I blinked, wiping sweat out of my eye. What had just happened? Where was Kelly? Had someone evaporated her?
I didn’t feel magic, but one second she was there, then she was gone.
But I didn’t have time to think as Bri turned tail and ran, escaping by the closest door leading outside. Dyslexia remained stock still, not attacking, not helping, and sure as hell not watching out for her team.
Bitsi lunged to her feet, releasing a bellow and leaving me sprawled on the floor.
Vaughn threw herself forward in a rolling dive, aiming for the shifter’s legs, but Bitsi was too quick, side stepping our team leader and leaping toward Vaughn’s partner who skittered backwards. Toward me.
I was scrambling to my feet, getting out of the way of the train wreck barreling down on me when Bitsi stumbled and tripped, face planting forward across the gym floor, fetching up right in front of me.
Thank the Great Spirits for small favors. I dived for her back; the goal to immobilize her. That’s all. If I could hold on and press down she might be out of the fray.
But even as I clawed for a good handhold I felt it. Magic flew across me, raining down, jamming my movements, as if I’d suddenly lost all muscle control.
Bitsi twisted, flipping me on my back, smashing her elbow into my gut, snarling inches from my face.
I could see the magic was impacting her, too. Like a rain dousing everyone in the vicinity, only Bitsi’s response was to shift. White rimmed her eyes as her nose started to morph, her hands lengthening, her bones crunching.
And I was beneath her.
Every instinct screamed flee, but she had me pinned down so well escape wasn’t an option. Neither was doing nothing. So what was a third option?
Through a bone-dry mouth I started chanting a wolfbane spell. The only protection spell that came to mind.
“Protection bring, guide, and hold. Moon called and cursed, evil and threat cease. Protect from harm and bane, cast off dark of night to light of day.”
But it wasn’t working. First no muscle-control, now no spell ability? What the hell was going on?
Slobber dripped from Bitsi’s snarling mouth, her nose elongating into a snout, her teeth growing jagged.
Shifting was not easy and pain brought disorientation. Someone was forcing her to change and if she completed the transformation, we were all dead.
Only very well trained or very old and experienced shifters could retain enough of their humanity once they became their base animals not to be an immediate threat to humans. All other shifters became hunters, with humans as the prey.
If I couldn’t protect myself from her, maybe I could block the waves of magic sweeping over us.
I had no charms, no herbs, no salt, but I had my words.
“Heed and hail, gifts of the witch. Come hither! Come hither! Bind and bound, cease and wither. Go forth! Go forth! Swirl and sweep as wind to night. Be gone! Be gone!”
The magic stuttered, not gone but slowed.
Whomever was casting was strong or had extra help. Plus I could taste that they were practicing black magic. To counter it I needed black magic.
But last time I’d used that power I’d killed a man. Not intentionally. Here? I could kill Vaughn, or Kelly, if she was still around.
Shoulders biting into the floor, fear-driven sweat soaked my skin.
Vaughn shouted orders for the rest of my team to pounce, but I raised my hand, stopping her. If the other teammates attacked we’d all die. Bitsi was struggling against the magic, but if rushed her shifter self would respond.
I closed my eyes, the easier to concentrate on what I needed to do. Biting my lip to cut back the scream I knew was to come, I thrust my left hand deep into Bitsi’s gaping jaws.
She snapped, lowering her jaw. Hyenas were known as bone-crushers for a reason, but as long as I could keep my fist and arm angled straight on into her mouth and acting as a wedge in her throat I hoped to minimize the carnage. If my arm shifted, I’d lose my hand in a heartbeat.
My whole body arched as teeth ripped into my flesh, pain roaring through me.
But I got what I wanted. Blood. Human blood.
With my other hand I gripped beneath Bitsi’s neck, causing her to shake her head to end my pinching her throat muscles. The goal was to get her to release my hand.
The taste of my blood in her mouth worked against me. Like teasing a wild animal with the drippings from raw steak, she wouldn’t be satisfied until she gorged herself on fresh meat. And what were humans except raw meat?
It felt like a million years before I could yank my raw and mangled hand free.
I only had seconds to do what I hoped would counter the magic pulsing around all of us.
Sweeping my mangled hand above my head to touch the floor and in as wide an arc as possible, I smeared my blood against the floor.
A full circle would work better, but I couldn’t reach that far. As it was pain whipped through me, draining me as I needed all my focus on survival. If I didn’t live, the others would die.
Bitsi’s eyes went red.
Blood lust.
I started the chant, my voice so wobbly it was almost indistinguishable from a whimper.
“Blood to blood,”
I brushed my bleeding hand against the floor, blind to whether the move was working or not.
“I call thee forth. Heed and hail, gifts of the witch.”
Out of the corner of my eye I noticed movement, but ignored it. Ignored also the screams coming from Chiquita’s team.
Rolf must be shifting, too.
I started again.
“Blood to call. Blood to bind. Come hither! Come hither! Bind and bound, cease and wither.”
Then I noticed what was happening beside me on the floor. A wavy line appeared, as if someone was finger painting in my blood.
Not painting but extending the line.
“Blood calls. Blood compels. Go forth! Go forth! Swirl and sweep. Wind to night, right to right.”
The circle extended in a full arc on my left side from my head to my hip. A pause, then it started appearing on my right. The fuller the circle, the stronger the spell.
“Power be. Power rend. Reverse the flow. Halt the send.”
Like a rubber band snapping, the magic flow stopped.
But it was too late.