Magic's Mark

Chapter 6

Taylor let his hands release mine and looked over at me, "Did it work?"

I stared back at him, I didn't feel any different, "I'm not sure."

"Hmm...," Mr. Liu said, clearly not convinced either.

"Taylor, could you please go downstairs and grab my bag from the basement. You know the one I'm talking about. I think I need to read that book again."

"Sure," Taylor agreed and swiftly bounced up and exited the room.

As soon as he left, I felt like the room was instantly a lot smaller. The silence between us was unnerving.

"So you don't know how it should look?" I knew I shouldn't ask but I felt so unsettled by how everyone just seemed to be guessing about this Vortex business.

"Cara, no one has ever met a Vortex. All we have are old books, myths and legends. Scary stories that we tell our children," his voice was cold.

I nodded my head at him, "I'm sorry if that came across as rude. I... I just want some answers."

"I understand all of this must be overwhelming," Mr. Liu admitted. He hummed to himself for a moment before locking his eyes on me again.

"It could be that you may have already tethered. You have after all met one more warlock..."

I felt the fear creep up my back, "No it can't be..."

"Just to be clear, you have met Taylor and Aaron. So it's just a process of elimination," Mr. Liu's eyes did not leave me as he spoke.

"When I saw Aaron he was fighting with another guy..."

I saw how all the colour drained from Mr. Liu's face.

"What was the other guys name?"

"Umh..." I was thinking back to that morning in the hotel, "Lucas, I think?"

"Lucas Mathlow?" Mr. Liu shrieked.

When Mr. Liu said his full name, I felt like a wave of energy crashed into me. My eyes reflected at me through a mirror on the wall, for a second they shone in an electric light blue before my stomach twisted in a tight knot and my head felt heavy as I fell backwards.

For a moment, all I could see was darkness and in the darkness small sparks of blue energy was glimmering.

"Cara!" Taylor was shaking my shoulders.

My eyelids felt heavy as I opened my eyes, I stared up at Taylor's face.

"What happened?" I choked out, I felt my hands shaking.

"You fainted," Taylor explained.

I could see Mr. Liu shuffling around in the corner of my eye.

"You have to leave now," the words were sharp.

"What? Wait," Taylor turned around and looked at him, "You have to help us. We still need to tether Cara's powers."

"There is nothing I can do. You need to leave right now," Mr. Liu was adamant.

I pushed myself up to a sitting position, "Come on then."

I stretched out my hand towards Taylor and he helped me to my feet.

As we walked down the narrow staircase I could hear Taylor mutter underneath his breath.

"It doesn't matter. We don't even know if it works like that," I heard myself say.

"He should have helped us. I don't understand what got into him..."

I turned around and met his dark eyes, "Look I'm pretty tired. So maybe you could just take me back to the flat."