▶ Touching The Wind (Roaming Alchemists/ Book Two)

Chapter Five

Chapter Five.

Casey extended her hands as she felt her way across the walls, they were wet. As if someone had poured water down them.

Her breath caught when she felt something wet and warm. “Sera!” She yelled, Sera stepped forwards and clapped her hands together, creating a warm glow that engulfed the passage. Mounted on the wall was an old fashioned light, the candle had melted, but the flame blazed on above it, the hovering, flickering flame hovered and then when Sera shook her head, went out. 

Casey looked amazed. 

“I’ll never get over how easily you can control fire,” She said softly, almost a whisper. 

Finally, there was movement ahead. 

Sera burst into a sprint, Casey and Hunter were the only people able to keep up with her, they chased the fleeting figure through the passages of the dank underground, when there was a sudden stop, the figure was dressed all in black, Sera moved her hand forward, to make him more visible in the light. Yet, by the time the light had touched him, he had disappeared. 

“Where’d it go!” Hunter yelled, voice serious and commanding answers. Casey almost swooned right there, but Sera made sure she held her up.  Ethan and Jason, still fighting like children stood up to look around where Sera was looking. When Jason fell flat on his back. 

The group looked at him, “What happened! Are you OK?” Sera yelled. 

He rubbed the back of his head, “I don’t know, yeah, I’m fine.” 

Then Ethan ran straight to Sera, his heart hammering so loud she could feel it, “Too dangerous, we have to leave.”

“What?” Casey asked.

“Don’t talk, human. Pepper, we must go.” 

“Pepper? Ethan, it’s me.” 

He shrugged, “Doesn’t matter, we must leave, now!” Sera didn’t notice until now that his eyes were darkening. 

“Ethan,” She slapped his face lightly, “Snap out of it, now is not the time to be going dark-side on me.” 

He growled, grabbing her hand, She felt the power start to grow, and it surged and bubbled inside her. He said nothing, “Jason!” She yelled. 

She looked over Ethan’s shoulder, Jason stood watching. Standing there with his arms crossed, like it was a test. She growled at Ethan, she knew it was a test. But his touch was making her whole body shudder. 

“Why?” She asked, accidentally filling her voice with too much venom. It made Ethan smile a little. 

“The people you are looking are stronger then dark magic, much. Two are here.”

“Two!” Casey yelled, earning a glare. 

“Yes, 73,” he smiled a little, “And 23.” 

“What do the numbers mean?” Sera asked him, it was an odd question but it just popped into her head. 

“Kiss me and then I’ll tell you.” 

It was tempting, but she caught the look on Jason’s shocked face and stepped back, getting Ethan’s hands off her, “Oh, right,” Ethan said with a cocky grin, “You’re still in love with the cripple Alchemist, when you find out the truth, that will change.” 

Sera stepped back again, feeling that fleeting darkness. She felt weaker and more susceptible to strikes with every movement away from Ethan. 

He looked amused as she felt something hard wrap around her waist, she elbowed where the face would’ve been if the man was visible and it choked, she turned around, amazed she could see nothing and punched aimlessly into the air.