Fateful Signs (Ballad of the Seer, Book Three)

Chapter 42 - The Battle Begins

It all happened so quickly. Lily didn't have time to react before it was too late. Duncan pushed her out of the path of the red orb, taking the full brunt of the blast. It struck the center of his chest and sank into his body.

        The fabric of his gray Henley wasn't even singed by the blow. Lily rubbed her hands across his chest to make sure it wasn't some kind of trick. There was no evidence that Mia's magic had even affected him. "Haven't you done enough?" Lily shouted at her twin.

        Mia giggled. It was the most malicious sound Lily had ever heard. "I haven't even begun. If you thought losing his memories was bad, just wait 'til you see my next trick."

        "Huh?" Lily looked over at Duncan.

        "Have you already forgotten what putting dark magic into someone does to them?" Mia snapped her fingers and Duncan's eyes shined red before he doubled over. He screamed, clutching at his head. "He just needed to be activated."

        "What are you doing to him?" Lily asked. She laid a hand on his back. He was quivering. Lily looked up at her doppelgänger. "Stop it!"

        Mia's smile morphed into a fearsome scowl. "Kill her." she demanded through gritted teeth.

        When Lily turned her eyes up to look into Duncan's, she was struck with an icy stab through her chest, falling back several steps in disbelief. Her hand covered her mouth, and she shook her head. Duncan's eyes - whites and all - were solid black. A strange dark mist poured from his eye sockets, replacing his green eyes. Dark veins showed through his skin, pulsing with a dark red glow. He looked demonic. His face was hard and cold, showing no sign of the boy that she loved.

        As he raised up his hand, Lily found herself being lifted off the ground. He inched his fingers closer together and the air choked off from her lungs. Her throat tightened. She clawed at her neck, kicking her legs out wildly.

        Jack rushed at Duncan. He dove through the air, meaning to tackle Duncan, to stop him. However, Duncan held his other hand out. With an ease and a deftness for magic that he had never shown before, Duncan flung Jack across the patio into the brick wall of the house. The wall crumbled under the blow. Puffs of orangish brick dust drifted through the air as Jack fell to the ground. The others coughed, waving away the dust.

        It was Jacquelyn and Ms. Birch's turn now. They each held out their hands to use telekinesis on Duncan. Lily was feeling the effects of oxygen deprivation now. She lost her ties to the Source, her body lost its glow. Black spots swam across her vision. Although, she was able to see her mother and teacher get swatted down, as easily as Jack.

        The dark magic infecting Duncan was giving him a serious power boost. She knew from personal experience that the power was intoxicating. Which made it that much harder to fight against it. It was insidious that way. The darkness was a drug that was hard to turn down once you'd had a taste.

        Still, she believed that Duncan was strong enough to fight it. He just had to remember why he was fighting. He needed to remember everything he had. Everything that could be lost because of this evil power.

        Lily tried to connect with his mind but it was blank. His only thought was the command from Mia. That's when Lily realized that this was not what happened to her. Lily had been taken over, but there was always a part of her still there, holding her back. Duncan was being suppressed by Mia's magic. He had no will of his own. He couldn't fight if he wanted to. And he didn't want to. He wasn't conscious enough to want anything.