Page 34 of Faerie Hunted

One shot to save my own life, and to save Onyx, the way I hadn’t been able to save Barbara.

Cosmo Foxfall still addressed the crowd, and after a few more lofty statements of pure posturing, he clapped his hands together. Called for silence. And gestured for the guards to proceed.

The execution was set, and just as a swell of magic rose around us, I reached under my shirt to grab theTotalis.

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“She has something in her hands!”

Captain Hezarwick’s voice sounded above the rest of the din, and in the next second he bolted forward, his magic reaching for me.

TheTotaliswarmed further once I had it firmly cradled in my hands, direct contact, and as I tuned into my magic, my hesitation dimmed.

TheAugundae Totaliswas ancient, foreign, almost alien in its depth of power, and my physical body jerked as that power entwined with the essence of who I was.

“Stop right where you are!”

There’s no stopping.

My cognitive manipulation rose despite any shredded emotions. A rare gift, I’d been told once. Rare and valuable. And I’d never been so grateful for it as I was now.

“No.” My voice rose much louder than it would have been, amplified by the artifact. “You stop. All of you.”

The captain did as I commanded, his footsteps slowing until he halted in front of the platform, with the rest of the guards behind him frozen in the act of drawing their weapons.

I paused for a moment to mutter a spell under my breath, something I’d been taught to hone my focus before I reached out for the minds and energies of everyone gathered. I blocked out the future and what might happen if I failed. I blocked out Mike in the crowd and my regret over what happened to Barbara. The bulk of my power needed to focus on escape.

This gift did not manifest often, I reminded myself. I had the magic for a reason. If it wasn’t to save my life and the lives of people I cared about, then what good was it?

I took a deep breath. “Stop the execution. Onyx and I are innocent. Cosmo Foxfall has decided to rescind his execution order,” I continued.

My magic rose to a fever pitch and I spared a glance at the glowing tool. It reallydidamplify power. I felt everything, roiling inside of me, magnified larger than I’d ever felt it before.

I practically saw it in the air like visible sound waves cresting over everyone. Even the bodies outside the gate went still as my command rippled outward.

“Onyx and I are leaving,” I called out. “Captain Hezarwick, remove our chains immediately. We’re free.”

I reached for the premier and saw his energy signature clearly. It pulsed around him in shades of navy and gold with a thin core of startling red. I grabbed for him, my power clearer and sharper than it had ever been, and sent a powerful pulse of magic his way.

He had to believeeverythingI painted for him. Sights, smells, images—even if I didn’t see it in reality, it didn’t matter. Foxfall would perceive it all as true.

I held his magic, and distantly the energy signatures of the rest of the crowd, while the captain removed my chains. A huge weight disappeared as they clanked to the ground, Onyx’s following right after.

There wasn’t time to breathe a sigh of relief. “Nobody moves from their spot for the next fifteen minutes. You stay exactly where you are until we are well out of reach,” I added.

“Tavi? What are you doing?” Onyx hissed from the corner of his mouth.

He was the only one immune to my spell.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m getting us out.” I spoke in the same hushed near-whisper and gestured for him to come closer, still gripping the tool in my hands.

Sweat broke out along my spine, dripping to my lower back with the effort of holding on to so many energies at once.

Onyx spared a skeptical glance at the statue-still crowd before he stepped over the chains pooled at his feet. He wasn't about to waste any more time but instead of running, I forced my feet to slow. Calm and unhurried, we walked to the steps and out into the crowd.

My heart hammered against my ribs. I clutched the tool tighter yet, afraid of it slipping out of my clammy palms.

What if I missed someone?

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