my brain was buzzing that something wasn’t right.
Adam seemed unaffected as he got out of the car. He headed for the door and knocked, and I got out of the car and looked around. Was it my imagination, or was it quieter here than was normal?
Adam knocked again. “That’s strange. He knew I was coming right back.” He tried the handle as I came to stand next to him. “Oh, good, he left the door open.”
Opening the door, he stuck his head in, yelling, “Granddad? I’m back!” He stepped through the door, paused and shivered briefly, like the air conditioner was a bit too cold, then continued on. “I brought Fantazia.”
As soon as I crossed the threshold and followed him inside, all of my nerves began burning, like someone had thrown an ice-cold bucket of water over me. I gasped and staggered back. Someone had set a massive concealing spell on this house, which was why everything seemed a bit too quiet. Someone was going out of the way to make sure no one noticed anything going amiss here. Was Howard this terrified, or was it something else entirely?
“Adam,” I whispered, calling him back. “Wait!”
He turned. “What?”
“Don’t you feel it?”
“Feel what?”
“Someone’s been doing a lot of magic in this house. Also, that concealing spell we just walked through.” The atmosphere was so heavy it almost felt like a lightning cloud, and I had a vague taste of iron on the back of my tongue. That was never a good sign.
“Granddad probably cast it.” He didn’t look convinced.
He tiptoed to the door of the next room and through. There came a sharp intake of breath, so I hurried inside myself. The scene made me stare in horror. The atmosphere here was ten times as heavy, and I had a feeling that trying to switch on the television, lights or other technology in the room wouldn’t work. Someone had performed the same spell that I had witnessed with Donald and Chad. But that person hadn’t stopped there. Howard lay on the floor, a pool of blood surrounding his head like some sort of horrible halo.
He was making a horrible choking sound. His cane lay nearby, its heavy knob covered in blood.
“Granddad!” Adam wailed. He rushed to his grandfather’s body, half slipping in the blood, and made to reach for him.
“Don’t!” I cautioned. “Call the hospital.” But even as I spoke I knew it was way too late for human medicine. Possibly even magic.
Adam staggered to the other side of the room to pick up the phone. He immediately started telling someone on the other end of the line about his grandfather’s attack.
I knelt next to Howard and assessed the damage with a spell: a skull fracture and a crushed larynx, for starters—so he couldn’t tell what he knew. The assault had brought on a heart attack. Also, he’d had his magic drained. He was as bad as I’ve seen anyone in eons.
As I looked into his fading gaze, I knew he wasn’t long for this world no matter what I did. He was so far gone that I was amazed he’d lasted this long. It was a testimony to his strength.
“Howard,” I said softly, leaning close and trying to impart a feeling of calm. “It’s me. It’s Fantazia. You wanted me, I’m here.” I smiled, trying to act like nothing out of the usual was going on. “What did you want to tell me?”
His hazy eyes focused on me for a moment, but a choked noise came out of his throat. He couldn’t speak.
“Shh. Not that way. Like this.” I brushed a light hand over his lips and then traced a pattern lightly over his brow. Never mind the blood. “Unisci la mia mente alla tua.” My mind to yours.
I couldn’t tell how much damage had been done to his brain by the skull fracture, never mind the spell, but I stared right into his eyes, willing him extra clarity for this one last moment. Howard. Focus on me. Who attacked you?
The lizards corrupt.
I felt my heart sink. He was talking nonsense, like Donald.
Howard, I pressed. Who did the lizards corrupt?
Memory . . . I felt him start to drift away. He was going so quickly. I bit my lip in frustration, but someone less jaded would have cried.
Howard! I practically shrieked in his mind. Stay with me!
He wasn’t even sending me word-based thoughts now; I saw flashes, flickering pictures in his mind. Memories? Yes. I saw a flashback of a weekend