that nobody could see this side of the wards and me.
“No need to look so worried. I promise I’m not here to drag you into my truck and murder you.”
He was laughing again only this time he was openly laughing at me. I might have been annoyed at that if not for the fact he was totally cute with his close-cropped facial hair and checked shirt making him look like one of those American lumberjacks from the movies. Not to mention his charming little country twang.
“That’s what all the serial killers say right before they do the exact thing they promise not to do.” I began to cross my arms over my chest before quickly deciding against it. The last thing I wanted was to look like a pouty teenager in front of this hot guy who was clearly just shy of adulthood.
“Have you met many serial killers?”
Only one of the witchy kind. I thought but decided it was probably best not to mention Celestria. Call me crazy, but I kind of felt like it might send her witchy senses tingling.
Instead, I simply shook my head. It was probably best not to say anything at all.
“Well then, come hop in my truck, and I’ll see you safely to the shop.” He gestured me to follow him, and I was about to do so when I pulled up short.
“The shop?”
“Yeah. Grandma’s there waiting for you.”
Although I was still having seriously strong stranger-danger feelings, I was well aware that I was pretty much out of options and I really didn’t want to look clueless, so I simply gestured for him to lead the way.
Besides, that gut feeling was telling me that he wasn’t any real danger and the way my Goddess marks began to tingle reminded me that Selene had chosen me for a reason. She wasn’t about to let me get all this way just to see me dead in a ditch somewhere.