Page 155 of The Hunger
The dark thing inside of me moved in anticipation.
Zayn was all business when Fenris handed over the vials. Megan smirked at me, but I ignored her and the extreme flush staining my cheeks and turned to focus on the spell preparations.
There was a familiarity in the bowl Zayn set on the table, but not in the chalk drawing on the surface or the individual ingredients in smaller bowls that intersected the drawing’s design.
“This is a basic location spell, amplified exponentially. Meaning, we’ll find Ashlyn no matter what’s trying to hide her.”
Like the druids in the bathroom, he started murmuring words. Unlike those druids, he lit the center bowl with a snap of his fingers. Flames erupted, burning blue as they crept over the edge of the bowl, following the line to the first small bowl. They consumed Ashlyn’s hair and turned purple before picking up speed and moving to the next ingredient. Colors changed. Ingredients turned to ash. The flames raced back to the center bowl where Zayn added one drop from his newly acquired vials.
The heat in my cheeks flared hotter for a moment, and Fenris gave my hand a gentle squeeze.
There was a popping sound, and the pressure in the room surged. When it settled, a speck of blinding light no larger than a grain of sand hovered above the bowl.
“Touching my forehead to that light will fill me with the knowledge of her location. It’ll also knock me on my ass and probably make me throw up.” He looked around the room. “It doesn’t have to be me.”
“Yeah, I think it does,” Fenris said. “But I promise to hold back your hair.”
Zayn grinned at him and leaned toward the light. The moment it touched his skin, he flew backward, just missing Oanen, before crashing into the door and crumpling to the floor.
“You could have caught him,” Megan said accusingly, glaring at Oanen.
“I could have.”
She narrowed her eyes at him.
“It’s not jealousy. It’s payback for stealing you,” he said, crossing his arms.
Feeling her growing anger and Oanen’s increasing stubbornness, I shook my head and went to Zayn. I couldn’t sense anything from him, which worried me. Gently, I smoothed my fingers over his cheek and down his throat.
“Are you thinking about kissing him?” Fenris asked.
“What? No. I’m checking for a pulse.”
“Right. That comes before mouth to mouth.”
I rolled my eyes.
“I’m not giving him mouth to mouth. Oanen’s the one who didn’t catch him.”
“Oanen’s a hugger, not a kisser,” Fenris said.
A ragged gasp interrupted Oanen’s return quip, and we all watched Zayn as he sat straight up. Fear boiled under the surface. So much fear.
Fenris sniffed, and I knew he was scenting it.
A shudder ran through Zayn, and his pupils went from explosively wide to pinpoints.
“Are you all right?” I asked, gently touching his back.
He turned his head and threw up on Megan’s floor.
“I wish the goblin was still here,” she muttered.
“Give him a minute to shake it off then make him clean it up,” Oanen said.
“I know where your human is,” Zayn rasped.
“Where? Is she okay?” I asked, patting his back.
