Page 33 of The Mating Magic
Chase blinked, and the yawning pit in his stomach opened further. He went to fist hishands.
Nothing happened with the righthand.
He stared at his hand. Tried to flex hisfingers.
“Evie, I can’t move myhand.”
Her mouth opened and closed. She jumped upward, tugging at his arm. “Come on, Chase let’s go. Now. We have to get to the swamp. There’s power there, power that can curethis.”
They went outside onto the expansive, greenlawn.
With all his might, he called upon his magick. Relieved, he felt the power flowing, his senses sharpening, his bones lengthening and changing. Pain briefly flared as Chase shifted into a dragon. He lay on the ground for Evie. After a moment’s hesitation, Evie climbed onto his back, clinging to one of hisspikes.
He knew it pained her to fly longdistances.
He knew it pained her to admit thatfact.
With a beat of his wings, he did an almost vertical takeoff from the ground. His powers of invisibility extended to Evie. No Skins could see them from the ground, onlyOthers.
The immense pressure in his chest and the numbness in his arms fled. In the air as dragon he felt stronger and more normal. Chase craned his neck to study the trees dotting residential areas and parks. Still far from theswamp.
Wind blew against him, making the flying more challenging. Chase focused. Had to get Evie to safety. Deep in his bones existed a gnawing knowledge that the magick that infused his body was wrong, too much, eating at him likeacid.
Finally the homes and trees vanished, showing a vast expanse of the Florida Everglades. Clouds blocked his vision suddenly, so he swooped down and swept his gaze over theland.
There.
In the near distance, Swamp World pulsed colors like a neon sign, colors he knew only he and the Brehon could see. Crimson for Gideon, the Crimson Wizard. Silver for Tristan, the Silver Wizard. Gray for Cadeyrn, the Shadow Wizard. A clear glittering quartz crystal for Xavier, the Crystal Wizard. And cobalt blue for Drust, the ColdfireWizard.
Murmuring the incantation Drust taught him, he winged downward into the abandoned amusement park, landing on the ground next to the zip line. Evie slid off his back and walked toward thewater.
A hush slid over the place, a thin ribbon of silence, not even broken by the faint breeze his wings created as he folded them back. The air felt heavy and smelled like the beach at low tide, oppressive androtting.
Chase shifted into human form, clothed himself by magick with jeans, a Tshirt and bare feet. He shivered, his blood growing toice.
Flying as dragon had calmed the power inside, strengthened him. Now he felt numb and aged all overagain.
This place, filled with powerful magick, did it. Somehow it reached inside him, felt the power he held, and trebledit.
But I’m not immortal like the wizards. I can’t holdit.
Wanting to suddenly retch, he dropped to his knees. He felt a gentle hand at his back, rubbing soothingcircles.
“Deep breaths,preppy.”
Despite the horrid nausea, he smiled. “Breathing in this dreck is asolution?”
Peering down at him, Evie nodded. “It stinks. I wish I could change it for you,preppy.”
He imagined the air clear and fresh smelling, filled with the brine of the sea. Suddenly the air cleared and a cool ocean breeze swept overthem.
The nausea cleared. He stood, his feet on solid ground, his strength returning. Power surged inside him oncemore.
Perhaps this was the reason Evie had urged him return here. “I’m better,Evie.”
“No, you’re not. You need to go into the water, Chase.Please.”
Chase shook his head. Last month he’d seen those gators consume an ogre Xavier had tossed in there for execution. The ogre had murdered two other ogres to steal theirland.
