Instincts and Impostors by Meghan Ciana Doidge

Author:Meghan Ciana Doidge [Doidge, Meghan Ciana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781989571507
Publisher: Meghan Ciana Doidge

CHAPTER 7

I practically exploded out of the forest and onto the sand, Juniper a silent weight in my arms. Farther up the beach, Aiden straightened from examining the corpses of seagulls and crabs that littered the area, already spinning toward me with his hand flung out and a spell on his lips.

I looked beyond him, noting small clusters of witches, paired off to examine and clean up the results of a summoning that had only one logical origin.

Mercury Dunkirk.

The British witch with the ice-blue eyes was even farther up the beach, gesturing expansively as she spoke — or rather argued — with Scarlett and Pearl.

I continued running, toward Aiden now, watching as his hand lowered and a frown creased his brow. Watching as his gaze flicked behind me — and taking in that Opal wasn’t with me. Seeing how his bright-blue power flooded his suddenly fierce gaze.

“Emma?” a witch called to me as I raced past.

I almost ignored her, but Juniper touched my cheek lightly. “Burgundy can heal my ankle, Emma.”

I had scared the wounded witch in my arms. Had scared, and was still in the process of scaring, Opal’s new friend.

I pivoted midstep, rounding on Burgundy, the healer, so quickly that she squeaked and stumbled back. She recovered quickly, though, magic already flowing out to her fingertips as she reached for Juniper. “It’s your leg?”

“Ankle,” Juniper said. “Sprained, I think.”

I was offloading Juniper into Burgundy’s arms before my brain caught up to my actions — at which point, I realized that a healer in her early twenties couldn’t actually support the entire weight of a fifteen-year-old witch who was only slightly shorter than her.

I shifted Juniper awkwardly so she could settle down onto the sand, realizing that I had pulled the rest of the witches’ attention to me now. Aiden was only a couple of steps away with his bat back in his hand. Half the runes etched into its length had been drained.

“It’s broken,” Burgundy said. “I’m going to need my premade spells. I can’t heal something like this without —”

I shoved my hand in her face, and she blinked up at me. “There’s going to be more blood tonight, healer,” I said, my voice sounding deadened even to my own ears as I shifted my attention to my far right. Homing in on Mercury.

The British witch — the animal mage — stiffened, then glanced back at me. The movement appeared involuntary, as if she’d felt my intent all the way across the beach. The goblin cat was peeking out from under the low hem of her dark-green robes again.

Scarlett followed Mercury’s gaze. Her frowned deepened as she took in the sight of me standing over Juniper and a crouched Burgundy.

The healer slipped her hand in mine as Aiden stepped up beside me. I amplified Burgundy quickly. Not as hard and fast as I could have, but as swiftly as possible without overwhelming her. Hopefully.

She gasped. Her fingers flexed in mine, and I loosened my grip to let go.

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