Magicae

Chapter 45: Not Again

Juliette rushed forward as Alex fell from his spot several feet in the air. "Is he okay?"

"I—" Justin started. "I think he's not evil anymore, if that's what you mean, but I don't know if the fall would have hurt him. Um—"

"We need to get both him and Penny out of the woods," Juliette said. "They both might have concussions, and Alex might have broken a bone."

"If you come with me—" Mrs. Proditor interrupted, but both Juliette and Justin whirled on her, Justin beating Juliette to the punch.

"No. Leave us alone. We're not going to join you."

"Justin, you can't escape your family. You're bound to end up like me." The friendly teacher facade was gone, replaced with the true evil beneath.

But Justin didn't back down. "No. I choose not to join you, and I choose my friends over you. So don't even try to get me to come with you, or any of us. Because we never will."

Mrs. Proditor's eyes blazed, and for a moment Juliette thought she might attack them. Juliette closed her eyes and braced herself.

But when she opened them, Mrs. Proditor was gone.

And good riddance, Juliette thought. Penny seemed to feel the same, murmuring in a barely audible voice, "She really pulled a Mrs. Dodds on us, huh?"

"Yeah," Juliette agreed. To Justin, she asked, "How are we going to get out of here? We're really deep in the trees, and with probably having to carry Alex and Penny, I don't know how we'll manage."

"Could you teleport us?" Justin asked.

"I— I don't know.  I don't want to mess anything up." Juliette hesitated.

"This may be our only way out, Juliette." Justin's face was deadly serious.

"Okay." What else could she do? "Everyone needs to get closer together."

Together Justin and Juliette picked up Penny, who was limp and laughed feebly as they did so, and moved her near Alex.

Juliette took a deep breath and grabbed Alex's hand in her own, Penny's in her other. "Justin, grab my arm and don't let go. Squeeze as tight as you can."

Face pale and set,—He may be regretting making me do this— Justin nodded and gripped her tightly.

Closing her eyes, Juliette focused hard on the other side of the trees, on the fire and their friends. Justin's grip tightened, and she winced in pain, but didn't let go of Alex and Penny.

Juliette knew it had worked before she opened her eyes. She could feel heat and the breeze now that they were out of the shade and stillness of the forest.

But had everyone made it in one piece? Juliette opened her eyes and was relieved to see that yes, the complete bodies of Alex and Penny, Justin standing nearby looking queasy.

And Ms. Asper marching angrily towards them.

"What were you thinking, wandering off into the forest like that? It's off limits! And now—" She noticed the prone figures of Alex and Penny. "What happened?"

"Um, they..." For once, Juliette's mouth and brain had failed her. Come on brain, think!

Fortunately, Justin's hadn't. "They— well, Penny— tripped on a rock and hit her head. Then Alex tripped over her and hit his head."

"This is why you weren't allowed in the forest!" Ms. Asper all but screeched. "You're all going back to the school. You've lost your privilege of this trip, and these two need medical care."