Spider's Trap by Jennifer Estep

Author:Jennifer Estep
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books

17

The force of the blast knocked me back into Lorelei and sent us both tumbling to the ground.

The tree disintegrated into the sum of its splinters. So did the trellis in front of it and all the surrounding bushes. Ash and cinders fluttered through the air like confetti, along with burned leaves, blackened petals, and smoldering bits of bark. Lorelei and I were the closest to the blast, and the smoke boiled over us, making me cough and cough. Strangely enough, the smoke smelled like roses.

The explosion seemed to go on forever, although it couldn’t have lasted more than a few seconds. I didn’t know how long it was before I was able to pick myself up and stagger to my feet.

I wobbled back and forth, my ears ringing from the blast and my head swimming in a way that told me that I had another concussion. But I was still in one piece, and so were Lorelei and everyone else. So I forced myself to ignore my injuries and focus on the damage.

The smoldering remains of the tree were studded with nails, the charred trunk bristling with them like a pincushion. I half expected blood to come pouring out of the wounds, but of course, it didn’t. Still, a shiver raced up my spine. That could have been me studded with nails—or, worse, Jo-Jo and Roslyn.

My friends rushed over to me, Jo-Jo reaching for her Air magic to heal my injuries. Her power surged over me much the same way my Ice magic had blasted over the jewelry box. I grimaced at the pins-and-needles sensation of her magic sweeping over my body and stitching back what was cut, bloody, and bruised.

I looked at Lorelei, who was slowly getting to her own feet. She’d been behind me, so she’d been spared the brunt of the blast. All it seemed to have done was to knock her down and dirty her dress.

Lorelei gave me a guarded look, her gaze lingering on the bloody gash on my arm as it slowly healed. Once she realized that I was still in one piece, she hurried over to Mallory, who was calling her name. Lorelei hugged her grandmother tightly, then bent down and started whispering in her ear. Mallory’s face was pale, but her blue eyes glittered with determination. So did Lorelei’s.

“Now what happens?” Roslyn asked, staring at them the same way I was.

Despite Jo-Jo’s healing magic, my head was still aching, and it wasn’t from the bomb blast or the resulting concussion. “I have no clue.”

* * *

Naturally, all the panicked society ladies called the cops, and the po-po showed up about ten minutes later. Bria and Xavier were the lead investigators on the scene, with uniformed officers moving through the crowd and taking witness statements. Still more folks dressed in bomb gear swept through the Rose Garden, then spread out to the other sections, searching for more explosive devices. I doubted they would find any, though. Pike had only wanted to kill Mallory.

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