Lynn (Book One of the Lynn Saga)

Chapter Sixteen

Daniel screamed.

I opened my eyes, surprised that I hadn't died. Instead, I was still in the fake realm, lying on the cool grass.

"No, no, no, no, no!" he stammered, backing up into many tree trunks, holding his left hand in the other. It was beginning to fade away, slowly vanishing into thin air.

I asked, "Daniel? What's happening?!"

But Daniel just kept screaming and calling for help. In seconds, three of his fingers had disappeared. Now the strange magic was working on his index finger and thumb, which were also starting to disappear.

"NO!!!" He began to try to use magic on his hand, trying to fix it. He pulled out potions from his pockets, drinking them all up. Nothing seemed to work, so he placed his other hand over the vanishing one, concentrating of healing it.

But he kept fading.

I ran over to him. "Why are you fading? Daniel, tell me!"

He didn't answer. Instead, Daniel kept screaming and muttering things to himself, his gaze glued to his fading hand.

I repeated my question. "What's happening, Daniel?! Why are you... disappearing?"

Finally, Daniel spoke. "When I cast that spell on you to die, it worked. But when I tried to take your blood, the potion did this to me! It-it knows! Knows I don't want to live without you! So, instead of me killing you, it wants me to die and for you to prosper!" He gasped as his finger and half his thumb were gone.

I gasped. "How did the potion do this to you?"

Daniel answered, "that potion is in your blood, your magical blood. And when I tried to take your magical blood, the potion reacted and..." He nodded towards his fading hand, which was now almost finishes. It was spreading up to his wrist.

I began to step forward, but Daniel merely said, "no! Don't try to help me! Do you know what this is? It's the Blood Curse's Curse. I tried to cast the Blood Curse on you and take your blood, but since it backfired, I am fading away. I'm dying, Lynn."

Now it was spreading up to his elbow, everything below that already gone.

Attempting to help him again, he roared, "NO!"

I leaped back in surprise, almost running into another tree.

Then I realized why Daniel didn't want me near him. The Blood Curse's Curse is contagious! Of course! I remembered. If anyone is near the victim, it can easily spread to them and they will disappear!

I decided to stop trying to help him, if that was what he wanted.

Daniel said quietly, "just... ring the bell and leave." He groaned as his shoulder started to disappear and the curse spread to his neck and chest.

Not wanting to waste time and argue, I took the bell from my pocket and rang it.

Instead of making a sound, it was silent, like I wasn't ringing the bell at all.

I then realized that it wasn't just the bell that was silent, but everything around me was, too! I couldn't hear Daniel's screams as his other arm had disappeared and his legs were beginning to vanish.

The last thing I saw before teleporting out of the fake realm was Daniel's terrified face, which was now the only thing left on his body, fading away...