SIMON
"Baz... Hey. Baz, wake up," I say, holding his head. His nose is bleeding and his eyes are barely open, his eyelids fluttering ever so slightly.
"Snow... "
He's disoriented, but starts to stand. I help him up. The men that had driven us here are gone. Only one man stands behind Baz and the others now, and when Lynx jerks her head up in a nod, he too leaves.
"What happened? Are you okay?"
"I... Yeah, I'm okay."
"Penny? Agatha?" I look at them next to us, also starting to stand up.
"Were fine, Simon." Penny is following me with her eyes, and I can't ignore the small hint of alarm in them.
Baz stands, a little wobbly, but able to hold himself up. I hold on to his arm just in case.
"You can't."
I swirl my head around, back to Lynx.
"What," I growl.
"You can't help them."
"Yes I can."
"No you can't," she shakes her head.
I'm the only one here. I can.
Lynx strides towards us and I tense, moving to put myself between her and Baz. (Penny can take care of Agatha. Penny can take care of herself.)
She stops. My stare is boring into her.
"You think you can save them? Right now? All of them? Then let's see it."
Lynx turns away and leans down when she gets to Agatha, and lifts her chin up. She leans in and whispers something in Agatha's ear. Agatha's expression is defiant. Lynx smirks, pulling away from her ear, then lets go of her face.
She steps back, tilts her head, her smirk still taking up the bottom half of her face, and starts to flicker. It must be a concealment spell. ("Things aren't always as they seem" or "To be someone else for a day," maybe, although that one only lasts twenty-four hours. Those are the only appearance-changing spells we learned at Watford.)
Lynx's appearance stops flickering and seems to fall to the floor. Now her hair is long and white and snakes all the way down to her waist. Her skin is so pale, it nearly matches the shade of her hair. Her previously long face has condensed into a more oval shape, covered in grey freckles. Her irises darken to black.
Even her clothes have changed. What had been a business jacket and long wide pants is now a tattered brown dress lengthed to her knees.
In her right palm a sword unfolds from the air, the hilt resting in her grip. An eerie grin creeps over the bottom half of her face. I tighten my hold on Baz's arm.
"Baz. I need a weapon. Now," I breathe.
He nods and looks quickly around the room.
"There." I hear Penny say softly, nodding to a fireplace in the far corner that none of us had noticed before.
I glance back at Lynx, who has started advancing on us, before darting across the room as fast as I can. She lunges for me, but I'm able to dodge her by taking off, flying over her up to the ceiling.
She starts to chase after me when I hear Penny scream, "Like a Deer in headlights!" Lynx is frozen just long enough for me to reach the fireplace. I look down to see Penny helping Agatha up and pointing at the doors (no wand yet). Baz has his wand pointed at Lynx, he's casting spells left and right. Some hit their target, others she's able to duck past. One she even blocks with her sword.
I grab a poker and run to help Baz. He looks at me and gives me a sign of affirmation.
It's been so long since I've used a sword.
I signal to him that I'm ready, and we both charge her together.
BAZ
Snow is still so graceful in a fight. He's a little rusty, but still able to keep the woman at bay. (Is she still a woman?) And with nothing but a fire poker and a pair of wings.
God he's amazing.
We charge on her together, me catching her wrists when she swings her sword my way, Snow beating his wings and trying to land a hit whenever and wherever he can. I hold her fast with my strength while Snow lands a solid blow on the back of her head with one of his wings and it knocks her off balance.
I spot a glimpse of Bunce pushing Wellbelove and Shepard forward, then turning to run back in our direction.
"Bunce, go!" I yell.
She stops.
"You need help!"
"I have Snow, just go!"
"We'll find you!"
Snow.
She stands there for a moment until she sees the white haired woman standing up, then circles back around to where Wellbelove was.
The woman pulls herself up and locks her gaze on Snow. I cast "Bugger off!" and she is taken aback, but it has almost no effect on her.
Snow tries to swing at her with the poker while she's dazed but she catches it, snarling at him, and throws him against the wall. He falls on a wooden table which, surprisingly, doesn't break from the force of the impact. Snow's wings are draped over him like a blanket. Her eyes are fierce as she moves them to me.
"Come on, let's go!" Bunce exclaims. Her and Wellbelove have stuffed themselves inside a grey minivan. Headmistress Bunce is in the front seat.
I turn my attention back to Simon, who hasn't gotten up yet.
"Snow, it's time to go!"
He grunts and notices the urgency in my voice. Snow's eyes grow a little wider and he's breathing is labored. Blood trickles down the side of his face. He pushes himself up with his arms, then falters when he puts his other foot steady on the ground.
The woman is staring me down, making me a distraction for Snow, who uses it to aim the poker at her chest. She claws at me, ripping the skin on my leg, then turns just before the poker makes contact and it plunges through her right arm.
The woman drops to the ground on one knee, clutching her arm and howling. It's a blood curdling shriek, much louder than I would've expected.
"Snow, run!"
He does.
Using his wings to help him gain speed, he and I are so fast we're at the doors in seconds. Even with blood running down my leg I'm still faster than anyone else. (Well, anyone without wings.)
She's stopped screaming now, and Snow shoves me into the back seat of the van. He flies overhead just as Bunce's mother floors the gas.
YOU ARE READING
Beyond (Simon Snow Series)
FantasyFor all Simon Snow fans that want a little bit extra before we get that third book. I hope that you like what my way of settling it, even if it's not as good as Rainbow's. (No way is as good as Rainbow's, she is the all mighty and they all came from...
