The Rose Witch - Chandelle LaVaun Page 0,3
Both wore black leather and were strapped with weapons – and neither were real. I stumbled backward as the two glowing, holographic men hissed and bared long fangs.
None of this is REAL!
They took a step forward and I panicked. I grabbed a book off the shelf and tossed it at them – but it soared straight through their ghostly bodies and landed open a few feet away. A massive basilisk leapt from within the spine, then crashed down on the floor. I cried out and spun back toward the door but red smoke shot out of my palms and slammed the front door shut.
I screamed and scurried back, swatting at my hands, but that only made it worse. The more I swung my hands around the more smoke came out. It was a scarlet river rushing out of me, like blood gushing from a vein. I shrieked and flicked my wrists, sending the red river everywhere. It shot across the front of the bookstore like a pinball, and just like Harry waving the wrong wand in Olivander’s, books exploded off the shelves wherever it touched. With every book that flew off the racks, glowing pictures danced from within the pages.
No, no, no. This isn’t happening.
The red smoke billowed in the foyer by the front door, so I turned to my left to where another light switch on the other wall a few feet away. I ignored the red smoke coiling around my trembling fingers and flipped the switch. Soft golden light filled the room around me. I spun and my breath left me in a rush.
The paintings on the far wall were all moving.
Waves rolled through rivers. Soldiers battled with swords. Ballerinas twirled.
A chill slid down my spine. My legs buckled and I dropped to the ground. My teeth chattered together. My bones rattled. Streams of tears rained down my face and splashed onto my knees. That scarlet smoky river swirled out of me in every direction. This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening. I’m dreaming. Or I lost my mind. I’ve been working too much.
I had to get out of here. My handbag was laying on the ground a few feet away, half spilled out onto the floor. I didn’t even remember dropping it. My phone was in there. I started to crawl towards it when heat exploded in my chest like someone had lit me on fire. I gasped and sat up straight, clutching at my body. My skin was hot to the touch. The heat burned up my sternum and into my throat. I gasped again and felt like I’d swallowed fire.
A shadow moved out in my peripheral vision. I froze. But then it moved again, slithering within the cloud of red in the far front left corner of the store. It’s just one of the books. I’m just crazy, that’s nothing. And then it took another step forward and I spotted two massive black paws that had to be bigger than my own feet. It stood up taller and I saw a towering shape that looked like the body of a dog, but the damn thing had to be almost as tall as me. Thick black smoke coiled around its body then wafted into the air above it.
It’s not real. It’s not real. It’s not real.
A strangled kind of cry left my lips and the thing snapped toward me. Two tall, pointed black ears popped up, slicing through the red fog. One red eye and one gold eye glowed like Christmas lights in the dark.
Oh God, oh God, oh God. It’s FAKE.
I reached forward and grabbed my cellphone and the demon-dog lunged forward. It growled and snapped long razor-sharp teeth. I needed to move but my body was locked in place as it charged for me. I braced myself for impact. The fire in my chest soared and I gasped.
A loud, strong male voice ripped through the chaos and the demon-dog froze.
I turned toward the sound just as a tall man with leather-covered broad shoulders and dark hair walked through the foyer. I scrambled to my feet and two glowing gold eyes met mine. The fire in my chest erupted like a volcano, spewing molten hot lava through my veins. Between the red and black smoke, and the glowing pictures from the books, it was hard to even see the rest of him. All I saw was eyes in the darkness.
I took another step and so did he. I took two more – but so did