Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 62262 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 311(@200wpm)___ 249(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62262 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 311(@200wpm)___ 249(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
“Same.”
I tucked my head under his chin, and after a while I said, “We’re going to be alright, aren’t we, Sam?”
“Absolutely. I’ll make sure of it.” His confidence was reassuring, but it didn’t eliminate the worry that kept churning away in my gut.
About two hours later, Arden knocked on our door and told us the coven had arrived. When we joined him in the hall, he said, “Please keep an open mind when you meet these guys. They might look like they just escaped from a live action version of Dungeons and Dragons, but their combined powers are no joke.”
Even with that disclaimer, the coven wasn’t what we were expecting. Seven guys in their mid to late twenties were gathered in the kitchen. Each of them was in the process of donning an elaborate velvet cape, along with a color-coordinated wizard’s hat embellished with gold and silver stars. Four of them were also wearing matching rainbow tie-dye T-shirts with the slogan Rose City Gaymers. “Gay gamers,” I said, as we came into the kitchen. “That’s cool.”
“A few of us were in the middle of a Magic: The Gathering marathon when we got the call,” a red-haired guy explained. “But of course, with awesome power comes awesome responsibility, so we cut it short and came to the rescue.”
“That’s a total misquote,” a Black guy with Clark Kent glasses told him. “It’s supposed to be great power, not awesome.”
The redhead took immediate offense to that. “Duh, Jeff. Like I don’t know that? The choice to put my own spin on it was deliberate!”
While those two bickered, Arden guided someone over to us and said, “Sam and Andy, this is Grady.” Like his cousin, Grady had a slim build and dark, unkempt hair. He seemed shy as he gave us a little wave.
The nerd herd started wandering off in every direction, so Arden called, “Let’s get this done, guys. Once we finish, you’re all welcome to spend the night. I have a bunch of candy and soda, and we can make popcorn and use the home theater if you want.”
This seemed to delight them, and they quickly gathered and followed Arden out the kitchen door. At the edge of the patio, they all took off their shoes and socks, so Sam and I did the same. Then we all walked out onto the lawn, which felt cold and slightly damp under my feet.
Sam was on my left and Arden was on my right when we formed a circle and joined hands. I leaned over and asked our host, “How does this work, exactly?”
“It’s all about being able to manipulate energy,” Arden explained. “Grady and his friends have the ability to gather it up, and they’ll use it to form a barrier. The more energy they collect, the stronger it’ll be. They’re going to pull most of it from the earth, which is why we’re barefoot. The rest of it is going to be drawn from all of us.”
He continued, “That’s phase one. Phase two is where the artistry comes in. It’s kind of like sculpting clay. Once the raw material is in place, they’ll shape and reinforce it. Grady will do most of that, because it aligns with his superpowers.”
Sam asked, “So, what’ll we be doing?”
“You’re basically acting as energy conduits. We all are,” Arden said. “Just relax and let it flow through you. It’ll only take a minute or two once it gets going, and you’ll feel it when it starts to ebb. Grady will let us know when we can break the circle, but hold tight until then. The more energy we can gather, the stronger the barrier will be.”
The coven began by doing some deep breathing exercises to focus and get centered. Even though the full moon was covered by clouds, I could see everyone pretty clearly in the light spilling from the kitchen windows.
Then the moonlight broke through the cloud cover. Maybe a hundred yards away, past where the lawn ended, something glinted in the forest. It seemed to be… pacing.
I glanced at Arden, whose back was to the woods, and he answered my unasked question. “I know. I feel him. What we’re doing is making him angry, but don’t worry. He can’t get to us.”
The clouds drifted over the moon again, and the faint glint disappeared. Not that it was gone. I just couldn’t see it anymore.
A minute later, a vibrating sensation shot up through my feet. Beside me, Sam drew a sharp breath and tightened his grip on my hand. It startled me when the circle lit up in a soft, golden glow. Every member of the coven had his eyes closed. It looked like it was taking a lot of effort to concentrate.
Suddenly, the ring of light became so bright that I had to squint. In the next moment, it began expanding in all directions, like the ripple of a stone thrown into a pond. The ever-growing ring sped across the grass and up and over the house. Right before it reached the woods, it stopped and flashed a brilliant shade of pure white. In that instant, I saw a tall man standing among the trees. Then the light disappeared, and I blinked as I tried to reacclimate to the darkness.