“Reverse the spel , Witch,” Jared snarled.
I flinched. Jared had been silently brooding and staring for so long that I almost forgot he could speak.
Reverse
the spell.
What did he mean by that?
“Yeah, freak, that’s why we’re here,” Jay said. “Wel , that and a little fun after.”
Oh I
really
did not like the sound of that.
I had to find a way out of this, fast.
Think, Yuki, think.
I looked at my ankle trying to wil the spirits there to come to my aid. My boots where sprawled against the concrete floor and I side stomped my foot in frustration, which gave me an idea.
We had discovered that I could cal Cal’s wolf spirit by dancing. I may be gagged and held in a little heap on the floor, but I could stil move my legs and feet. I just hoped that it was enough. My boots tapped a beat against the concrete while I held the image of Cal’s wolf in my mind. It was harder than before. Holding my focus was difficult with Jay and Jared staring down at me like I was a bug that they wanted to squash.
“Do what we say, Witch,” Jared said. “Reverse the spel you put on our quarterback. Bring Dylan Jacobs back to life.”
Wow, these guys were completely messed up. They thought I was some kind of witch with the powers of necromancy? I could barely coax a potted plant to wilted zombie status. Emma said I had a black thumb. There was no way that I could bring a person back to life.
Have I mentioned how difficult it was to concentrate on Cal’s wolf spirit? Take that and now multiply it by a gazil ion. The smel of lavender, honey, and motor oil were overwhelming and fear was creeping in like a spider after a spring rain. No matter how much you don’t want it to be there, it slips through the cracks and scuttles in the shadows. My concentration was being splintered and unconsciousness threatened.
That’s when I felt his presence. I was greeted with the smel of wet dog and sunshine and could suddenly see Cal’s wolf spirit in my mind’s eye. I used my last bit of wil to concentrate on sending the wolf spirit a message.
Help.
Bring Cal. I’m being held somewhere in the school.
Please hurry.
I looked up at Jay and Jared and nodded my head, hoping to look weak and eager to please. I needed to buy Cal time to find me.
“Good, help us and things won’t go as bad for you,” Jared said.
Jay looked momentarily disappointed, but that manic gleam returned quickly.
“What do you need for the spel ?” Jay asked, yanking the gag from my mouth. “Do you need blood? I saw a movie where they needed blood to work the dark arts.” This guy was total y sick in the head. He obviously wanted to, like, skin a cat…or me. The horribleness of the situation sank in further and I started shaking. I couldn’t help it. I wanted to be al tough girl, but there was something twisted and wrong in Jay’s eyes. He wanted to see blood. How messed up is that?
The smel of lavender and honey grew more powerful and it gave me an idea. Cal was probably already searching for me, but I needed to give him time to come up with a rescue plan. Keeping the J-team distracted and their lackeys busy running errands seemed like the best idea.
And maybe I’ll stop shaking if I have something to
keep me from obsessing over Jay’s new found love of
blood and revenge.
“Um, no, but I do need some herbs and stuff,” I said.
I tried to keep my voice from quavering. I’m pretty sure I failed. At least with my hands held behind me, Jay and Jared couldn’t see how badly they were shaking. Could I real y pul this off?
“Herbs?” Jared asked, looking confused.
Jared looked around the room and one guy actual y flashed a questioning look and mimed smoking something that I was pretty sure wasn’t cigarettes. Wow, these guys didn’t even know what herbs were.
“You know, like the herbs and spices used for cooking,” I said. “I’m sure they have a bunch in the home-ec room.”
“Why would you need cooking supplies?” Jared asked. He crossed his arms again and looked down at me suspiciously.
“You’ve heard of
eye of newt
and al that right?” I asked. “I need to make the
spell
by brewing it up in a pot, preferably a
black cauldron
, but I need herbs for the
Witches Brew
.”
It was al nonsense, but I tried to use bits of phrases I’d heard in scary movies about witches. I emphasized the Hol ywood-style witchy bits and hoped that they believed me.
“Okay, you three,” Jay said, gesturing to three burly guys leaning against the wal , “Go upstairs and grab a big pot and al the herbs you can find. Meet us in the East wing science lab.”
