try to cover me with his body. The Minotaur slammed him back with a burst of green magic. Matt flew up high and crashed hard against the lockers. He slid to the ground, totally knocked out.
“You are caught,” the Minotaur spoke in my head. The coldness of the voice drenched my mind, waking me a bit. It was Vane’s voice, yet not his. It was a deeper, more inhuman version. The Minotaur’s hungry green eyes surveyed my failing body. “Do you know what I do to those that I catch, my fallen hunter?”
One of the Minotaur’s human hands slid up my thigh. The other pushed down on my shoulder as he pinned me in place. I stared at the unforgiving face of the bull. According to the myth of the Minotaur, many entered its lair, but none came out. All were devoured. Reading my thoughts, the Minotaur smiled—a ravenous smile. The bull bared sharp, white teeth. Without another word, he dove down. Massive jaws clamped on the hard lump under tender skin.
I screamed.
Teeth impaled the sac of my stomach and pulled off skin and flesh in one swift bite. I screamed again. The bull lifted its head. Green-grey mucous and pink flesh mingled with blood on its mouth. The Kronos Eye tumbled out of my stomach.
The crystalized organ clinked as it fell on the hard linoleum.
The Minotaur stared down at me. Blood still covered its mouth. As if he couldn’t help it, the Minotaur emitted a small moan as it licked its own mouth. A frenzy rose in its green eyes. Its tongue hanging out of its mouth, it dove for my shredded stomach again. A tongue swept over my torn stomach, licking the blood and broken skin.
I cried.
“Stop!” Matt appeared above my right side. The Minotaur lifted its head and roared. It swiped at Matt. Matt ducked and grabbed the Dragon’s Eye. He threw it into beast’s mouth. “Upaviz.”
A flash of blue magic imploded inside the Minotaur, and this time, it was thrown back against the lockers. The Minotaur morphed back into Vane. His face and mouth covered with blood and bits of skin. My blood and skin. Hot silent tears leaked from my eyes, burning my cheeks, and dripped onto the smooth floor.
Matt put a trembling hand on my forehead, his eyes reflecting the horror of the scene. He whispered, “God, Ryan, what did he do to you?”
I didn’t reply. Thankfully, I passed out.
CHAPTER 11 – THE GOOD WITCH
CHAPTER 11
THE GOOD WITCH
I woke up with a start, my vision hazy. Blinding halogen lights shone down from spotlights in the ceiling. In a dreamlike trance, I took in the details around me. I sat in a huge chamber that looked like it belonged inside a palace. At the front of the room, a mammoth tapestry depicted a scene of mythical beasts seated at a round table.
My elbows brushed against cold steel. I was sitting in a wheelchair. Close to the head of a long rectangular table, I was placed behind the Queen of England, the First Member of the Wizard Council.
Grey knelt down beside me, wearing a tailored business suit. The cut of the suit made him look surreally older, shattering the little brother box in which I mentally kept him encased. “It’s all right, Ryan. You’re under heavy meds. Try not to talk. They’re going to ask you a few questions when the time comes. I’ll let you know.”
They who? I opened my mouth to ask, but no sound came out. A sharp stab of pain pounded at my temples. I lurched in the wheelchair and Grey righted me. The whole room swam circles for a long minute before I could focus again. When I did, I found Matt kneeling beside me with a worried expression. He was all cleaned up, wearing khakis, a button-up shirt, and to my surprise, a striped tie.
“If this hurts her, I’m going to maim you, Emrys,” Grey hissed.
Matt took my hand in his, heating my chilled skin. “She’ll be fine. She’s strong.”
I didn’t feel particularly strong at that moment, but his amber eyes reassured me. I rasped, “What—”
Matt’s fingers squeezed mine. “Just hang on for a little while.”
I had no idea what he was talking about, but I couldn’t resist a yawn.
He stood up and went to talk to the Queen. Grey exchanged worried glances with Colin. The gargoyle king’s enforcer silently flanked Grey’s side, cementing his allegiance to Grey. Other adults I’d never seen before occupied the rest of the table.