Page 27 of Enchanted Hero
The crowd cried out as a wire broke and the girl tilted, hanging from three cords like an out-of-control marionet. “Call 911!” Max shrieked, as panic seized the theater.
For Alexander, every option rose in a split second. He could do nothing and hope rescuers made it in time, or he could save her, using extraordinary means. Every option changed and redefined lives, yet through it all, there was only one true choice:
He had to save the girl.
Using his powers, Alexander plunged the theater into darkness. There was little chance of concealing his actions, yet any hope triumphed over none. Screams sounded all around, as he transformed into a concealing black outfit and mask, another likely insufficient exercise. Then… he teleported.
The poor girl thrashed and twisted in the lurching wires, her breaths shallow and short. He reached for her, and she screamed again. “You’re okay.” She calmed as he gathered her into his arms, hovering in the air with her, as he used his magic to make the slab descend by itself. She clung to him, her breathing slowing he held her close. In her panic, she likely didn’t realize they were flying.
A blinding light flashed. His heart thundered, fear not for himself, but for his people. Could the audience see him flying? The light shined again, the gasps louder. He had to get down, even if it meant showing his true powers. He held the girl close and teleported once more.
He transported the girl directly to the slab, which had returned to the table. Hopefully they would assume she went down with it. In the next instant, he transported back to the stage. Waiting a few precious seconds to give credibility she’d descended by ordinary means, he lifted his magic. Light filled a theater in chaos.
Everleigh was as white as the mist still billowing from the fog machines. “Did you see him?” She pointed to where the girl had been moments ago. “There was a man, when the police shined their flashlights.”
Tightened muscle seized. So that’s what the illumination had been. They had recognized a man.
Did they know it was him?
Everleigh stared, yet she didn’t immediately accuse him of being not strictlyhuman. At least not yet. “Did you see the guy in black?”
He could deny it, yet other people were pointing and yelling about a mysterious man. “It must’ve been part of the show.”
“I’ve never seen a trick like that.” Everleigh pivoted all around, as if expecting a man to come flying out of the ceiling. “He appeared out of nowhere!”
“It only seems like that.” Somehow he kept his voice calm. “There was plenty of time to hoist someone when the lights went out. It was probably a fireman.”
“He wasn’t dressed like a fireman.” She gazed into the air, in the exact direction he hovered. “Even if he was an emergency responder, how do you explain him disappearing?”
“Another trick.” It was a paltry excuse, and no doubt she wouldn’t believe him. Yet how could he explain the impossible?
Everleigh gestured to Max, who was now talking with police. She lowered her voice. “We both know he used wires. The trick went completely wrong – he said so himself when he couldn’t work the electronics. The girl was about to fall, and the mystery man saved h–” She froze.
Damn.
“It’s the guy from the tornado!” a woman in the audience shrieked. And suddenly a dozen and then a hundred people yelled the same as they held up phones already playing a dozen videos.
“Everyone stay calm,” the fair director called as fire rescue and police poured into the arena. They immediately started examining, searching,taking names.
Time to get out of here.
Alexander grasped Everleigh’s hand and led her off the stage. Appearing in another police report wouldn’t look good, especially since Andrews and Garrison hadn’t stopped their questioning. Using his enchantment to thread through the dense crowd, he kept Everleigh close. “Both events have a logical explanation, neither of which involves actual magic.”
“I can’t think of a logical explanation for either event, and neither can they.” Everleigh pointed at the people rapidly typing on cell phones.Fantastic.No doubt someone in the large audience had their cell phone pointed in the right direction at the right time.
Everleigh turned back toward the stage, but he steered her forward. If Andrews and Garrison saw her in the report, they’d trace her straight back to him. Then they’d put two magical events together to get one magical man.
They reached the exit, stepping into broad sunlight and the heavy scent of animals. They waited for a group of horses to pass, then a unit of police officers. Alexander stayed still as several gave him a long look, meeting questioning stares head-on. Fortunately, none stopped him, and as soon as the animals passed, he grasped Everleigh and strode into the path.
She skipped faster to keep up with him, and he slowed ever-so-slightly. If only he could teleport them both out of here. “Why are you in such a hurry?”
Alexander swept past a trio of clowns on stilts. “I’d rather not be pulled into any more questioning. Not that anything happened,” he quickly added. “People see what they’re looking for. Remember that guy who saw Santa Claus in his peanut butter sandwich?”
She made a face. “This is different. If you’d seen him–” She halted. He pulled lightly, but she didn’t move, as her expression transformed.
Suspicion.
It was clear the moment it arrived, as her gaze sharpened and her eyes narrowed. This woman was intelligent and open-minded, a dangerous combination for a man in his position. Keeping his own face neutral nearly took magic.
