Voodootown

Chapter 14 part 2

Twister blurred and the closest of the thrall dolls shot back into the crowd, knocking a dozen over.  But they all got back up and continued forward.  She moved forward twice more, sent dolls tumbling, then came back.  To Camo she looked slumped, tired.  "Used my last pin downstairs," Twister said.

"What do we do?" Root asked.

"I need more pins," Twister said.  She disappeared again and another set of dolls piled up.  "Now."

While Blink stood and stared at the human, Root spoke.  "What about the challenge court, or the ring?"

Twister sent more dolls sprawling, but the circle tightened.  "No pins at the ring, they didn't get reset," she said.

Camo saw Blink disappear and immediately reappear on her other side.  She had watched his fight the night before, had seen him disappear while sailing through the air and reappear behind the doll he was fighting, Squat. 

She stared at him, remembered what had happened the night before.  "Blink.  You've got to go to the court," she said.

He squinted, shook his head again.  "What?"

"Your challenge, last night, they didn't declare a winner.  Your challenge court is still running."  He stared at her and she felt like he was seeing Hehet at the same time.  She shook his shoulder.  "Your table full of charms and hexes is still there.  You're the only one who can get in the safe zone and back out with the hexes."

He smiled.  "Oh.  Good idea."

"Hurry," Twister said.

He was gone before she finished the word.  The crowd of thralls moved in more but Blink came back right away with a large pincushion.  He handed it to Twister.  She pulled out a handful of pins.  Others sprouted in their place as she pushed it into Root's hands.  Root took one and Camo looked down at them.  She hadn't ever stuck another doll with one.  Her power didn't function as well in the ring, with so many eyes on her, and years ago, back when Hehet had needed her help so often, she had always been too worried about the repercussions of a fight.  She had believed that it would only make things worse for Hehet.

But now there was no choice.  She pulled out a pin, turned to face the ring of thralls.

"Move," the man said from the kiosk.

His head and upper body were visible above the dolls.  Camo thought he looked bored.  She turned to Twister for direction.

"We've got to fight our way that way," Twister said.  She didn't have to speak loudly.  All the dolls around them were silent except for the sound of cloth on cloth as their bodies pressed together.  Twister pointed down the street, then threw her pins in the air above the dolls.

Twister blurred, then disappeared.  One by one the pins disappeared from the air and a doll toppled to the ground.  The way to the exit started to open up.  Camo moved with Blink and Root into the open space and she saw the tunnel opening in a wall up ahead.

"Stop them," the man said.  Camo turned, saw that he was removing the lids from several empty jars.  He wasn't even looking at the fight as he gave orders.  She watched as the dolls circled around to block their path, some even climbing on top of others to get closer.

"We have to stop him, not the dolls."  Camo heard her own voice, was surprised to hear it was so loud, even though the street was still quiet.  The dolls began to press in again and two made a grab for Root.  Camo stabbed one in the arm and stepped in front of Root, leaned close against her.  "Don't move.  I've never tried this before."  She didn't know if this would work or not, but she looked behind her at the dolls on the other side who were moving in toward Blink.  She turned back, kept the image of the attacking dolls in her mind and let her ability switch on.