Reveille (The Hybrid Disasters, Book One)

Chapter 26: Like A Prayer

I must have briefly fainted. When I came to, the Warlock Council member was cautiously gripping the vase, while both Council Witches stood around him staring intently at the object. I was surprised to see the Council Witch that Shamsur attacked back to normal. Well, almost normal. She still had the imprint of my fingertip on her forehead. The vase in the Warlock's hands shook violently twice before settling.

"It is done," Council Warlock announced. "Gianna," he commanded the marked Council Witch. "Send a zephyr dispatch to Maynard in the Elemental Plane of Air. Let the Warlock know his intelligence proved useful, and our first command of the Djinn will be to bring him back to the Material Plane." The woman said something foreing and I watched as she scribbled a note with her finger in mid-air. Words formed in a shimmery silver color and hung eye-level as she continued to scrawl. When she finished, the words momentarily swirled together in the shape of a mini, silvery whirlwind and disappeared.

The name Maynard rang a bell. It was the name engraved in a golden plate that was screwed to the wall outside the front door of my home. I always thought it was the name of the house, but it appeared to be the name of the Warlock that once lived in my home... the Warlock that originally held Shamsur captive. Could he really have survived all these years trapped in the Plane of Air?

"Bellamy, grab the Fae-Lycan hybrid. We must leave this place at once."

"You have to release him!" I yelled hoarsely. "You said you would help him!" My hand went to my throat in pain. It was raw from the extraction.

"We will do nothing of the sort, you foolish girl," The scarred Council Witch screeched. I tried to get up, but found I had no strength. My insides were churning. My chest felt like it was on fire.

Bellamy reached me and pulled me up. "Use your legs, girl," he commanded, but I couldn't support myself. I was in too much pain. Bellamy waved the Emerald Warlock over and they jerked me up. The Council Warlock ordered everyone to follow. The group of Witches and Warlocks exited the cathedral with me in tow. Once we stepped outside, the pain inside of me doubled. I lurched forward as I heaved up a strange, black liquid. Bellamy and the Emerald man let go of me in disgust.

"Something is wrong with her, Councillors!" Bellamy shouted. I saw the Council turn toward us in alert.

A strange, tickling sensation started at the base of my neck and spread down my spine. I screamed out in pain as my spine seemingly cracked. Bellamy and the other Warlock stepped back from me as I began to writhe on the ground in agony.

"Open the portal!" The unmarked Council Witch shouted.

I tried to back away from the group as bones in my body continued to break. I saw the Portal open, but once the unmarked Council Witch tried to step through, it suddenly disappeared.

She turned toward the marked Council Witch who casted the portal with confusion in her eyes. As she did, the marked Witch's head rolled to her feet.

Lyric! Only I couldn't confirm it was him. My body convulsed once more and my vision blackened. Moments later, my vision returned. Only, my eyes didn't feel like my own. Everything around me was sharper, clearer, as if I'd honed in on my Lycan senses. The pain inside me was still prevalent, but I stood nonetheless. It felt strange to get up. I didn't feel as tall as I once was. I looked around. The Council Warlock, still grasping the vase, had cast some sort of protective shield around himself. The emerald man and ruby woman were lying, unmoving, on the ground. I could smell the blood that pooled beneath them. The unmarked Council Witch and Bellamy were firing off defensive spells left and right. With the assailant focused on Bellamy and the Council Witch, the Warlock Councilor began to open another portal. I raced toward him, only then realizing why my body felt differently. I was on all fours. I had finally shifted into a wolf. I jumped and dove for the Warlock's throat just as he released his magical shield and prepared to step through his portal. His warm blood filled my mouth. My body shuddered with pleasure as a gargled shout of surprise slipped from the Warlock's lips. When I heard the vase clinker to the ground, I released the Warlock to search for it. It was lying several feet away from me. The stopper had come undone in the fall. I watched as the Djinn emerged from the silver vase like smoke ventilating from a refinery pipe stack.