Magics: Escape (Book 2)

Chapter Thirty

Linda had everyone except Falte (they'd all agreed on letting Falte stay with the camp) awake and getting ready to leave fairly early, when it was light enough to see but the sun wasn't yet peeking over the trees. She'd been up for longer, making sandwiches to eat while they got changed, pulled on their shoes, and brushed through their hair to at least look more awake. Kai felt somewhat unclean since he hadn't showered in a day or two, but he would have to deal with it. 

By the time they were all ready to go, Falte was crawling tiredly out of the tent, rubbing his glasses clean with his T-Shirt. "You all are leaving already?" he asked groggily. "It's hardly dawn yet." He slipped on his shoes and stepped outside of the tent, yawning and rolling his shoulders to loosen them. 

"That's when we agreed to leave," Linda said from her spot over by her tent, where she was packing more sandwiches that were covered with napkins into a spare bag that Chase would carry. Komakii was sitting beside her, obediently not sniffing at the food. 

"Right," Falte said with another yawn. "Do I get a sandwich, or are you stealing all of our food?" He inched around Gabriel, who was hopping around on one foot in attempt to pull on his other shoe, and walked over to where the remaining loaf of bread was and picked it up off the tree stump it had been lying on. The bag was almost empty. 

"I didn't make you one," Linda said dryly, "because you're a big boy and very capable of doing that yourself. But yes, you dolt, I left you food. I'm not that cruel." 

Any normal person would have been offended by the insults Linda had just thrown at Kai's father, but Falte simply threw back his head and laughed. He wasn't the kind of person that could get insulted that quickly. He thought most jokes about him were as funny as the other person found them. 

"You're not cruel at all, Linda," Abby protested sweetly. She was sitting in the doorway of she, Linda's, and Amy's tent, pulling her hand gently through her long hair. Kai felt his cheeks flush a little bit.

Chase took the full bag from Linda and swung it over his shoulder, his face set in an unsual, determined frown. Though Kai figured he'd been asleep when he and Linda had been sharing a moment, he looked just as exhausted as Kai felt. 

Abby stood up and pulled her hair up into a high ponytail, sweeping her hand through her hair again and letting the ponytail rest on her shoulder. Kai was distracted from worrying about Chase as he watched his girlfriend, and once more, he found himself glad that he'd met her. 

The blonde caught him staring at her and gave him a dazzling smile, one which he shyly returned. Then she frowned a little and made her way over to him. She was much shorter than him, so she stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. 

"You look worried," she said quietly to him, and he felt some tension in his shoulders relax when she rested her chin (as well as she could) on his left shoulder gently. 

"It's not like I can help that," Kai said back, shrugging his right shoulder indifferently. "What is there not to be worried about? We're about to face Darkness itself." 

"No, we're not," Abby corrected. "We're about to go get the key that will keep him locked in the Abyss forever. You've got to stop thinking about the future and focus on the present. You worry about what's going to happen too much. You need to worry about what's going on now." 

With a sigh, Kai realized she was right. He was always anxious about the future, almost so much so that he wasn't ever in the present with his family and friends. He needed to focus on what was happening now and relish the moments with them. 

Abby let go and leaned back on her heels, looking up at him reassuringly. "Don't worry so much, Kai. We're going to win this. We will. We're going to get Dad back and show The Dark Lord who's the bosses are around here." 

"That's my line!" Amy protested from the girls' tent. "I always say that! Ask Linda, she would know." 

Kai caught Linda rolling her eyes and smothered a grin. 

Abby giggled as Amy emerged from the tent with her hands on her hips. She looked dramatically up the sky and plastered a large grin on her face. "We're the bosses around here, guy! Stay in that cage you locked yourself in!" She glanced back down at them with a shrug. "I honestly don't know if he locked himself in there, but hey, it sounded cool." 

"He didn't," Chase said, but didn't offer any further explanation. He tipped his head impatiently at Linda. "We should get going. Is everyone ready?" He held the arms of his backpack eagerly, but the frown didn't leave his face. 

Which made Kai worried all over again. He knew Chase wasn't comfortable around the key, but Kai couldn't help but worry over his friend's unsual gruffness. 

Linda stuffed her hands in the pockets of her stone-rolled jeans, glancing around at everyone who was coming. Abby nodded, followed by Gabriel, Amy, and Abby. Kai was the last to nod his head once, determinedly. 

"Good," Linda said concludingly. "Let's head out, then." 

~

"It's here," Chase said suddenly, after an hour and a half of walking through the town to find the gem. He had stopped in front of a small, one-story house that was toward the corner of Baiyn. It looked deserted and unkempt, with rusty brown bricks and tiled roof. The front door was wooden and closed, and the rock steps were crumbling at the corners. 

"This one?" Linda said skeptically. She looked the house up and down with her hands on her hips. "This house looks abandoned, Chase." 

"Maybe whoever found it passed away and left it here?" Abby said. "I mean, they found it years ago, because Thorn left his home five years ago." She curiously leaned toward one of the windows, but a thick black curtain was obscuring their view. 

Kai glanced at Chase, who was studying the house with the same suspicion as the others. He knew it was in there, but he didn't know if anyone lived there.

"We probably shouldn't stand here gawking at it," Gabriel said impatiently. "If there is anyone home, they probably think we're being stalkers. Someone go knock or something." 

Amy shrugged and zipped up the door in a blur, dirt and leaves following her trail for a moment, then settling when realizing the wind they were following was too quick. She lifted her knuckles to knock, but the door swung open before she could. The inside of the house was too dark to make out the figure that was standing in the doorway. 

What happened next was almost a blur, but Amy hadn't used her abilities to rush into the house. 

Before anyone could move forward, a rough-looking, calloused hand reached out and grabbed Amy by the wrist, forcing a startled yell from the girl. 

As Kai, Linda, and Chase all started forward, Amy was yanked inside and the door was slammed shut.

~

Yo, I'm so good at cliffhangersSssSSssSSss Hehehehehehhehehe-

Who's got the key???

Who took Amy???

WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN NEXT???? 

Hueheuueheuehueheueheuehuehueh-

I think I've finally got past the writer's block! I know I've said that SO FREAKING MANY TIMES, but I'm dead serious this time. 

I'm very close to the end of this book.

And y'all are going to 

love it

and

hate it 

at the same time, I know you are. 

Especially you, sister! >:)

Welp, I'ma start on the next chappy!!

Peace!~~~