Magix

Chapter 9: Evils

"Wait, how are you here?" David stepped forward, blocking our view of Ju.

"I ran," came his cocky reply, and though I couldn't see his face I could just imagine that smirk he would have on his face, "now move aside."

He brushed past David and stood right in front of me, his dark eyes studying my own.

I felt my cheeks heat up.

"Okay children, I'm guessing that's my cue to leave," Zach gave us all a nod, "I wish you all the best of luck on your mission."

Within seconds he disappeared behind the magic barrier.

"Ju, how's the professor?" I ask him when he turns his attention back to me.

"Same old, same old," he then flashed me a brilliant smile, "came here to make sure his efforts don't go to waste."

"Of course they won't go to waste," David scoffed back.

"Really, David boy? Last time we talked you were going on about how you didn't want anything to do with this curse."

"David boy?" David let out a single laugh, his voice incredulous, "well, Julie, maybe I was a bit overwhelmed at the time"

I glance at Misty in exasperation then turn back at the two boys sizing each other up, "guys, this really isn't the time nor place," I prompt, but neither of them acknowledge me.

A dark shadow flitted past my peripheral, but when I turned to search for the source it was gone. A cloud of dust rising where it had just been.

"Look here, what really is your problem with me?" Ju, nearly a head taller than David, circled around him.

"I don't trust you," David retorted, crossing his arms over his chest, "you nearly killed us just yesterday, man."

Ju stopped and frowned at him, "we can't really control what we do once we're in wolf form."

David continued glaring at him but didn't respond.

I saw the shadow again but this time I could still see it lingering behind a spindly tree in the distance. I squinted at it.

"Guys?" I call out to them, but they continued giving eachother a death stare.

The shadow crawled out from behind the tree and then I saw it clearly.

I first noticed its long boney ash-gray arms and legs. I blinked and suddenly it was behind a tree only a few feet away from me.

"Guys!" I scream this time, staring at the gaping maw of the creature.

It's small but sharp looking teeth were a rotten yellow, it's sunken eyes an abyss of white. The creature's body was gnarled, a twist of muscle, sinnew, and bone.

I heard my friends shuffle behind me, a hand grabbed my shoulder and swiftly pulled me back.

"Okay, I got this," Misty says stepping forward. She raises both hands, golden smoke spilling from them.

A split second later the creature is on top of her and a scream pierces through the air. It was Misty's.

Impulsively, with my heart thundering, I step forward and attempt to push the creature off of my sister, but the heat of its body burned my hands. It nestled closer into her and smoke started rising around them.

Misty kicked the creature hard enough in its abdomen that it was pushed off of her and then Ju lunged at it, driving a short knife into it's neck.

The creature let out a haunting wail until it's body melted into smoke that blew away with the wind.