are we doing?” he shouted, irritated.
Earl was tightening the lug nuts on the spare tire. “Ready, sir.”
“After you,” Lucan said.
Miri started back to the car, stealing glances at the hole several times. She had just started to open the door when they heard another shriek. On the side of the road, something was digging its way out of the dirt. Clods flew in every direction and yellowish claws emerged.
They heard another scream.
And another.
And another.
Another.
Another.
A group of Magic Eaters pulled themselves out of the ground and slithered onto the road. The monsters surrounded them, leaving a trail of gray slime as they moved.
“Not good,” Lucan said.
Earl grabbed the shotgun and fired several more rounds. The bullets cracked several Magic Eaters’ shells, but they kept coming.
“I’m out of bullets, sir.”
“So you were onto something after all, Miri,” Lucan said.
Miri hid behind him. “What do we do?”
“Professor, you act like you’ve never seen a monster before.” Despite the impending danger, Lucan was calm. He threw a white card into the air. It flashed as a pink wheel of light radiated in front of his face. It looked like a clock, with runes inscribed on it instead of numbers.
He navigated through the wheel with his finger, rotating it clockwise and counterclockwise like a rotary phone. As he did, the wheel spun two runes into the center, and they glowed brightly.
He pushed at the runes with his open palm, and a wave of fire flew from the wheel and engulfed the Magic Eaters. The beasts yelled in pain and writhed in the flames.
Lucan cried out. His arm was on fire, and he patted it frantically.
“You’re hurt!” Miri cried.
“Miri, use your grimoire!” Lucan shouted. “First spin, two runes clockwise!”
Miri tossed her card into the air. The pink wheel flashed in front of her face, illuminating the area.
She recognized the some of the runes, but many were unfamiliar.
“Faster!” Lucan said.
The flames subsided and the Magic Eaters shook them off.
Miri touched the wheel and it pulsed at her fingertip. She dragged her finger clockwise and the runes spun with it.
Two runes clockwise.
She picked the one she thought was correct, a scrawling slash mark. She dragged the rune into the center of the wheel.
She hesitated.
This was pure magic. It would have a cost.
“What should I expect?” she asked.
“Just cast the damned spell!”
A Magic Eater jumped into the air with its teeth ready to sink into her arm.
She pushed the rune with her palm and closed her eyes.
The air grew cold. She heard a great shimmering sound.
Then cracking.
Then shattering.
She opened her eyes.
The Magic Eaters were lying on the ground, frozen in a layer of ice, their shells in pieces across the road.
“Nice work!” Lucan said.
Earl smashed several of them with the shotgun, crushing them and creating an opening for the car to pass.
“Get in!” he ordered.
He stomped on the accelerator and barreled through the hole he’d created.
Miri’s heart was still beating hard, and she didn’t even remember running to the car. As they drove farther away, she breathed in deeply and braced herself against the seat.
Then she felt cold. Her arm.
A long, red burn was plastered across her inner forearm. It was cold, yet it burned, and she grimaced.
“Freezer burn,” Lucan said. “That was the cost. Not as bad as it could have been.”
He held out his arm—his suit jacket was charred and he had a black mark on his arm. The interior of the car smelled like smoke. “You’ll live. Small price to pay.”
The pain radiated through her entire body and made her want to throw herself to the floor. She grimaced and patted her arm.
Lucan opened a compartment on the side of his seat and pumped a liberal amount of lotion onto his palm. He took her arm gingerly and rubbed it
Earl was tightening the lug nuts on the spare tire. “Ready, sir.”
“After you,” Lucan said.
Miri started back to the car, stealing glances at the hole several times. She had just started to open the door when they heard another shriek. On the side of the road, something was digging its way out of the dirt. Clods flew in every direction and yellowish claws emerged.
They heard another scream.
And another.
And another.
Another.
Another.
A group of Magic Eaters pulled themselves out of the ground and slithered onto the road. The monsters surrounded them, leaving a trail of gray slime as they moved.
“Not good,” Lucan said.
Earl grabbed the shotgun and fired several more rounds. The bullets cracked several Magic Eaters’ shells, but they kept coming.
“I’m out of bullets, sir.”
“So you were onto something after all, Miri,” Lucan said.
Miri hid behind him. “What do we do?”
“Professor, you act like you’ve never seen a monster before.” Despite the impending danger, Lucan was calm. He threw a white card into the air. It flashed as a pink wheel of light radiated in front of his face. It looked like a clock, with runes inscribed on it instead of numbers.
He navigated through the wheel with his finger, rotating it clockwise and counterclockwise like a rotary phone. As he did, the wheel spun two runes into the center, and they glowed brightly.
He pushed at the runes with his open palm, and a wave of fire flew from the wheel and engulfed the Magic Eaters. The beasts yelled in pain and writhed in the flames.
Lucan cried out. His arm was on fire, and he patted it frantically.
“You’re hurt!” Miri cried.
“Miri, use your grimoire!” Lucan shouted. “First spin, two runes clockwise!”
Miri tossed her card into the air. The pink wheel flashed in front of her face, illuminating the area.
She recognized the some of the runes, but many were unfamiliar.
“Faster!” Lucan said.
The flames subsided and the Magic Eaters shook them off.
Miri touched the wheel and it pulsed at her fingertip. She dragged her finger clockwise and the runes spun with it.
Two runes clockwise.
She picked the one she thought was correct, a scrawling slash mark. She dragged the rune into the center of the wheel.
She hesitated.
This was pure magic. It would have a cost.
“What should I expect?” she asked.
“Just cast the damned spell!”
A Magic Eater jumped into the air with its teeth ready to sink into her arm.
She pushed the rune with her palm and closed her eyes.
The air grew cold. She heard a great shimmering sound.
Then cracking.
Then shattering.
She opened her eyes.
The Magic Eaters were lying on the ground, frozen in a layer of ice, their shells in pieces across the road.
“Nice work!” Lucan said.
Earl smashed several of them with the shotgun, crushing them and creating an opening for the car to pass.
“Get in!” he ordered.
He stomped on the accelerator and barreled through the hole he’d created.
Miri’s heart was still beating hard, and she didn’t even remember running to the car. As they drove farther away, she breathed in deeply and braced herself against the seat.
Then she felt cold. Her arm.
A long, red burn was plastered across her inner forearm. It was cold, yet it burned, and she grimaced.
“Freezer burn,” Lucan said. “That was the cost. Not as bad as it could have been.”
He held out his arm—his suit jacket was charred and he had a black mark on his arm. The interior of the car smelled like smoke. “You’ll live. Small price to pay.”
The pain radiated through her entire body and made her want to throw herself to the floor. She grimaced and patted her arm.
Lucan opened a compartment on the side of his seat and pumped a liberal amount of lotion onto his palm. He took her arm gingerly and rubbed it
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