CRITICAL POINT/ THE BLACK KING (MAGIC CHRONICLES #1)

Chapter 13:

Thursday, 8:30 p.m.

Along a street in Commerce City

            Laura could only close her eyes tightly, praying that her death would come quick.

            At first, she thought that it was over, since she could feel nothing at all. But that was the odd thing. There was nothing at all. No sound of impact, no sensation of flesh being burned. Nothing. By then, she began to hear Craven cursing. She also heard the sounds of someone breathing, even closer. She opened one eye.

            Rick Alderfer was blocking the Slayer’s strike with one hand. He was wearing the same fingerless gloves as Craven. The only difference was the brown military battledress he was sporting.

            “So you’re the last Slayer, huh?” Rick said, his voice calm, “You sure bring shame to Ignis’ name. You could have just taken the noble path, you know.”

            The teacher jumped back and snarled at him.

            “Rick, what are you doing here?” Laura was shocked.

            “I’m here to take you home,” Rick said, “Didn’t I tell you that’s it’s not safe for girls to go walking alone?”

            “But it’s dangerous! That woman killed Dash and Metronome.”

            “Yeah, I know- hey! Aren’t you supposed to have forgotten that?” Rick was surprised.

            “I don’t know how it happened, but I seem to remember everything that happened to me last Friday,” Laura said, “I’m really scared right now.”

            “Well, if you had just walked home with me, we could have avoided all this.”

            Laura’s head drooped after the mild scolding. Freya, on the other hand, tilted her head to the side.

            “Odd, you don’t seem to be an Inquisitor,” she said, “Who are you?”

            “Correct,” the boy straightened up, “I’m the Faceless Knight Lance, son of the Nameless Knight Spear. I’m an Immunis attached to Legio VI Ferrata’s Third Cohort, First Century.”

            “Oh! How silly of me,” Freya touched her cheek with a finger, “I thought I’ve seen you somewhere, but I didn’t really get it until you’ve said your magic name. Spear’s real name is Richard Alderfer, right? You must be his only son, Rick.”

            Richard Alderfer? Laura thought in surprise, Rick’s dad is also like him?

Freya narrowed her eyes, “So, what the bloody hell is the son of a Praetorian guard doing here?”