Bewitching Jolene (Book 3) Jacobs Broken Mercenaries

chapter 6

Jolene

I want to call Mathilda and relay everything to her, but that would be the end of my life here, and I’ve worked way too hard to be yanked away now. She would panic, and I would be home under her wing within the hour. Never to leave her sight again.

My first thought is they’re crazy and I should avoid them at all costs, but pieces of me can find flaws in that statement. I think that’s why I rejected the whole thing so harshly. For one; they appeared to be sane, and with Mathilda’s repetitive stories, A.K.A. warnings of creatures not from this world. Well, it’s safe to say a small part of me can buy what they’re selling.

Proof, that’s what it's going to take. Seeing those things with my own eyes. Then again, if these creatures truly look like the ones in that book. I don’t want to be anywhere near them. Even in my worst nightmare, my subconscious couldn’t conjure up anything near that frightful.

It's obvious the overuse of magic is taking its toll on me. I can’t focus on one thought alone, and I’m stumbling up the steps. All I want to do is forget about everything and sleep, but I know when I close my eyes, my mind is going into overdrive…

The light of day brings more confusion and a splitting headache. I don’t feel like going to my classes today. I’m not even sure I can. Every muscle aches, I’m nauseous, and I still don’t have a plan. Those guys aren’t going away. If I keep using magic, they’ll be back. What if there are worse things out there? It makes me hesitant to do any more spells until I’m sure it's a hoax.

There’s a knock on my door. What the hell? It’s seven. Who would be at my door this early? Wiping the sleep from my eyes, I open up to see my favorite professor standing there. Concern is written all over her expression.

“Are you alright, Ms. Rivers? You haven’t been to any of your classes today.”

Panic spreads goosebumps all over my skin, and my heart races. I snap my head back to the cheap digital table clock, and sure enough, the top left circle is glowing. Keeping my composure, I turn back to Professor Shills.

“Sorry, I was supposed to call, but I was feeling so terrible. I fell back to sleep.”

She looks me over, and I swear she stopped herself from checking my forehead.

“How do you feel now?” she asks.

Her concern is touching, and I can’t help but crack a genuine smile.

“Much better. I’ll be back in class tomorrow. It's probably just a bug.”

Satisfied with my answer, she leaves, telling me to get rest. When she's gone, I give in to the panic. I’ve never slept through the day before; the realization is hard to shake. I use the facilities and catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. What I see is a little shocking. I stare back at the zombie reflected before me.

“Whoa, are you feeling alright?”

A woman stands behind me with a towel and shower bag, eyeing me with concern.

“Fine, thanks.” I tell her.

But I’m not fine, I feel off. Like something is internally wrong. Returning to my room, I rifle through my makeup, which is severely deficient. I use what I can to improve my condition and go straight to the coffee shop.

Two coffees and a cinnamon bun later, the shakes are gone, but my nausea is still going strong. On top of everything, I begin to get the feeling I’m being watched. This time, I don’t brush it off. Covertly, I look around under my hand. Whoever it is, isn’t in here.

Outside is a bit sparser, and I can pinpoint the eyes following me. It’s the only spot that makes sense, too. There’s a heavily treed area in the park adjacent to the coffee shop. I head out in the open, hoping to draw my follower from their cover. I’ve got a pretty good idea of who it is, but I can't be sure. There’s one thing I took for granted in my little plan… magic.

“Stay still, or it will be the last step you take.”

The words come out off, and the sounds drawn out. It's not someone at my back. It’s something! My eyes dart around in the empty alley, a putrid smell enters my nose, and I instantly gag. It’s bright, and the area is busy. How could there be no one around? Whatever is behind me begins to ease closer. Self-defense kicks in, and I evoke my magic… nothing happens. Oh no! This has never happened before. There’s no fighting the fear that seizes me. It takes over killing any chance I have at coherent thought.

“I’ll bind her. You create a portal.”

Oh, no! Theres two and something odd about the way they talk, like a bad lisp. Wait, he said bind. Oh shit! I take off at a dead run. Three steps. That’s all I get before my feet are yanked from underneath me. I fall hard and dumb, not protecting myself at all, and take a hit to my solar plexus, knocking the wind from my lungs. A heavy weight comes down on me, making it impossible to regain my air. An unmistakable slithering sound invades my ear as I struggle to breathe.

“Where do you think you're going? Witch!”

Wetness coats my neck and face. The putrid smell increases tenfold, and something rolls awkwardly in front of me. I peek through my non-coated eye and scream at the top of my lungs. A severed head lies on the ground. It’s not just any head, but one with sickly green skin oozing from pustules, its reptilian eyes staring lifelessly back at me.