The Lost Witch

Chapter twenty-eight

Paige ended up at the hospital again.

Moments after she had staggered to the ground, bright red and blue lights flashed through nearby broken windows. Somewhere nearby, sirens wailed loudly, on a constant loop. It only caused her already pounding head to flare up again, but she was too weak to do anything about it.

Something grabbed Paige's arm and she was hoisted up in the air. She ended up in a car, no, an ambulance. The bright lights were dizzying vicious cycles of red and blue, but at least someone had switched off those damn sirens.

"It was her magic?" Someone nearby spoke. White walls surrounded her at this point. She recognised the odd texture of the walls. Hospitals always gave off a too-clean scent.

"Apparently," someone else answered. Paige didn't recognise any of the voices and as she tilted her head, she saw two unfamiliar men. One was tightening a pressure cuff around her arm. "She totalled the school. The Council won't be pleased."

Paige didn't hear what the other man said. She lost consciousness at this point and when she finally came back to reality, she was in a hospital room. It was almost identical to the room she spent days in not too long ago.

Her head felt more groggy, more painful than when Aaron slammed her against the wall. What was up with that? Paige tried to sit up but it was as if her limbs wouldn't obey her command.

"Relax," someone said. Hands grasped her shoulders and gently laid her back down on the bed. "You're still recovering, Paige."

Paige blinked through the blotches in her vision. She couldn't make out a face, but she recognised the voice. "Vince?" She tried lifting her head and promptly gave up when her head proved too heavy to lift. She managed to narrow her eyes on the doctor and gave him what she hoped was a fierce expression. "Did you drug me again?"

"Just to keep you contained."

Paige's eyes snapped open. She tried to turn to the side, towards the familiar, unwelcomed voice, but her body protested with every movement. She didn't know whether it was the injuries from Aaron, the aftereffects of using her magic, or whatever these docs injected in her to keep her contained.

Again, she gave up trying to move and Detective Stone's face hovered in view. Of course she was here. Her partner was probably somewhere nearby, standing outside of her view. She hated this feeling of uselessness. "What the hell do you want?"

"To talk. Unlike last time Paige, we will not accept vague answers."

Paige swallowed an unpleasant comment as the detective's previous words sank in. Keep you contained. What the hell did that mean? This time, when she tried to sit up, she fought through the nausea and pain. She forced her limbs to move and she was able to drag herself into a somewhat awkward sitting position. "What the hell did you do to me? You hexed me?"

"We did . . ."

Paige cut off Detective Stone. "You have no right!"

"We had every right." Detective Megi was suddenly at the bedside. "After what you did to that school. We had to ensure you wouldn't use your magic like that again."

"It's only temporary," Detective Stone reassured Paige. "It will just keep a block on your powers for a few days. Then it'd wear off." Somehow, Paige knew that whatever concoction these detectives gave her would be much more effective than the melium imperium Hollie had given her. She could hardly even sense her own magic right now. It was as if it was just gone. She felt like she had been grounded. Magic-stripped for punishment.