Page 102 of The Stone Secret
CHAPTER42
“Cameron, no!”
With the hammer of rain and the pounding of blood in my ears, it was impossible to tell who shouted my name.
I had to get these wraiths away from my friends. There had to be a black line somewhere. An end to this zone. We’d obviously missed the start of it.
But my gut trembled and tightened because there was no way Palia would have missed it, and I couldn’t help but believe that these creatures weren’t part of this exercise.
If that was true, then what would happen?
I exited the square and ran down a street, a quick glance behind me confirming the fuckers were still on my tail. I needed to—
My boot caught on a loose brick, and I went flying, landing on my front with enough force to knock the wind out of me.
Shit. I scrambled to my feet, then hit the ground as a wraith rushed me, but I was too slow to stop its charred, elongated fingers from grazing my scalp.
They snagged in my hair, but I yanked free and turned to run.
My knees buckled and gave way.
No…
A chill spread through me as the wraiths circled. I dropped to the wet ground, rain pounding my frame. Shit…I couldn’t move.
The fucker had paralyzed me with one touch.
The world above me was a mass of swirling black robes and hooded faces. They circled closer and closer, and there was nothing I could do.
Panic twisted and writhed inside me, impotent and useless. Romi. I’m sorry. So fucking sorry.
“Get away!” Derek materialized over me, his feet bracketing my hips, arms up to ward off the wraiths. “You won’t hurt my Cameron!” White light radiated from his body.
The wraiths reared back for a moment before attacking again. Another blast of light hit them, weaker than the first.
This time, the wraiths pushed past the fading rays.
“No, no, no!” Derek cried. “Cameron, now. Cameron, I need more. Cameron!”
There was a tugging deep in my solar plexus, an unfurling awakening that was both frightening and familiar.
“Yes!” Derek said. “Let me have that. Let go!”
My back arched off the ground, spine bending almost painfully as the strange energy inside me snapped free.
Derek let out a roar, and crimson power spilled out of his hands and wrapped around the wraiths in deadly ribbons that squeezed and squeezed.
The wraiths twisted and screamed, and this time, there was no doubt that they were in pain. Two of the wraiths dispersed, leaving black ash in the air.
What was this? What were we doing?
My vision darkened at the edges, and the crimson ribbons holding the remaining wraith melted away.
We were depleted.
Nothing more to give.
I wanted to tell him that he’d done great. That it was okay to stop, but my mouth wouldn’t move. I could barely swallow.
