ever.
But as I watched her sailing back toward town on her bike , red curls gleaming in the afternoon sun, a sudden foreboding clutched at my vitals and wiped the grin right off m y face. It was like being punched by an invisible hand . I think I actually staggered. Frightened, I turned and ran back up the gravel driveway to the safety of home like a toddler runs to its mother.
What is it? What is it? I collapsed on the porch swing and sent my spellspinner feelers out, seeking Lance. I didn’t find him, but I found…something. My mind encountered a wall of menace pushing toward me. I ’d never felt anything like it.
My instinct was to turn away, but I forced myself to stop and examine it instead. My breath was coming in short gasps and my teeth were clenched, but I didn’t notice that until later; I concentrated with every fiber of my being on this, this bulldozer inching down Chapman Road, seeking to level Nonny’s house.
Would it hurt Meg? The terrifying image of my best friend pedaling innocently toward it, whatever it was, prop elled me to my feet, gasping in fear. She would be traveling rig ht through it, with no protection whatsoever. Because this thing had a locati on— it wa sn’t just some amorphous threat . There was something coming for me. And it was coming down Chapman Road.
Almost immediately, I heard the roar of a motorcycle in the distance. My heart leapt with relief. At the time, I didn’t stop to think how odd it was that Lance’s approach was so welcome to me. It just was. I may not trust him completely, but compared to the monster rolling my way, Lance was a knight in shining armor.
I dashed back down the driveway , gravel spraying from my flying espadrilles, and clung to the mailbox, my eyes anxiously searching the road. Within seconds, Lance flew around the curve and into view, driving much too fast for safety. He killed his engine at the foot of our drive and reached me in one fluid move, half-leap, half-run. His eyes were blazing with concentration—and power.
My mind was still chattering: What is it? What is it? But he picked up my fear for Meg, too, and addressed that first.
“It won’t hurt Megan. She won’t feel it. Won’t even know it’s there. It’s not aimed at her. ”
I still couldn’t speak, but I nodded, grateful for that much at least.
“They’re coming, Zara.”
I didn’t bother to ask who. “How many?”
“Five new ones , I think. Rune and Amber make seven. But I don’t think Rune’s heart is in it. He’s trying to argue with the others.”
“Is that what I’m feeling? Just the…the posse heading my way?”
Lance shook his head. I saw muscles tightening in his jaw and picked up his anger and disgust at what was happening. “They don’t know how powerful you might turn out to be, so they’ re wimping out . They’re not going for you directly. They’re going for your home. They think that’ll force your hand. ”
He sensed my confusion and spoke before I could ask. “They’re behaving like cowards, if you ask me. Plus it’s not going to work. Come on. We have to act fast.”
I wanted to ask What do you mean? What are they doing? What do they want? What should we do? but all that came out was, “What…what…”
Fortunately, words weren’t necessary between me and Lance.
“Help me ,” he said . “ We’re going to build a wall around this place.” He sent me the mental image of an invisible shield sitting like a crystal dome over Nonny’s house, Norland’s Nursery, and the surrounding fields and meadow. The picture he showed me looked like my home in a snow globe. “It can’t be too big,” he warned me. “I wouldn’t chance it. We can’t protect the whole town or anything like that. But between the two of us, we can protect this place. And Nonny .”
Nonny ! My heart pounded in fear. “W hy Nonny ? She’s got nothing to do with this. ”
“ They don’t care. Come on.” He was sprint ing down the side of the house,
But as I watched her sailing back toward town on her bike , red curls gleaming in the afternoon sun, a sudden foreboding clutched at my vitals and wiped the grin right off m y face. It was like being punched by an invisible hand . I think I actually staggered. Frightened, I turned and ran back up the gravel driveway to the safety of home like a toddler runs to its mother.
What is it? What is it? I collapsed on the porch swing and sent my spellspinner feelers out, seeking Lance. I didn’t find him, but I found…something. My mind encountered a wall of menace pushing toward me. I ’d never felt anything like it.
My instinct was to turn away, but I forced myself to stop and examine it instead. My breath was coming in short gasps and my teeth were clenched, but I didn’t notice that until later; I concentrated with every fiber of my being on this, this bulldozer inching down Chapman Road, seeking to level Nonny’s house.
Would it hurt Meg? The terrifying image of my best friend pedaling innocently toward it, whatever it was, prop elled me to my feet, gasping in fear. She would be traveling rig ht through it, with no protection whatsoever. Because this thing had a locati on— it wa sn’t just some amorphous threat . There was something coming for me. And it was coming down Chapman Road.
Almost immediately, I heard the roar of a motorcycle in the distance. My heart leapt with relief. At the time, I didn’t stop to think how odd it was that Lance’s approach was so welcome to me. It just was. I may not trust him completely, but compared to the monster rolling my way, Lance was a knight in shining armor.
I dashed back down the driveway , gravel spraying from my flying espadrilles, and clung to the mailbox, my eyes anxiously searching the road. Within seconds, Lance flew around the curve and into view, driving much too fast for safety. He killed his engine at the foot of our drive and reached me in one fluid move, half-leap, half-run. His eyes were blazing with concentration—and power.
My mind was still chattering: What is it? What is it? But he picked up my fear for Meg, too, and addressed that first.
“It won’t hurt Megan. She won’t feel it. Won’t even know it’s there. It’s not aimed at her. ”
I still couldn’t speak, but I nodded, grateful for that much at least.
“They’re coming, Zara.”
I didn’t bother to ask who. “How many?”
“Five new ones , I think. Rune and Amber make seven. But I don’t think Rune’s heart is in it. He’s trying to argue with the others.”
“Is that what I’m feeling? Just the…the posse heading my way?”
Lance shook his head. I saw muscles tightening in his jaw and picked up his anger and disgust at what was happening. “They don’t know how powerful you might turn out to be, so they’ re wimping out . They’re not going for you directly. They’re going for your home. They think that’ll force your hand. ”
He sensed my confusion and spoke before I could ask. “They’re behaving like cowards, if you ask me. Plus it’s not going to work. Come on. We have to act fast.”
I wanted to ask What do you mean? What are they doing? What do they want? What should we do? but all that came out was, “What…what…”
Fortunately, words weren’t necessary between me and Lance.
“Help me ,” he said . “ We’re going to build a wall around this place.” He sent me the mental image of an invisible shield sitting like a crystal dome over Nonny’s house, Norland’s Nursery, and the surrounding fields and meadow. The picture he showed me looked like my home in a snow globe. “It can’t be too big,” he warned me. “I wouldn’t chance it. We can’t protect the whole town or anything like that. But between the two of us, we can protect this place. And Nonny .”
Nonny ! My heart pounded in fear. “W hy Nonny ? She’s got nothing to do with this. ”
“ They don’t care. Come on.” He was sprint ing down the side of the house,
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