“We’ll never make it in time!” Ryan screamed. “Her lips are turning blue!”
“I’ll try to hold off the poison. Just don’t stop running.” Faith panted, catching up to them and racking her brain for any kind of spell. She placed a hand on Tara’s chest. “Subsisto Virus.” Tara’s lips regained some of their color and her breathing eased. “That’ll slow it down long enough for us to reach the village.”
Cael tried to focus on the forest to keep her years from spilling over. ‘These stupid trees look the same!’ She thought, angrily. She skid to a stop and swung her sword. “What’s with this forest?!”
Faith, Ryan, and Nell stopped in their tracks. “What’s your problem?” Ryan asked.
“No tree looks the same, yet every tree we’ve passed has looked exactly like the other.”
“What the hell are you talking about? How can you tell the difference?”
“I’ve lived around trees all my life. I can tell!”
“She’s right.” Nell said. “These trees are the same.”
“What are you saying?” Ryan demanded.
“It means we’re going around in circles.” Faith said. “The only thing is; we’ve been going in a straight circle. There’s a hex in this forest, I can feel it.” She held up her hands. “I’m going to break it.” She closed her eyes. Almost immediately she could feel the energy of the hex soaking the forest. “Effrego!”
Faith mentally pulled the magic from the forest and coursed it into her crests, pushing herself physically. She fell to her knees, her body straining to take in all the magic. “I’m almost done…” she whispered.
Cael started, the hairs on the back of her neck sticking up. She began to skimmed the area with her eyes. “Something’s here.” She said to Ryan and Nell. “Keep your guard up.”
Faith finished her spell and collapsed to the ground, spent. Her chest heaved with her heavy panting, but she managed to smile at her friends. Slowly, the forest began to melt away, revealing what had been hidden. An entire village.
Time seemed to stand still as the group gawked at the sight and villagers gawked at them in return. Then, someone screamed, triggering the fear that had been held in. Herds of people fled from the group.
“Where the hell are we?” Ryan mumbled.
“Who cares?!” Cael said, shoving him. “Let’s find a doctor!”
“But why is everyone running from us?” Nell questioned, sadly.
Abruptly, Faith cried out, “Let go of me!”
Cael spun around. She snarled when she spotted a bold villager attempting to haul Faith away by her arms. “What do you think you’re doing?!”
“We don’t like visitors.” The brave man said.
Cael was taken aback. “Excuse me, you ass, we’re here because we need help. Heal our friend and we’ll leave!”
“You enter our village uninvited and order us around? No. Your friend can die.”
Cael took a step toward him. The guy released one of Faith’s arms and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small black ball. Leaping into the air he threw the ball to the ground.
Purple smoke began to fill the area. It swept over the group so quickly. Nell stumbled forward, falling to the ground in mere seconds, unconscious. Cael fell to her hands and knees, fighting off the darkness for as long as she could. Her arm slipped from beneath her, causing her to fall onto her side. She twitched once, then was gone. Tara tumbled from Ryan’s arms. He collapsed next to her. Weakly, he wrapped an arm around her before closing his eyes.
Faith’s mouth fell open. “What have you done?” she whispered.
“You don’t ask any questions. I do.”
She glanced up at the stranger. “What are you?”
He stared back at her. “Just shut up already.”
“Sir!” Three more strange men appeared below.
“Take them to a holding cell.”
“Yes, sir.” They began to gather up the unconscious teens.
“Wait. The red head needs to be taken the hospital.”
“Yes, sir. What about the girl you are holding?”
“She’s going with me.”
The men nodded.
“Where are we going?” Faith demanded. Her captor didn’t answer. “Tell me or I’ll--” She held her hand up, ready to call upon her magic.
The man grabbed her wrist and squeezed it. She cringed, but he didn’t stop. She yelled out in pain as he squeezed harder, harder, until she heard the snap. She screamed. She sobbed as he released her wrist. Repeating his first method he shattered her good wrist. “Now, I bet you’ll keep your mouth shut.”