The boys fol owed Jay’s order without question.
“Science lab?” I asked.
“So you can cook your spel ,” Jay said. He looked smug—and sinister.
“Yeah, there’s one thing that this room doesn’t have,” Jared said, nodding his head in agreement. “Flame.” Jared and Jay exchanged smug grins and started dragging me to the science lab. The guy behind me continued to hold onto my wrists and helped Jay and Jared push me toward the door.
“Don’t worry, Witch,” Jay said. “We won’t burn you…
much.”
*****
We were nearly at the door when I heard a loud thud, fol owed by a moan, coming from the hal way. It sounded like the footbal thugs were picking on some poor student.
Whoever it was would likely regret that trip to the bathroom.
They’re probably beating him with his own hall pass.
I tried to suppress a shudder, but it didn’t work. Jay let out a weird tittering laugh and Jared snorted, amused at the sign of my fear.
The smel of freshly turned earth and dung fil ed my nostrils and I suddenly felt a comforting presence. It was kind of strange, but the alien aura of my dung beetle spirit guide was much more welcoming than any of the humans in the room.
Do not worry, Little One. Your wolf is on his way and
you are much stronger than you think. Did you know that
we dung beetles can roll up to fifty times our own weight?
It is all in the…LEGS!
I reacted instantly, kicking out with a thrust of both legs.
Each heavily booted foot connected with a member of the J-team. Jay and Jared lay sprawled on the floor. I was stil held captive, and Jay and Jared were already pul ing themselves upright, but I felt a surge of hope. I just kicked some jock butt and Cal is on his way to rescue me. I
will
make it out of this alive. I know I wil .
“Thank you,” I whispered.
I hoped that my spirit guide could hear me. She had somehow reached me outside my dreams and given me the courage to continue fighting. I was more grateful than she could ever know.
I would not give up. I refused to give in. Even if Cal didn’t make it here in time, I wouldn’t show fear again. No way was I giving Jay and Jared the satisfaction.
I heard more sounds of struggle in the hal way and wondered if it could be Cal. Most students wouldn’t put up a fight against three members of the footbal team. Those goons ruled the hal s of Wakefield High. Everyone knew it.
It was just easier to accept the beating, or the swirly, and It was just easier to accept the beating, or the swirly, and move on.
Most students would just surrender, but Cal wasn’t most students. I caught a whiff of wet dog smel as Cal strode through the doorway. He looked fierce.
“Take your hands off of her,” Cal growled at the guy behind me.
I felt sweaty, shaking hands release their grip. I think the guy made a pathetic whining sound, but it may have been me. My shoulders screamed in protest and pain surged al the way to my fingertips as the blood returned to my arms and hands. I nearly checked to make sure they weren’t broken, but I couldn’t take my eyes from Cal’s face.
“Yuki,” he exclaimed.
Cal looked elated to find me unharmed. We would have rushed into each other’s arms at that very moment, but the battle wasn’t over. Cal’s face had relaxed with relief, but now his hard look of determination returned. A gleam of feral anger flash in his eyes as he turned to stare down at Jay and Jared.
Cal looked ready to take care of the J-team, but what about the others? Three of my captors may have been incapacitated in the school hal way, but the rest of the footbal team formed a wal of muscle behind me and lined the wal s on both sides. Cal was strong, but he was stil in his human form. His wolf was right at the surface, but transforming was not an option. What good would it do to save ourselves at the expense of the entire pack?
“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Simon said, wagging his finger as he swaggered into the room. “Starting the party without me?
How rude.”
Simon moved with calm, liquid grace, but his scar jumped as his eye twitched with excitement.
I should have known that Cal would have planned ahead. He was the pack alpha and there were those sworn to come to his aid. Simon went to stand at Cal’s right hand and the smel of lavender and honey fil ed the room. The ancestor spirit within my tattoo was responding strongly to his presence.
Interesting.
There was no time to ponder the implications of the spirit’s reaction to Simon. Jay and Jared pul ed themselves to their ful height and looked ready for a fight.
Jay even smirked as he flicked his wrist to wave his thug friends closer. They must stil think they have the advantage.
