Haven: Revenge of the Viper by D.C. Akers Page B

light of the gemstone went out. Sam looked at his mother and then at Sarah. He had so many questions and he knew Sarah did too, but he didn’t know where to begin. There was only one question that mattered now.
    “Mom, why can’t you make us disappear out of the house?”
    Alisa looked over at Sam and met his gaze. His eyes moved rapidly, searching her face for answers. Alisa could see her son was confused, but he was holding it together. Just like his father, she thought, always calm under pressure. For a brief moment her heart sank. This was not the way she intended for them to find out about their past. Sam and Sarah deserved better than this.
    “I can’t. The Viper has placed a Binding spell on the house. No one can get in or out.”
    Sarah frowned and shook her head in frustration, “A what? What’s a Binding spell? Mom, what does that even mean? You’re not making any sense. None of this is making any sense!” she said.
    Alisa looked over at Sarah, who had just about reached her limit. She needed to keep her calm before she brought the whole house down around them.
    “Honey, I know it doesn’t, but there isn’t time. That thing out there is a hunter, and right now it’s hunting us. The only way we stay alive is if we keep moving. Do you understand me?”
    Sarah didn’t say a word. Her face had gone white now.
    “Sarah,” Alisa said again. She reached out and shook her shoulder. “Do you understand?”
    Sarah eyes blinked in acknowledgement, but as she opened her mouth to speak the room erupted in flashes of green fire that exploded on the wall next to them. Quickly, Alisa planted Nara firmly in front of her and the staff came to life once again in a blue blaze. Streaks of green fire shot through the darkness from beyond the doorway, heading right for them. It was too late to move, the fire was upon them in an instant. Sam closed his eyes and braced himself for impact. Sarah screamed and Travis turned, placing himself between the oncoming fire and Sarah. The sheer force of the explosion rocked the confines of the small room. Green sinuous flames curled around the huddled mass like long fiery tentacles. Sam felt the jolt beneath his feet but nothing more; he had expected to feel the hot flames engulf his body, but nothing happened. He opened his eyes and suddenly he became very still. Just inches away, shimmering in the darkness was a magnificent blue transparent shield that radiated from his mother’s staff. Sam’s lips parted in amazement, Sarah’s body stiffened, and Travis glanced around to see if the others were seeing the same thing he was.
    Alisa was down on her knees. Both her hands were gripped around her staff, which was braced against the side of her body. Before anyone could speak another barrage of fire balls exploded against the shield, which began to crack with the impact of the attack. Sam flinched and watched in amazement as the pieces of the magical shield fell away like shards of broken glass, dissolving into thin air.
    “Sam!” his mother yelled. He was barely able to hear her over the explosions against the shield. “When I give the word, you and Travis take your sister and get to your room.”
    “What? No!” Sarah yelled, “We can’t leave you!”
    Sam’s eyebrows drew together. “Mom, what are you saying? What about you?” he asked desperately.
    “I’ll hold it off. We need to buy time! If I know Xavier it won’t be long before he breaks the spell!” And Xavier is here , she told herself. There was only one person she knew that ate Becker’s Famous Chocolates, and he was not from this world.
    Sarah grimaced, “Who? Who’s that?”
    But Alisa did not reply. Her focus was on Sam.
    “Sam, ready?” she asked. Her pained stare caught Sam off guard. He didn’t know what to say.
    “Sam, answer me! Are you ready?”
    Sam swallowed hard and nodded in agreement.
    Three oncoming fire balls struck the failing shield like missiles. Alisa flinched, her muscles straining as