Page 103 of The Light Within

Julienfroze, his entire body going rigid. His eyes widened, unblinking, as if he were struggling to comprehend the words that had just been hurled at him. His mouth opened slightly, a mixture of disbelief and confusion etched into his features.

Mortification rolled over Cinn in violent bursts. The sudden urge to run and hide somewhere in the church’s graveyard was strong. “Forget it,” he mumbled, dropping his hold on Julien.

Why did he think burdening Julien withthatright now was a good idea? He’d been so desperate to unleash those words, yet now a cold wave of regret crashed over him.

“Non,” Julien whispered.

“Just forget I said anything,” Cinn pleaded, frustration intensifying. Could this day get any worse? “Please! Just forget it. I won’t bring it up again.”

“Non! Stop! Look!” Julien pointed to behind Cinn, voice brimming with urgency.

Cinn turned. A black SUV sped along the long, winding road leading up to the church. It hurtled towards them with alarming speed, its tyres screeching against the gravel.

The car was fast. Fast and loud. Cinn surely would have heard it coming if he hadn’t been so absorbed with his crisis. His heart plummeted. Yes, apparently the daycouldget worse.

“That’s not good, is it?”

Julien moved towards Maz. “Quick. We need to run.” He tossed Cinn the car keys.

Cinn looked down at them in confusion, then back up to Julien.

“You drive, I’ll channel and see what I can do to slow them down,” Julien said.

“What? Me? I can’t drive.” Cinn tossed the keys back.

“What? You can’t driveat all?” Julien shrieked.

“London, mate,” Cinn said apologetically.

“Well, Maz practically drives herself.” Julien sent the keys flying back, hitting Cinn square in the chest.

“Julien, practically isn’t good enough if you want to live!” shouted Cinn, as the SUV was moments away from them. He launched the keys back at Julien.

Julien made a frustrated sound, then dove into the driver’s seat.

The moment they slammed Maz’s doors shut, the SUV skidded to a halt in front of the church, sending a spray of gravel scattering across the ground.

“Buckle up,” said Julien, turning on the ignition. “This is going to be one hell of a ride.”

twenty-three

Julien

Julien’s fingers gripped the leather steering wheel, cracked, bleeding knuckles white as he navigated the narrow, winding road that led away from the church. The frosty air clawed at the edges of the windshield, dustings of snow falling onto the glass before the wipers violently cleared them.

Hardly ideal driving conditions for a to-the-death car chase.

Behind him, the SUV loomed large, its headlights glaring through the snow like the eyes of a predator.

“Hold on, Maz,” Julien muttered under his breath, urging the car forward, pedal to the metal. The engine roared as she accelerated smoothly, handling the icy corners with a grace no ordinary car could manage. Still, the tension in the air was palpable, the cold seeping through the vehicle’s frame and into Julien’s bones.

Although Julien’s eyes should have been firmly planted on the road, he couldn’t help but routinely flick them to Cinn. His body pressed tightly into the seat, fingers digging into the leather. Every twist in the road was punctuated by a short, sharp burst of breath. “They’re gaining on us,” he said, voice tight with worry. “Can you go any faster?”

Julien was already pushing eighty, an impressive feat considering the conditions. “Now is not the time for back-seat driving!”

A glance in the rear-view mirror revealed the black SUV closing the gap between them. Julien cursed under his breath.

If he wasn’t driving, he could’ve done something—channelled windmotes to whip up a blinding flurry of snow, or better yet, frozen the tarmac to send the SUV skidding off the road. But with both hands on the wheel and every ounce of concentration focussed on keeping them on the winding road, there was little he could do but push Maz to her limits.

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