Page 52 of Her Magic Light

“How? I just nearly took off a man’s head? Almost beheaded him. What? Why?” But I was numb, and the words were meaningless. I could still see the blood spurting at the ceiling.

Coop said nothing, but his soft breathing sounded close to my ear. It was a comforting counterpoint to the squall of the alarm, and his presence was protective rather than threatening—even though he’d just cuffed me.

Footsteps approached the cafeteria, many footsteps, and they pounded like a heartbeat, lots of people completely in sync. Were we being raided?

“They’re coming,” Coop whispered. “Try not to be scared.” Then he raised his voice. “I have her contained. Target is not hostile. Repeat, target is not hostile.”

I flinched. I was a target again? I didn’t know who I was anymore.

I opened my eyes to see too many armored bodies flood through the doorway opening from the dimly lit corridor outside. They must have been clad all in black because they melted into the darkness of the cafeteria, and all that remained of their presence was the feeling of something oppressive accompanied by the occasional crackle of static or a squawk of a walkie.

Other than that, I wouldn’t have known I was more or less surrounded by an army, and most likely a heavily armed one, all focused on me. Because I was dangerous. My heart twisted.

Coop didn’t take his hand from my arm, but his touch wasn’t rough. The contact reassured me. Occasionally, his thumb stroked my skin, the motion also calming.

“I’ve got her.” Coop raised his voice again. “She’s under my control. I’ll escort her back to her room.”

But the lights flooded on, and I blinked. Heavily armed soldiers in full-scale riot gear. Some carried clear shields, and they formed a defensive ring around me, until I could only see dark colored helmets beyond the shields. I couldn’t see faces behind their helmets, and while Coop wore his usual black suit, these men wore tight-fitting body armor and protective vests.

I drew a sharp inhale at the heavy artillery pointed at me and almost closed my eyes again so I could wish the roomful of people away. They shouldn’t be here, risking their lives to contain me.

Fear I might miss something important kept my eyes open, though. I needed to see. I’d lose all of my power if I didn’t watch and know what was happening to me.

The crowd in front of me parted slightly as one man stepped forward. He kept one hand on his radio, and the other clutched some sort of baton or stun gun. I winced. It was far more like a cattle prod than the taser Coop sometimes reached for.

“She’s coming with us now.” His voice was unfriendly but matter of fact. “We’re taking her into custody.”

I was no longer a person now. I was a prisoner, a target, another job. Something to be taken care of. A problem to be locked away. But Coop wouldn’t let them take me. He couldn’t. He’d promised to keep me safe.

I glanced at Coop, and panic fluttered delicate wings in my chest. His jaw was tense, his mouth a flat line, his skin pale, and his hold on me relaxed.

Wait. No.He was releasing me to this guy. Coop had promised to keep me safe.

A protest formed on my lips, and I reached blindly for Coop as he drew away, my movement awkward in the cuffs, but I clutched his fingers, and his hold tightened around mine briefly. Then he withdrew, and the moment was lost.

Almost without ceremony, he pushed me forward, and I staggered, only just regaining my balance before I stumbled against the new soldier.

“Where am I going?” I demanded, lifting my chin.

It was like talking to a robot or automaton. The man’s helmet didn’t even turn in my direction. Instead, he lifted his weapon again, brandishing it in front of him, and I shrank back, unable to move physically away without bumping into Coop.

“Where am I going?” I whispered again, sure I’d get even fewer answers from this new breed of captor than I’d ever received from Coop and Locke.

Again, the new guard didn’t reply. He stepped forward, positioning his chest nearly against me. Everything about the man was menacing. My chin quivered, and I hated how upset by Coop’s betrayal I already was.

Again, I glanced to Coop. He didn’t move at all. “Solitary,” he murmured, and even his lips seemed to stay still.

But I understood. My shin tingled, and my heart pounded.Solitary? But what? I wanted to struggle, to fight the man in front of me and beat against his armor-protected chest. How? What the hell was more solitary than the dark cell where I’d already been staying?

Dread replaced my panic. I tried to swallow the lump lodged in my throat.

The guard spun me around, his gloved hands rough where he touched me. He didn’t say anything as he moved my body into the position that best suited him. As I faced Coop, even he didn’t appear to be looking at me.

My eyes filled with unexpected tears at the prospect of another unfamiliar situation and more people in control of my life and days. I was being buried deeper and deeper in this shadowy system I didn’t understand. I didn’t know how I’d ever get back to Sweetwater and the life I’d been creating for myself there.

Before I could open my mouth or make another sound, my world went dark as a bag was dropped over my head and the drawstring cinched around my neck. Here, I thought there wasn’t going to be anything worse than sunglasses. How wrong I’d been.

Panting, I tried to keep the flood of feelings at bay. It wasn’t tight enough to hurt, but no light passed through the thick weave of the fabric, and I drew a deep breath then stopped as the material clung to my nose and mouth.

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