Chapter 16

The world spun around me, but gravity only works one way, and it pulled me low.

For what seemed like a few minutes, I laid on the asphalt relearning to see straight and clear away the stars. I rolled over onto my back, noted someone standing over me, and asked, “What hit me?”

“I did, mother fucker!” someone yelled at me. The voice was familiar. “And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay down.”

Considering I didn’t think I could stand on my own anyway, I nodded. “Staying right here,” I said, and held up my hand with my thumb out. A rough thumbs-up motion.

He slapped my hand away. “Fucking pussy!”

I covered my eyes and fought to focus on my injuries. The stars that filled my vision cleared up and I could suddenly see the inside of my skull – like a computer generated 3D image I could examine at my leisure. A small spider web crack marred the right side of my skull. I couldn’t name the bones affected, but I knew I had a mild concussion. I could expect to be dizzy, have problems with my vision, and even experience nausea. Lovely. If I were lucky, my attacker would be standing close enough that I could throw-up on his shoes.

After Anna accused me of torching a truck, the idea that she told someone to attack me seemed a stretch. My attacker’s verbal abuse felt personal, so I didn’t believe the two were connected. I couldn’t waste time in the hospital. I had to find my Dad, and then the locket. I needed to heal this wound.

I focused on the wound. I knew what needed to happen, thanks to my connection to Emma. She may have been a heart surgeon, but she was still a doctor, and she would know how to heal various wounds with magic. I focused on my intent, put my Will into it, and let the power flow.

The pain eased, as did the dizziness. I checked on the crack. It was gone. I was all better. Now, to get to my feet before my attacker could hit me again.

I heard voices approaching as well as a car. I opened my eyes enough to see the man standing over me. He looked toward the other sounds too. I rolled away from him and quickly recovered my footing. I had plenty of room to maneuver, and considering he held a baseball bat, I knew I would need it.

The man turned to look at me again. I recognized him, Riley Caldwell. The two of us graduated together last spring. He also took on the job of being my bully since the day I was accused to assaulting Lisa Hartwell. The two of them never dated and didn’t seem to be friends, so I didn’t fully understand why he hounded me day after day, before, during, and after school. It was as if he thought it was his personal mission to punish me as much as possible for what I had clearly gotten away with. Nothing I ever said would convince him that I had done anything to Lisa other than look at her. I had even shown him the scars I earned from her father, but that only seemed to egg him into trying to give me more.

I stood up straight and took up a ready stance. I shared bonds with my two House Guardians. I could call upon their spell knowledge, which consisted of combat spells. I didn’t believe I would have to go that far with Riley, but their skills in hand-to-hand would be useful to keep either of us from hurting each other. I could throw him to the ground repeatedly, either until he gave up or until he lay unconscious. It was his choice.

A pickup pulled in and parked in front of the Police Station behind Riley. I recognized it too. It belonged to one of Riley’s friends and fellow bullies, Leonard Sparks. He preferred to be called Leo, and I obliged, but that didn’t stop him from beating me with fists or whatever was handy. He climbed out of the truck, reached in to the bed, and pulled out a section of two-by-four.

I thought there might be some reasoning with the two of them. We were standing in front of the Police Station after all. “You two don’t want to do this here,” I said.

They glanced at each other, and made a silent agreement that whatever they had planned was worth it. No, reasoning was out the proverbial window.

I centered myself and stood waiting for them to make the first move. I would not start this fight, but I wasn’t going to let them end it either.

Leo broke away from Riley. They wanted to come at me from different angles.

I turned, keeping both of them within my peripheral vision, and continued to wait.

I didn’t need to see them to know that Leo came at me first. I heard his shoes on the asphalt. Riley waited half a second before he came at me too.

My heart raced. I waited as long as I dared and then quickly backpedaled around Alyssa’s car.

Leo followed me, but Riley stopped and went the other way around the car.

I stopped and let Leo get close. He swung the two-by-four at me with everything he had.

I dropped to one knee and swept his feet with my right foot.

Riley came around the front of the car, holding his bat high.

I let my foot sweep carry me around so that I faced Riley when he appeared. His midsection was open, and I punched him in the gut.

He doubled over from the blow but wasn’t down.

I stood up and rolled over the hood of the car, putting it between them and me again. I also landed close to the entrance to the Police Station. I had time enough to reach out and knock on the door before I had to pull away, dodging Riley’s bat.