Compounding Traumas (Artemis University #6) - Erin R Flynn Page 0,96
a weird vibe at the place?
I moved closer to the wall, and my magic didn’t react weird to it, so I shrugged it off. I was still careful as I climbed over, making sure I had good holds, and carefully listening for any signs or signals there was danger. My gut was pretty good at knowing when there could be a problem, so I wisely listened to it.
I paused at the top, but sensed nothing, nor saw anything that worried me. Deciding I was concerned over nothing, I slid off and hopped down.
And onto some sort of magical trap.
It was as if I had landed on a landmine, but instead of it exploding when I stepped off the plate, it blew when I touched it. It had to respond to… I had no idea. I couldn’t think as I went flying, pain instantly flaring all over my body as I felt fire sear my clothing to my skin.
My magic was responding before I landed, opening a portal to the one person I knew could help me. I didn’t land on the ground of the estate, but on the floor of Dean White’s office.
And she wasn’t alone.
“What the blood fuck is this?” Craftsman demanded.
“By the gods, Tamsin,” White gasped.
“Trap,” I managed to croak out.
“That got through your barrier?” she worried.
I could explain it to her later, which she seemed to realize. I was incredibly grateful when healing magic started pumping into me.
But then I realized it wasn’t her, but him. Craftsman had reacted first and leapt over her desk to get to me and start healing me. I saw her after I felt the healing, and then felt more.
“How much pain?” Craftsman asked after several moments.
I took a few moments to assess before answering. “Better. Like a five.”
“Take a break, Julian,” White snapped when he went back to healing me.
“Not bloody likely when she was burnt to a crisp,” he bitched.
“I can heal her so she doesn’t scar. She’s out of danger. Just give her a moment, or you could hurt her with rapid healing—”
“I’m not some fucking git who would make some newb mistake like that, White. I’m healing some internal bleeding she’s got from the blast and then I’ll stop.”
“I’m sorry,” White whispered. “I didn’t sense that.” She sighed. “I’m sorry, Julian. You’ve not always kept a level head when it comes to her.”
He didn’t respond until he was finished healing me. “I know, but I do learn from my mistakes. No disrespect, but I also have more experience in these situations, which is why I was originally Vale’s advisor, not simply because I was there that night.”
“I know, I know,” she sighed. “You were the right person to send to find an unknown and had worked with the supe police to hunt Underground.”
I hadn’t known that and I knew… Other intimate details.
Craftsman snorted. “‘Hunt’ is generous. They called me when the shite was going to get real, and I helped with portals and healing when I was on breaks from school. I was glad to do it, but I had to stop when the head of my family thought he’d found another use for me.”
“The list he has for you is long,” White drawled.
“How are you now?” Craftsman asked me gently, clearly not wanting to talk about his family, but also staying focused.
I didn’t answer immediately. “I’m like a three, thanks.”
He helped me sit up, studying my aura and seeming relieved at whatever he found before meeting my eyes. “Okay, then I need to know if you have the juice for your barrier because we have to go back in.”
“Julian, you cannot be serious,” White hissed. “I know—”
“If she fails this time, everyone will lay magical traps over every inch of their estates, and one that’s worse could catch her,” he interrupted, explaining it more for me. White seemed to know where he was coming from, but the pain made me muddled still. “They will scour our world for someone injured, and there will be a witch hunt for who is doing this.
“We can’t have that, especially when it risks the hobgoblins.” He changed to speaking directly to me then. “We need to go get your people out and let them see this was nothing. I care for them too. I need you to trust me on this. I can handle us and get them out if you keep the barrier up, I swear it. I won’t risk losing you, love.”