Dangerous Diabolical: Book 1 (Iridescent) ✔️

11.6

*to edit

With nowhere else to go, the circle underneath Leofstan's feet activated, throwing up the iridescent wall of a shield and trapping him there. The opaque spell shimmered as Leo uselessly threw his hands against the bounds to break the enchantment.

David laughed as he ran a hand to run over his face, before opening his arms wide and deepening his rejoicing.

"Too easy!" He cried.

Leo began to breathe quickly, chest heaving as he fixated on the adversary before him. The druid began chanting under his breath with a newfound agility.

Nothing happened.

Giving the wall another hit, Leofstan drove his staff against it, launching into a tirade of practised words. Nothing. Then he just stopped - dropping his staff to clatter at his feet, drawing in a single, quick audible intake of breath. Leo's fingertips twitched as if still to grasp the staff that was no longer there. He stared at the barrier, unblinking, mouth trying to form words, the staff rolling away.

Finally, he gradually lifted his head, only to wince when he noticed me still hanging upside down.

"Oh no," Leo whispered.

If I'd been human, I wouldn't have heard him utter the words. Or distinguish how he began to hyperventilate as he placed splayed fingertips on the shield. "Fuck!" He screamed so suddenly, even I jumped, before he resorted to banging the shield with renewed ferocity.

David had recovered from his laughing spree and glanced at the watch on his wrist, "Excellent, there's still time. I'm so glad you joined us for the ceremony." He told Leo, sighing dramatically, "I'll come back for you." He informed him, before heading my way.

Leofstan continued to slam uselessly, his movements becoming more agitated as David grew closer to me.

"Celandine!" Leofstan shouted unnecessarily, as I winced at the volume change, "Don't panic!"

What? I wasn't panicking. Was he? Should I start? Why would he yell that?

"It's going to be okay!" He added his voice cracking, the pitch akin to something I'd expect to be used if I was about to meet my doom immediately. Yes, start to panic, my inner voice commanded. Additionally, as I tried to siphon more magic from him, it seemed that the circle trap he was confined in was also cutting off any chances of that happening. I was stuck with what I'd got.

Leo dropped to the ground, jerkily running his hands over the floor and containment wall around him, stealing desperate glances toward me. It felt like I should be telling him not to panic.

After all, I was the with the plan.

If only I could get a message to Leofstan, then maybe he would calm down enough to think rationally. Open and closing my palm to try and catch his attention, I hoped he'd notice and connect the dots.

And it did, kind of.

The shimmering figure that he'd summoned turned to study me, head tilted curiously independent of Leo who continued to fret about separately.

The figure rose a single finger to his lips in the universal sign to 'shush', only to then point towards my hand. I narrowed my eyes, but stilled the motion, waiting to see just what it was up to. That seemed to satisfy it, as I was given another cheeky wink before its form dispersed, evaporating to wherever it had come from and leaving me with more questions than answers.

Leofstan froze as he noticed the form leave, looking around him as if it were going to suddenly change its mind.

"You imbeciles!" David shouted at his puppets. It was taking the dead creatures quite a while to figure out what had been done to sabotage the circle around me. Shoving them aside, he began studying the runes himself.