Fade Into Black - Shadows of the Night 5

Chapter 36

Hi,

Okay, I'll admit it. I did it again... This time I'm giving you a heads up, though. Beware, this chapter ends in a cliffhanger!!! Read at your own risk! ;-)

I hope you like this one and thank you all for reading :-)

Lara

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Chapter 36

Somewhere in the distance sirens started wailing. Just a few more minutes and the Force would be here. I wiped my nose with the back of my hand. Then frowned at it. All sticky red.

Blood.

I was shaking, but all I could do was sit there and stare up at the invisible building. Going into second sight was out of the question, but I felt the vibrations in the air nonetheless. I did this.

I might be going into shock.

"What have you done?"

The noise was soft, muffled, as if I had a set of snowball-sized cotton swabs in my ears.

My head whipped around. I spotted a figure on the other side of the street, arms raised, jacket billowing behind him. The walk. The expression on his face as he moved into the shaft of light. His eyes were glinting with the familiar blood-curling sharpness that was dancing on a razor-edged line between lunatic and genius. Salt-and-pepper-hair, graying at his temples.

Raphael Medici.

He was wearing a jacket, similar to mine – the one I stole from him. His was less wrinkled. I wondered what Raphael Medici had in his pockets now. Wondered if I dared use one of the objects I had against him. Wondered if I dare use dark magic against him.

Three rogues were following him like a second set of shadows. I knew all of them.

Who would kill me first?

Medici's hands erupted into electric fissures – Spirit in its most unadulterated form. Deadly.

I raised my hand, palm facing him, feeling for magic. My fingers blurred against Medici's approaching figure, vanishing in elongating shadows that turned and reached for me like greedy fingers.

Just a soft pressure against my fingertips, not enough magic, and Medici was approaching.

I pushed myself on my feet. For a moment the world was spinning. I blinked against it and my vision cleared. I could do this.

I looked up and raised my hand, reaching again for my element. Air particles formed, came to my call, slowly, like unwilling soldiers. Medici was coming closer, behind him the rogues. I had no chance of outrunning them.

Too slow.

I had to finish drawing up my walls of air before they-

Medici grabbed the lapels of my jacket, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Hands pushed against my jacket. The former owner of my jacket pushed against its lapels, trying to pry into its pockets. I pushed against Medici's chest, sending a sphere of compressed air rolling against him. He twisted and staggered back, coming to a halt mere ten feet from me. We stared at each other. The Raven had the clearest brown eyes I'd ever seen on someone dabbling with Spirit.

What if I reached out and used dark magic myself?

"I wouldn't think about that," he said, as if he pulled the thought from my mind. "You know it. I know it. You can't pull out on your own. Without me, you wouldn't be able to stop. Without me you wouldn't survive long enough to stop what's coming."