Spellcaster series #5: The Sage

Hunters Will Be Hunted

HEIDI

The school had gone up in flames and several bodies were recovered—Principal Amelia, a maintenance man and a passer-by who tried to save them. The streets surrounding the building were littered with uniformed men and women from the police and fire departments. On-lookers crowded behind the police tape, ignoring the officer's commands that bellowed through the megaphone.

"This is Tristan, leave a message." Was all I got. He hadn't been answering my calls.

Captain Bells and I shouldered our way through the crowd to the barricades.

"Ma'am, you can't be here!" A policeman ordered.

"I need to know if my family—"

Bells flashed her badge. "She's with me."

"I'm sorry, Captain, but we need this area cleared. It's too dangerous," he explained.

My heart was beginning to race. "My family! I need to know—"

"We need a ladder over here!" A policewoman cried at the firemen from the side of the building.

Thick plumes of black smoke escaped from the window of the second storey. On the ledge, a young girl clung onto it for dear life. I felt my heart in my throat when I recognised her.

"Ada!"

I pushed my way out of the crowd and raced towards her. Bells followed me, barking at everyone to get out of the way. A fireman climbed the ladder and took her into his arms. When they descended, she reached out to me and I held her tight. She bawled into my shoulder.

"I'm here, Ada, mummy's here," I whispered into her hair, her face in my neck.

Sobbing, she pulled away from me and held out her hand. She unclenched her fist to reveal a red gem that looked awfully familiar—like the Sage's ruby that I had retrieved from the dark Sage the night before.

"Ada?" I took it from her palm. "Where did you get this? Where's daddy?"

She couldn't speak. Her lips quivered and her tears spilled.

"Heidi?" A voice called from behind.

Bells took a look at Ada with a Spellcaster Scout with her. We sat her on a stretcher at the back of an ambulance. The Scout placed a hand onto Ada's forehead and began healing her. Bells turned to the crowd to dismiss them. I headed back to the window where they found her. Bells tugged my arm.

"What are you doing, Danielson?"

Smoke and flames were all I could see. No sign of Tristan. I shut my eyes and channeled his energy inside me to feel for him.

"He's on the second floor," I said, opening my eyes. "I'm going in."

Bells yanked my shoulder to face her. Her brown eyes darted back and forth wildly. "You go in there and there's a chance your daughter becomes an orphan. But if you stay here, at least—"

"At least what?" I raised my voice, challenging her in my frantic tone.

A deafening explosion blasted from the second floor, raging fires continuing to consume everything they touched. I threw my hands to my face instinctively before recovering. My energy was still swirling in me.

The aura I felt vanished. No more Tristan. Nothing.

* * *

I sat by the window, eyes on the backyard where my mother-in-law planted her garden. She had insisted to share my bed with me and Ada. Ada had also been sleeping with her father's ruby clenched in her palm night after night. Two weeks passed and no news from the authorities about Tristan's body. Not even a strand of hair.