Page 48 of Outcast Fae
“So, no werewolves,” I said, taking the heat off him, “but there could be other creatures that help our captors, like that giant squid, and the earth can open up and swallow us at any moment. We need to be alert.”
“We have that under control,” Henry said. “Just follow our lead.” With a glance to Gina, he faced forward, and the two of them scampered to the top of the ridge.
I looked to Sinasre who held my gaze for a moment before doing the same. He was sending me a message. We did not need to be afraid of the humans. Out here, we were capable, more capable, in fact, than they were even with their magic. Finding out about the dome was more important than safety at this point. If Oberon had a plot, we needed to unravel it before more of our kind got hurt.
The rest of us crouched low and climbed up the embankment, stopping at the top to gaze down.
What we saw took my breath away.
A giant dome sat on a cleared patch of land. It was the size of a small city, with a rounded top that reflected the sunlight, nearly blinding me at first. I held up a hand, squinting past the glare to try to peer inside, but only blurry shapes were visible. Whatever they had inside, they did not want anyone to know about it.
As further protection, a band of water ran around the dome. A two-lane driveway, then a bridge was the only way across. My stomach tensed as I thought of the creatures that would likely be lurking inside that water.
I tested the wings at my back, feeling the ache, though it was getting better. If I was forced to fly away, would I make it?
Gina and Henry waited for us at the top of the ridge, flat on their stomachs. They gestured at us at the same time as Gina reached into her backpack and pulled out a small, silver egg. It was the size of a chicken’s egg, and its surface was smooth and shiny.
“What’s that?” Elon said, leaning forward.
Gina pulled it back protectively. “If you try to touch it, I will burn off your balls. Got it?”
“Okay, potty mouth,” Elon said, holding up his hands in defense. “Keep your dumb egg.”
“Thisdumb eggis what got us those coconuts and what’s going to get us in there.” She pointed at the dome.
“Is that your item?” Vaughn asked, eyeing the egg suspiciously. “How were you allowed to keep it?”
Gina nodded. “I shrunk it and Henry swallowed it before they strip-searched us. Luckily, in a day or two, we got it back.”
“Ew,” Elon said, leaning away. “I hope you washed it.”
Gina gave him a withering look. “Shut up. Now, I’m going to cloak us all, but it will only last an hour. Plus, we have to stay close or the magic will wear off faster. Magic is weird here. It’s like they’re blocking it inside the dome or something. Do you understand?”
Everyone nodded.
Gina closed her eyes, gripped the egg in one palm, and started chanting.
I knew little about human witchcraft. What I did know I’d picked up by watching the witches and warlocks on the Supernatural Academy campus. Some had magical items like Gina’s egg. It helped them tap into the magic that was all around them to cast spells.
A tingle broke out over my skin as Gina’s spell intensified. Now, she was practically shouting in a language I didn’t understand. Suddenly, she stopped and stared around the circle.
“Did it work?” Elon asked.
Gina shrugged. “We’ll know if we step off this ridge, and they start shooting.”
“That’s all the reassurance we get?” Wally asked, looking as if he was starting to regret coming. He glanced toward Vaughn. “You go first.”
Gina shrugged. Putting her egg back in her backpack, she and Henry stood up and walked down the slope.
Tensing, we all waited for shots or magical spells to ring out, but nothing happened. Henry and Gina stopped halfway down the slope and waved us after them. We exchanged wary glances but followed them all the same.
Walking out in the open down the embankment was unnerving. My eyes swiveled left and right, but nothing attacked. The scene was hot and bright and entirely too quiet. Could it really be this easy?
We descended the hill and reached the grassy plain toward the two-lane road and the bridge that led to the dome. Just as we were finally getting to the road, Gina and Henry stopped. Ears turned toward the sky, they listened.
“What is it?” I glanced at Sinasre and Vaughn who had both turned an ear in the same direction. They had better hearing than the rest of us and the growing concern on their faces made my heart begin to thud.
“Something’s coming,” Vaughn said, facing east as his body tensed and his focus narrowed.
