We rush back out into the hallway, only to be confronted by Lukas’s uncle blocking our path. His face is twisted in anger, and unlike his sister, he clearly has no reservations about attacking Lukas, or me, for that matter. Before I can even process the threat, a huge blast of something dark surges towards us. I react instinctively, throwing up a magical barrier with all the speed I can manage. The spell appears just in time, stopping the blast. For a moment, I feel a surge of relief, but it’s short lived. The barrier shatters like glass, splintering into an oddly pretty array of useless sparkles. My defenses have never been my strong suit, holding a barrier takes more focus than I can sustain for long. The grumpy older man advances, his steps heavy with his anger. Meanwhile I am starting to feel really very sluggish, but I refuse to give in to the exhaustion creeping through me. With a burst of determination, I summon another blast of magic and hurl it straight at him. The impact sends him staggering back into the wall, though I can tell it’s not as powerful as my earlier strikes because he is already getting back to his feet. Whatever magic I have left is running out.
“Let’s go!” Lukas urges, gripping my hand tightly. His urgency snaps me out of my daydreaming, and we bolt past his uncle while he’s still recovering.
“I’m parked over there.” I manage to say between gasps for air, pointing towards my car as we sprint. My legs feel heavier with every step, and it’s becoming harder to keep up. I stumble over my own feet, dragging behind Lukas despite his firm grip on my hand.
“Are you okay?” He asks, his concern clear in his tone.
“I’m fine.” I answer breathlessly, though I’m not completely sure it’s true.
*I’m just tired. Not sure I can manage another spell like that. We need to get out of here fast. Also, you should probably drive.* I add mentally, saving my breath. My head throbs after that last spell, a dull, pounding ache behind my eyes that’s impossible to ignore. Lukas nods, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze as I dig my car keys out of my pocket… And then I immediately fumble them.
“Shit!” I curse, coming to a sudden stop and yanking Lukas back with me. The keys tumble to the ground, glinting mockingly in the sunlight. Lukas doesn’t hesitate. He stoops quickly, scooping them up before I even have a chance to bend down.
“Keep moving!” He says, urgency thick in his voice. We reach my car, and relief floods through me as Lukas releases my hand to circle around to the driver’s seat. My lungs burn, and my legs threaten to give out. But just as I think we’re safe, I hear a sharp, whistling sound cutting through the air. I spin around just in time to see Lukas’s mother, her expression cold and furious, hurling a crackling orb of magic directly at… Me. There’s no time to think I just react. Panic surges through me, and I do the first impulsive thing that comes to mind. I throw every last bit of magic I have at the projectile, a desperate, uncoordinated blast meant to counter hers somehow. The two spells collide with an ear splitting crash. A huge flash of light blinds me instantly, and I feel myself collapsing as darkness edges into my vision.
All of a sudden, Lukas’s arms loop under mine, tugging me to my feet. I barely register the movement before I collapse straight into him, my legs giving out entirely. I’m not sure if I’m even holding myself up at this point, he’s supporting nearly all my weight. My body feels like a sack of bricks, and my head is spinning like I’m drunk or drugged. Or maybe I’m just that tired.
“Clare, we need to run.” Lukas says, his voice steady and calm, way calmer than it has any right to be. That’s odd. Shouldn’t he sound panicked right now? I try to focus, but even my thoughts feel sluggish. I let him drag me along, my feet barely managing to shuffle as he half carries me down the street. My confusion spikes as I notice we’re moving away from my car.
*My car…* I can’t quite form the thought but Lukas gets the point.
“Clare… Your car is on fire.” Lukas says slowly, his tone measured, like he’s trying to make sure I understand every word. I blink. My car? That doesn’t make sense. I stop dead in my tracks, staring blankly at nothing as his words sink in. Then it hits me. Oh. Oh no. The spells, one of them must have hit my car. The realization sinks into my chest like a weight. My poor car. I loved that car. Is it weird that I suddenly want to just collapse and cry?
“Hey, no. We’ve got to keep going.” Lukas says softly, his voice pulling me out of my spiral temporarily. He adjusts his grip, pulling me tighter against his side and taking on even more of my weight. I manage a few more stumbling steps, but let’s be honest, he’s basically carrying me at this point. My legs feel like jelly, my head like a balloon that is filled with helium, but like way too much of it so I’m dazed and in pain. I can barely register what’s happening around me, but the sound of yelling and pounding footsteps from behind finally draws my attention, probably much slower than it should have. Smoke stings my nose, and I realise that yeah, I can smell my car burning. My chest tightens, and I’m also suddenly extremely grateful that Roxy isn’t with us. But still, we’re in deep trouble. I can’t even walk properly, and the people chasing us are gaining fast. My car’s fiery death might have bought us a few precious seconds, but it’s not going to last.
“Stop right there!” Lukas’s uncle bellows from behind, his voice echoing. Why even bother? It’s not like we’re going to listen. We don’t stop. Of course, we don’t stop. Lukas keeps dragging me forward, though it’s painfully clear that we’re running out of options. If the guy attacks again, I’m toast. There’s no magic left in me, I’m spent, drained, running on fumes. All I want to do is collapse onto the sidewalk and sleep for a million years. Hey, maybe by the time I wake up, all our enemies will have conveniently died of old age or something. But then I think of Princess. Who would feed my cat? Okay, new plan, I think to myself. I sleep for a week, and Lukas feeds Princess for a few days. He owes me that much at least, right? Except… we’re not getting out of this, are we? I knew I should’ve come up with a better plan. I mean, not that I expected my car to literally explode, but still. Using magic out on the street like this? That’s risky as hell. I hope any humans around just assume it was some freak car malfunction. Or maybe stray fireworks. Humans are great at inventing explanations for things they don’t understand. I don’t even want to think about how they’re going to explain away two people being snatched off the street. Assuming they leave me alive, that is. Lukas’s grip on me tightens like he’s bracing for something, and it’s only then that I realise he’s probably been listening to my mental rambling this whole time.
*Sorry you’re stuck listening to this.* I tell him silently. *But hey, if we’re screwed anyway, you should just leave me here and make a run for it. It’s the logical choice.* I don’t really WANT to be left behind, but I don’t think I’d blame him if he did. After all, I’m dead weight at this point.
“You’re being stupid.” Lukas snaps, though his calm tone from earlier is gone. Now he just sounds annoyed, and maybe a little scared. Great. I managed to freak him out. Good job, Clare.