Do As I Say

Chapter Ten

A sudden flash and the book flew across the room. Cree bolted for it but Nix was right there. She shoved a tall pile of books into his path. Cree seized the opportunity and grabbed the book, then stumbling back to where Jules stood, guarding the door.

"Give that back!" Nix appeared again, this time in full form. His cheekbones were horribly sunken in, his eyes; bloodshot and dead, his skin seemed to be stretched even thinner than usual. And his hands, covered by fingerless gloves. They were a lush violet with an illustration crudely drawn on them. Cree recognized it immediately as the staff with a child's head sitting on it.

"Watch out he's using black -" Thimble wailed from in between two stacks of clothes. But Jules was already sent spinning towards the closet.

"Give it to me, NOW!" Nix growled and charged towards Cree.

"Back off!" She screamed and her force shoved him to the window. He grabbed onto the wall at the last second and caught himself. Fear was now working its way into his heart, Cree could feel it.

"You don't get it!" Nix cried. He stumbled away from the window. Cree whipped force after force onto him but he kept getting up. "I need that book!"

"No you don't! Nix, just stop!" Cree belted out another order at him. Nix stuck out his hands this time, and the shock was absorbed by the gloves.

"I CAN'T!" He screamed. Wind began to stir in the dorm, a brewing tornado.

Jules got to his feet and swung at Nix. With a shout, Nix sent a bolt of lightning at him. Jules was blasted into the closet. Nix slammed the door shut.

Books had begun to topple over, dust stirring in the room, and the blinds fluttered madly. Cree shakily backed up towards the door.

"Don't do this, Nix," She yelled over the wind.

"Please, Cree!" He howled, hands reaching for her. "Give me the book."

"Stay BACK!" Cree shouted and a force field formed around her. It deterred Nix, but only for a moment.

"Please," He whimpered.

"No," Cree felt her spine curve against the door. She held onto the book with all her might, but she could feel the wind tugging it from her grasp.

Nix stood still. His mouth curved back into a flat line, and his eyes grew deadly. He extended his arms and the wind picked up, sending papers and objects tumbling about the room. Thimble's cries couldn't be heard over the storm. Nix stalked toward Cree, black light stemming from the gloves.

Nix cut through the force field and Cree's jaw unhinged in shock. He hit Cree with a blast of magic and she cracked her skull against the door. She reached for the knob, but it was too late. Nix stole the book and sent another crack of lightning at her.

"NO!" Cree shouted and pain scored through her. She hissed in agony as electricity tore through her veins.

With a wave of his hand, Nix vanished. The door whipped open and Cree fell to the floor, blood bubbling up in her throat. She lay on the ground with coppery liquid spurting from her mouth. The bastard must have put some kind of bleeding spell on her before he left. Cree rose to her feet.

"Maybe he's still..." She coughed and vomited.

The closet door swung open and Jules crawled out of it, plaster showering onto the floor. "No, Cree," He croaked, standing up shakily. "He's gone."

"Where...?" She scanned the room.

"Right here," Thimble said. He rose from beneath a pile of clothes and books, his eyes wide.