Magic Misled (Lizzie Grace #7) - Keri Arthur Page 0,112

wave hit hard, sucking away the air, making my brain and lungs hurt. The world turned end over end, and the sound of breaking glass and groaning metal competed with the high-revving scream of the engine. There was blood on my face, fear in my heart, and white-hot heat in my veins.

That heat could save us …

Protect, I said, and imagined a curtain of power enveloping the entire truck.

The wild magic erupted from every pore in my body and rolled through the vehicle, wrapping it in a wiry net of powerful moonbeams. The truck slid to a stop on its side, the roof pressing deep into the car. The wild magic briefly bent with it and then rebounded, pushing the roof back with it. Pain tore through my brain, leaving me gasping, making my vision blur and eyes water.

I sucked in air and tried to concentrate. The truck was on its side, driver side down, and the roof was crushed around a tree. The only thing stopping me from falling was the seat belt cutting deep into my chest and stomach. Aiden lay unmoving beneath me, and there was blood all over his face. For an instant, fear filled my heart, then I saw his chest rise. Unconscious, but alive. I swallowed the thick rush of relief, then twisted around as best I could. Though John’s seat belt was keeping him in place, his body was limp, and there was a deep bruise near his temple—maybe a result of his head being smashed into the side window as we rolled. There were minor cuts across the rest of his face, but his eyes were fluttering, suggesting he wasn’t that far from full consciousness.

I turned back around and peered through the front windscreen. Dust plumed around the truck, a thick brown curtain through which nothing—

Eyes suddenly appeared—eyes that were bloodshot and filled with rage.

Honor.

She snarled, raised a fist, and smashed it down, cracking the windshield. I swore and pulled my net of wild magic to the front of the truck, pressing against the glass in an effort to protect us.

Another fist down. More cracks in the glass. I swore again and began to spell, but red-hot pokers immediately dug into my brain and threatened to overwhelm me. I let the spell fade. It seemed I could have one or the other—either spell or the net—but not both. Not at the moment. And the wild magic was the only thing saving us right now.

Lizzie? came Belle’s scream. We’re on our way back!

Be careful. God, speaking hurt. Everything hurt. The wild magic might be protecting us but at what cost to my body? It felt like it was utterly draining me. She’s in full-on fury, and I have no idea how much dark energy she has left.

A third blow. This time the glass shattered, and with a scream, she thrust her claws through and slashed wildly. The wild magic bent around her fingers and then rejected her. Forcefully. As she disappeared into the dust, I flicked the wave back around the rest of the truck. More pain. More crazy people armed with pokers digging into my brain. My vision blurred again, and the vague wetness became a torrent down my cheeks. I closed my eyes and used my other senses.

Footsteps moving around to the truck’s exposed underbelly. Fear hit again, and my breath caught. God, if she punctured the fuel tank and set a fire, we were goners. She stopped just behind me, and for several seconds, there was no sound other than the high revs of the engine, her thick, rapid breathing, and the frantic beating of my heart.

Then her magic surged again, a foul force that poked and probed both the truck and my protecting wave. More pokers and weakness washed through me, threatening to send me tumbling into unconsciousness. I swallowed heavily. I had to hang on. I had no idea if the wild magic could or would remain if I did lose consciousness, and it was the only thing keeping the bitch at bay.

Something thumped heavily on what was now the top of the truck. I twisted around again, trying to see what she was up to. The dust was settling, and her shadow loomed large. A fist came down on the side window, and the glass shattered, spraying wildly through the truck. Again she slashed with her talons. Again the wild magic bent around them. This time, it wasn’t fast enough, and she managed to sever the belt