Their faces fel as five more men filed into the room to flank Cal and Simon. My jaw dropped as Gabriel walked over to stand by Simon. They may have been mortal enemies with unfinished business, but apparently they were wil ing to set their differences aside to defend their alpha. I wouldn’t have thought Gabriel was mature enough to come. His appearance earned instant cool points. Maybe I had been a bit quick to judge him.
I think my jaw plummeted al the way to China when the last guy walked through the door. Gordy stepped up behind Cal and winked at me from over his shoulder. Gordan Avery, my emo hipster friend from Anime Club, was wil ing to face down the footbal team to protect me. I felt a flutter of worry, Gordy was a slender human boy after al , but the feeling of panic was fol owed by a warm sense of belonging.
The J-team tried hard to make people feel bad about themselves and had relegated me as an outcast that could be mistreated and tossed away like trash. Not everyone thought that way. I had friends who cared about me.
Gabriel and the others were werewolves who were probably here only to assist Cal, but there was no doubt in my mind why Gordy was here. He was here for me. Cal and Gordy were both here because they cared about my safety. My heart swel ed so large, it felt like my chest might burst.
“We are taking Yuki out of here,” Cal said. “I suggest you let us go without a fight.”
“Not that we wouldn’t love to dance with you boys,” Simon said.
“Yes, but we’d rather not involve the school faculty,” Cal said.
“We’re not afraid of some old teachers,” Jay sneered.
“I think your teammates would disagree,” I said, pul ing myself up. “Being kicked off
all
sports teams would be a real downer.”
“Dude, she’s right, I think we should go,” Jared said.
“We can always get her later.”
The J-team wasn’t al that tough without backup and right now their backup was getting ready to leave.
“This isn’t over,” Jay said.
Cal and the others cleared a path to the door and Jay and Jared waved their guys to fol ow them out into the hal way. I heard a growl as they walked past, but I’m not sure who it came from. I was just glad when the last jock left the room.
Cal rushed to my side and scooped me up into his arms.
“Can’t breathe,” I gasped.
Werewolf strength could be great,
and kind of hot
, when you needed rescuing, but it could be a little too much at times. This was one of those times.
“Sorry,” Cal said, releasing me. “I thought I lost you.”
“Nope,” I said, grinning. “I’m right here.”
“Ahem,” Gordy said. He was shuffling his feet and staring intently at his Chucks. “Um, Yuki, I better get going.
I grabbed a bathroom pass, but my teacher wil send out a search party if I’m not back soon. You’re okay, right?”
“Yeah, I’m awesome,” I said. “And Gordy? Thanks.”
“Sure,” Gordy said. “Glad you’re okay. See you around.”
Gordy left and Cal squeezed my hand. He seemed to need to reassure himself that I was real y here.
Gabriel and Simon had started shooting each other nasty looks and I wondered if there would be a fight today after al .
“Gabriel, take the others home,” Cal said. “Simon and I can handle things from here.”
Gabriel was pouting, but nodded and headed for the door. I had the feeling that the rivalry between The Brat and Simon was far from over.
“You alright, love?” Simon asked. “You look a bit…
disheveled.”
Only Simon would worry about messy hair after a kidnapping.
“Yeah, a few bruises, but nothing major,” I said, rubbing my shoulder. “I may not be so lucky next time.”
“I got your message to come find you, but why were they holding you here?” Cal asked. “This is going too far, even for the J-team.”
“They’re al convinced that I practice dark magic and that I used a curse to kil Dylan Jacobs,” I said.
I suddenly felt exhausted. How could an entire footbal team be convinced that I was capable of doing something so horrible?
“But why kidnap you?” Cal asked.
“They were trying to force me to reverse the curse,” I said. “They wanted me to bring Dylan back to life.” The smel of motor oil overpowered the lavender and honey smel of the ancestor spirits in the room.
I can’t bring
you back to life, Dylan, but I will try to solve the mystery of
your death.
“The fools seem determined,” Simon said. “May I suggest setting up a perimeter around Yuki’s house?” Cal sighed, but agreed.
“Yes, ask for volunteers to work in shifts,” Cal said.
“Consider it done,” Simon said.