Persie Merlin and the Witch Hunters - Bella Forrest Page 0,108
Through it, I saw a vibrant liquid of pillar-box red contained within. “Seems like Nathan has a bit of underdog charm when it comes to the ladies. Who knew?”
I arched an eyebrow. “Huh?”
“Nothing. It doesn’t matter. I thought I had a rival, but she turned out to be pretty cool. She wants to interrogate me for Atlantean hex secrets.” Genie nodded to the bronze ball as I took it from her. “That, which you now hold in your hands, is the key to fixing this contagious mess—bought with Nathan’s charms and jaw-dropping acting prowess. That man can lie, let me tell you! I’m still not sure whether to be horrified or impressed.”
“This is the antidote?” I stared at the metal ball with awe. It looked so small and unassuming. How could it possibly reverse such a potent spell?
Though she be but little, she is fierce, as my friend Shakespeare once said. I reminded myself that a tiny pebble could burst a tire, and one mosquito could down entire populations.
Genie smiled. “You have to give it to Reid and tell him to hold it tight. Oh, that’s an important point—don’t grip it too tight or you’ll end up getting spiked instead.” She gestured back toward the door. “Should we get this show on the road, then?”
I steeled myself, trying to think of how my mom would act in my position. She’d faced worse without showing fear, and now I had to do the same. “It’s time.”
Making sure to be seen at various intervals by passing hunters and students, Genie and I walked into the Institute’s orchards, pretending that we were just going on a stroll to get my friend some fresh air. Once we were safely ensconced in the darkness, and we felt certain there were no prying eyes, Genie gripped my arms tight and wrapped us both in the Invisibility spell. I could tell she was pushing her limits by spreading it to me, but she didn’t say so. She wouldn’t have to hold it long, not if everything went according to plan. We just needed to get outside the Institute’s perimeter without anyone seeing us. We couldn’t have anyone telling tales to Victoria about me leaving without permission. Going to the marketplace had only been allowed because I’d had Nathan with me. If Victoria heard about this, she’d send a squad of hunters after me, and I couldn’t allow that to happen. Not when we’d already come so far in fixing this. All I had to do was get this bronze ball into Reid’s hands and it would, hopefully, be over. No harm done.
“Are you okay?” Genie whispered, as the searing sting of the Invisibility spell set in. I’d forgotten how painful this thing was. My skin felt like it was melting, agony pinballing through my body.
“Fine,” I lied.
“Just keep the pace quick.” Her breath hitched, and I saw her grit her teeth. “I don’t know how long I’ll be able to hold this.”
With that, we rushed out of the orchard as fast as our legs would carry us, her arm linked so tightly with mine that I thought she might cut off the blood supply. Together, we bolted through the back gate and carried on across the open fields until we reached the cliff path. Even then, she didn’t let up, hauling me along until we were firmly out of view of the Institute’s interdimensional bubble. I glanced back, making sure that I couldn’t see the ruins of the castle anymore, and stubbornly brought us both to a halt. If Genie carried on like this, she’d wind up back in the Infirmary, and I didn’t want anyone getting hurt because of this mission.
“That’s far enough,” I urged.
With a wheezing gasp, she let go of me and dispensed with the Invisibility, the magic sloughing away from our bodies in a fizzling, upward cascade of green-tinged energy. Once it had evaporated, Genie bent double, coughing violently. Startled, I put my hand between her shoulder blades and rubbed in circles, trying not to get too panicked by the sight of her current fragility.
True to form, she waved me away. “I’m okay, I just got a spark caught in my throat or something.” She straightened to her full height, but the sheen of sweat on her pale forehead told me another story: she wasn’t well at all. “You keep going. I’ll chalk-door to Nathan.”
“Did he manage to get the secret weapons?” I asked furtively, meaning Gren and the pixies.