Fateful Signs (Ballad of the Seer, Book Three)

Chapter 17 - Under Attack

Upon setting foot back in the present, Lily found herself in the midst of a brawl. A dozen or so guardians were attacking. Tally was trying to fend them off, sending waves of telekinetic energy to keep them back. The man from earlier - Robert - swept his hand out, flinging a desk across the room. It crashed in front of the guardians; they had to dive to avoid the debris. Duncan, meanwhile, hurled things across the room, using what little power he had left to propel them further and faster. She understood how he had gotten all of those baseball trophies now. The stapler he threw struck a man directly between the eyes.

In retaliation, the guardian sent a small filing cabinet hurtling toward Duncan. He ducked, covering his head with his arms, but there was no way it would miss him. Lily threw out her hands, stopping it in midair. Duncan looked around, confused as to why he hadn't been maimed yet. He wore a surprised smile when he laid eyes on her. "Thanks," he said.

Lily sent a pulse of energy, throwing the filing cabinet back toward its sender. The man barely managed to get out of the way before the cabinet tore a hole through the wall behind him. "No problem." she said. She moved to crouch beside him. A desk provided some cover from the battle being waged around them. "So, what's new?"

Duncan chuckled. He seemed both amazed and amused at her ability to make light of the situation. "Baby, you picked a hell of a time to return."

"I didn't have much of a choice." Lily peeked over the top of the desk. Tally and Robert were still fighting the guardians. Lily lifted her hand and sent a random blast of energy that broke a window behind the guardians.

There was a loud crash, and Tally landed on the floor near them. She was bleeding from a gash on her forehead. It wasn't life threatening, but it was deep enough that it would probably leave a scar. She wiped the back of her hand across her face, to clear away the blood that had dripped down around her right eye. She pushed herself up and moved to kneel beside them, as Robert continued his singlehanded assault on the guardians. "You two need to get out of here." Tally told them.

"We can't leave you." Lily said.

"Yes, you can. And I'm telling you to." Tally's eyes jerked up as another loud bang sounded. "I swore to Lucy that I wouldn't let anything happen to you. Don't make me a liar."

"How are we even supposed to get out of here?" Duncan asked.

Lily couldn't believe that he would even consider leaving them behind. They would surely get captured.

In his mind, Lily saw that he was worried about her. She was his only concern. He knew the fate that awaited her if she were caught again.

"Use the portal." Tally said.

"But it's directional." Lily said, as if Tally had forgotten. "It won't do us any good."

"Remove the key from the door. That's the only thing keeping it locked onto that specific place and time." Tally explained. "Also, it's very important that you take the key with you when you go. It will allow you to open the portal to Lucy anywhere. That means, if Camilla gets the key..."

"She gets Gran." Lily finished for her. With the threat of that, Lily knew what had to be done. She couldn't allow Camilla to get to Gran. There was no knowing what Camilla might do. Especially with Gran in the past. If she died there, no one would ever know what happened. Camilla could get away free and clear, with control of the Council.

"Yes," Tally replied. "So, go. And try not to get yourselves killed."

Lily nodded. "Okay. Just, I don't know, be careful... or something."