Ellie's Flames BOOK 2

13: Return of the Icy-Gang!

Sera's POV

It's been about half an hour since we got here, and Icy still hasn't shown up. Uma, Mal, and Celia are inside with Doug and Evie. I'm pretty sure Doug and Evie are in her studio, talking about mushy human emotions. I can hear Celia and Uma are eating Jane's birthday cake, while Mal paces.

Me? I'm still outside. From what I can gather, I guess they were still playing tag when Brit collapsed. Hector doesn't know any healing magic, but Arson has been taking an elective class from the nurse at school because he likes being able to help people. So probably Hector went off to not distract my brother, and decided to use his magic to make Brit a bracelet. She liked that on the Isle. She used to hide them under a loose floorboard in her room so her dad wouldn't find them.

Then I'm guessing the second wave of spells hit.

Of course, all of this is guessing. But since I was raised to be freakishly accurate and have amazing senses, I'm 99% sure I'm right.

I'm sitting criss-cross (applesauce, Ar would always add happily), facing the house, wishing Icy would show up and say something to get my mind off of Ar when I hear it. My head whips up, watching in awe as planks of wood fly past me and stick themselves against the house. One catches me in the back, sending me sprawling face-first into the grass.

I sit up, spitting dirt out of my mouth. "Okay." I grumble, standing. "Now I'm mad."

I look behind me just as another plank comes for the mini-castle. I hit the dirt quickly, and it rushes over my head.

"STOP SENDING WOOD AFTER ME!" I shout angrily, scrambling to my feet. One bonks my head, and when my hand jumps up I'm surprised to see blood on my fingers.

Woah... I can bleed? Mind blown.

(Yes, of course I'm being sarcastic. It's not like I was raised on the impression that I was an undefeatable machine.)

"Um, ow!" I complain. One more whaps me in the back. I stumble forward, falling into Evie's studio through the open door just as the last few planks block every available exit.

"STUPID---PRINCESS---SCEPTER---STUPID!" I scream, lunging for the planks. I punch the wood multiple times, but nothing happens.

"Sera?" Mal's voice rings through the house. Following it, I find them all in the main area, clustered in a circle.

"I thought you were outside." Doug says.

"I was." I grumble, touching the spot on my head. "Stupid wood. What is going on?"

Mal shakes her head. "Audrey." She flings her hands out, her eyes flaring green. Man, I love it when she does spells. They always have such fun outcomes!

"You've caused my friends pain and fear, we've had enough, now disappear!" She cries.

We wait.

Man, no fun outcomes.

"You guys, I'm sorry, my spells aren't working!" Mal yells, rubbing her hands together. "Audrey's magic is getting stronger!"

I hear a really weird pulsing from next to me, and turn to see Uma's seashell necklace glowing golden.

Okay, maybe that kind of shiny would be okay.

Uma steps forward and grabs Mal's hand. Like an unspoken agreement, together they raise their hands in the air, repeating Mal's spell at the same time as each other.

For a minute... nothing happens.

And then all the planks fall off of the exits as one, piling on top of one another.