Water's Reflection or Hero's Guilt

Chapter Fifty-Two

          The door to Whitesands' study blasted open and June immediately dashed forward, passing under the silver chains to stand in between Terrance and her attackers. The palms of her hands filled with power as she prepared for whatever was next. “Come out!” she snarled.

          But as the dust settled, none came through the door; the hallway was empty, and June waited in the room. Terrance's back was turned to the door; he could not see the attack, and awkwardly tried to turn his body as far as the chains would allow.

          “Come out!” June yelled again and a suddenly, the hallway erupted in sound and motion. Black things, sounds of wings and panicked crowing; conjured into existence, an entire flock of ravens came rushing into the room, surprising both June and Terrance. They were many, all racing to the window, flapping and screeching. Some crashed into the glass and fell down to the floor, as Terrance yelled and swayed, trying to fight them off. June let her magic erupt in the room, striking one after the other, disoriented by the moving black mess that surrounded her.

          The window shattered; the birds fled quickly, emptying the room nearly as fast as they had filled it. Plenty of bodies remained strewn across the floor, either burnt or ripped apart entirely in June's rage. Panting, she turned back to the door. “Funny!” she screamed. “Have you got any more tricks?!”

          A booming laugh sounded, low and heavy, coming from every corner of the room. “You want tricks? I invented tricks.” Adam stepped into view, standing in the doorway. But he did not look like himself: his skin had turned pitch black, his arms covered with dark feathers and his hands scaly talons. His face bore a sharp beak and black eyes. He had his arms spread to either side, daring June to attack him.

          “What are you?” June hissed.

          He smiled and, with the low voice that still came from every side, said, “I am Adam Clay, the First Raven. They call me Corvus the Cunning, the Trickster and the Traitor. The Impostor and Illusionist stands before you, June Bailey. And you should do well to fear me.”

          June growled and stepped closer towards Terrance, protecting him. “Fear you?! Ha! No Immortal scares me! I am only getting started and look at what I can do!” Her right hand flashed through the air and she cast a white ball of flames at Adam. He sidestepped and let the Wishflame fly right past him with a chuckle.

          “You should know better than that, June,” he chided her and flicked his wrist. “I know more about you than you realize.”

          She wasn't sure what he was planning until something strange touched her shoulder: she turned around instantly, to find a shade floating behind her, his ribbon arm over her shoulder. A second still held on to Terrance's wrist. He had turned the shackles into this!

          As the frightening phantom slowly reached out for her with his second arm, she instinctively let her fist burn with energy and planted it straight into the being. It dissolved without a sound; she charged over to the second and killed it before it managed to untangle from Terrance. He wanted to say something, but she did not give him the chance. She pushed him away with enough force to send him flying against the desk. Then she turned back to the trickster, who could still see the spark of fear in her eyes. He liked it.