Something Wicked This Way Comes

Chapter 40

Jim tackled Harley to the ground, being careful to cradle his head from the impact. There was another crashing sound, then an indignant howl from one of the dinosaurs. Harley was breathing hard. The stones cracked when he touched them.

Jim cursed in Trollish, hauling Harley as far back as he could from the fight, wrapping his arms tightly around the younger teen's chest. "Harley, I need you to calm down."

His shoulders trembled. Jim could feel raw dark energy bleeding from him. The ground trembled, splitting at his feet instead. The spinosaurus was still trying to get to them, only not because Mama kept knocking it back down.

"Harley!" Jim shouted, desperate for a way to stop him. "Kid, come on, please!"

Harley took in a deep, shuddering breath, then let it out slowly. The ground stopped trembling, the cracks stopped spreading. But the spinosaurus was still intent on eating them.

Mama gave it a good kick to the ribs, sending it halfway across the courtyard. She bellowed in its face again, the roar near deafening. The spinosaurus picked itself up, then scurried back into the jungle, tail between its legs. She turned to them, eyes conveying one of the most sympathetic looks Jim had ever gotten.

"We're okay," Jim assured Dino Mom, helping Harley to his feet. He gently got on the kid's eye level. He didn't like the distant look in his eyes, but there were no shadows clouding them, and he looked more aware. "Are you okay?"

Harley took in another shuddering breath, just barely making a shake of his head. "I'm... I'm so sorry, Jim." He sniffed, wiping at the tears that had gathered in his eyes. "I didn't even— I wasn't trying to—"

"Hey," Jim interrupted, holding his shoulders firmly. "It's okay. No harm done.

Harley cast a bewildered look at the trampled courtyard. "No harm done?"

Jim winced, but then tried for a smile. "Nobody's perfect, Harley. And I really meant that nobody died."

Harley sighed. "I guess."

Jim shook his head, getting to his feet. He looked around the courtyard, mind racing. "What did it want?"

"I wish I knew..."

Jim put his arm around Harley's shoulders, intending to lead him back inside. "Come on, you're still on bed rest."

He frowned. "I feel fine."

"Your nose is bleeding."

He blinked, surprised, then seemed to notice Jim wasn't lying. He quickly wiped the blood away.

Jim chuckled. "You're fast. I almost couldn't catch up with you, and I've been doing what some would consider "Troll cardio" since I was sixteen."

Harley gave a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Thanks?"

Just as they were turning back to the door they'd come through, they saw three wizards standing there, clustered in the frame. Douxie was watching them with his signature anxiety-riddled gaze, but Antigone and Claire were staring at the dinosaur.

"What," Claire whispered. "The fuck?"

***

The sea boiled, a ship rising from the depths in a torrent of dark sea water. Standing on the prow, spear in her hand, smirking like the douche-bag prick she was, was his sister. Daisy Jones, come to haunt him from the depths.

"Brother!" Daisy called, stepping onto the railing of her ship, leaning out and holding onto a rope that was attached to the mast. She grinned at him. It was not a nice grin. "Come to finally pay for your crime?"