What is he doing here? Working for Landon? Is he here getting something to target the baku’s next attack with?
But what came out of my mouth was an indignant “You! I want to talk to you!”
CHAPTER
16
Zack spun, bolting to the wide church doors.
“Don’t let him leave!” I exclaimed, but Hodin was faster.
“Clausus!” Hodin shouted, flinging a hand extravagantly, and Zack skidded to a halt as the doors slammed shut in front of him, the boom shaking the walls.
Plate somehow level in his hand, Zack turned, staring at us for what could have been a fatal three seconds if I’d wanted to hurt him. I strode forward, my spelling robe snapping about my feet. Zack dropped to the floor. Plate at his heels, he spun, scribing a circle with what looked like a big black Sharpie.
“Ita prorsus!” he exclaimed, and I halted as a greenish purple barrier rose around him, glistening like a soap bubble.
“Hey! That’s a permanent marker!” I said, ticked as I halted before him.
Zack rose from his crouch, that plate of what looked like lasagna held close. His face was pale, and his cropped ears looked wrong after seeing Trent’s untouched ones, especially with Zack’s elven white hair and green eyes. He was too young to need to shave, but a faint fuzz showed it wouldn’t be long.
“What do you want?” I said, then jumped when Bis landed on my shoulder, tail wrapping tightly across my back and around my arm. I wavered as the lines sang in my head, and then I bubbled my thoughts, muting the glory of them. “Are you here spying for Landon?”
“Landon is an ass. He’s not in charge of me.” His voice was young, but deep, having that same musical element that I’d noticed pure elves were blessed with.
“No? Then explain to me why he knows you and Trent doesn’t,” I said, testing his circle with a cautious finger. His greenish purple aura would have looked better with a little demon smut on it. As it was, it looked kind of thin. “You don’t need to hide in a circle. I’m not going to hurt you,” I said, feeling an odd quiver in the energy. It would fall, given half a reason.
He glanced at Hodin behind me and shook his head.
I don’t have time for this. “Interrumpere,” I said, flinging a hand out, and with a little pop, his circle vanished.
Zack’s eyes widened, and he bolted, heading for that window in Ivy’s room, no doubt.
“That’s a good one.” Hodin leaned against my chair and watched him run past.
“I got it from a ghost,” I said as I gathered a handful of raw energy from the line and simply threw it past Hodin to explode in the hall.
Zack yelped, predictably skidding to a halt and darting to slide under Ivy’s baby grand. When he rose, there was a ball of energy in one hand, that plate in the other.
“He didn’t spill any of his lasagna,” Bis said in admiration, but I was getting annoyed.
“Landon knows you,” I said, then raised my hands in the hopes that he would stop trying to flee. “Landon wants Trent dead,” I added as I eased forward. “Convince me why I shouldn’t hit you with a binding charm and drop you in the I.S. lobby for trespassing.”
Zack looked at the plate of food in his hand, and I made a warning sound when he moved as if to set it on the piano.
“Landon wants Kalamack dead,” Zack agreed, his green eyes darting from me to Hodin. “But I’m not Landon. I want to talk to Mr. Kalamack, not kill him.”
His cheeks were red and his chin high with rebellion, and though he was clearly hungry, it was just as obvious that it was a fairly new sensation. His fingers cradling that raw energy were strong with youth, not work, and I could smell the same hint of cinnamon on him that Trent always came out of his spelling hut with. Landon’s student? I wondered, remembering Landon’s annoyance with Al when he thought the demon was Zack.
Hands falling, I closed the gap between us. My touch was light among the ley lines as I stopped well back from the piano. “Maybe I should take you to Landon. He might get off Trent’s case if I bring his runaway back.”
“Rachel!” Bis warned, but I’d seen Zack’s lips move.
The energy in Zack’s hand flashed white, and with a shouted “Dilatare!” he threw it.