Page 28 of Cry of the Damned
“Hey! Who goes there?” someone shouted.
C’mon, c’mon, I urged as cold air whistled past the small gap that had opened. I wedged my hand into the space and pushed, but it was useless. The slab was enormous, and only magic could budge it.
“Don’t move!” a second voice shouted.
This was closer, and I was tempted to glance back and see how long I had, but instead, I raised my shoulders and lowered my head, doing my best to conceal Rob’s identity.
Finally, the gap was wide enough for me to squeeze through it. I turned sideways, then quickly got stuck. I pushed, trying to pop free on the other side, but there just wasn’t enough room.
Someone grabbed my arm on the inside and started pulling me back in.
“You’re not going anywhere, you bastard,” whoever had a hold of me spat.
I gritted my teeth and pulled. Pain knifed its way into my shoulder socket. I screamed, realizing this was it. They would pull me back in and then…
The slab moved a little more. My resolve grew and, with it, came an idea. I shrugged my arm into the jacket. My pursuer’s grip slacked somewhat, and I was able to shrug the garment off completely. Then I was free. I popped on the other side and ran along the edge of the building, sticking to the shadows. I went around the corner and headed toward the front. Once there, I reentered the building and headed straight for the apprentices’ dormitory. No one would be there. They were all down in the city, or at least I hoped so. The halls were deserted as before, though I could hear a ruckus in the depths of the building as the alarm was raised.
I bounded up the stairs that led to the sleeping quarters. When I reached the first dormitory door, I opened it and slipped inside. I breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of two rows of empty beds. I rushed to one of the wardrobes and pulled out a jacket from its hanger. It was too small, a girl’s fit, so I put it back and ran to a second wardrobe. By now, there were shouts and running steps all over the place. I finally found a jacket that fit in the fourth wardrobe I checked. Slipping it on, I hurried back to the door and listened. When I was sure no one was coming, I walked out, closed the door behind me, and headed back the way I’d come. Realizing I was sweating like a pig, I ran a hand over my face and wiped it on my pants.
When I encountered a group of ogling initiates, I asked, “What’s going on?”
“Dunno,” one of them said.
Two magistrates came running up the stairs and stopped in front of us. Eyes narrowed, they scrutinized us.
“What’s happening? Can we be of assistance?” I said, sounding eager to help them.
One of them grunted and made a dismissive gesture with his hand. “Go back to your rooms and stay out of the way. That’s the only help we need.”
“Yes, sir,” I said obediently as the young initiates rushed back into the rooms like scared rabbits.
As I started walking back to the apprentices’ hall, I figured I’d done enough to clear Rob from any wrongdoing, so I whispered the words Bethel told me to say to break the spell and return to my body.
CHAPTER 10
Aninstantaftersayingthe words to break Bethel’s spell, I snapped back into my body. I blinked at the light from the light bulb above me. Before I had time to do much more, arms wrapped around me and pulled me tight into an embrace. Kall’s woodsy scent flooded my nose, and I felt instant comfort.
“What took so long?!” he demanded.
“I’m okay.” I rested my cheek on his chest and sighed, willing the tension in my shoulders to go away.
Kall pushed me to arm’s length and examined my face. “Rob said he could sense something was wrong.”
“He could?”
“I’m guessing he’s a witch,” Bethel said. “That would explain it.”
I nodded and glanced around. We were in the living room of our hotel suite, sitting on the sofa, and the others stood in a semi-circle around us. Kall scooted away, giving me space. My body didn’t feel tired—not like Rob’s had—but my mind felt exhausted.
Ila was holding a cup of steaming tea. She offered it with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. I could tell she’d been worrying, and it had taken a toll on her.
I welcomed the cup of tea and cradled it in my hands. Its warmth felt comforting.
“It’s just chamomile,” my sister said. “It should soothe you.”
“Thank you.” I took a sip and could tell it was sweetened with one of Bethel’s honeycombs. She had brought a few with her but was being very stingy with them. Immediately, the fatigue that weighed on my mind started to clear.
“So what happened?” Maki asked, looking impatient.
