The Vaga (10 page)

With only a few metres left to go he gives me an on-my-signal-we-run look and I nod in agreement. He nods back and takes a hard look into the empty space in front of the entry before giving me the signal.

We take off running and out of nowhere the creature attacks, its body launching into the air towards us. Julian twists his body and punches his arm out. It connects with the creature’s head, but not before it knocks us off our feet. As it lands back onto its creepy cloven hooves it shakes its head, a little startled that contact was made, and then turns back in our direction.

Julian gets up swiftly and pulls me along with him just as the creature peels its wide mouth open to reveal sharp ridges of bone where there should have been teeth. Julian moves himself in front of me and with lightning fast speed pulls a dagger from his left thigh, just as the creature pounces.

I watch him lash out with the dagger and then a howling screech fills the air.

‘Elena, run!’ Julian yells, taking me by the hand.

I don’t need any convincing. We quickly make our way out of the animal exhibit into the direction of the storage room.

We are running fast when a crashing noise sounds out from behind us and the screeching howl of the creature fills the museum’s emptiness. I look back over my shoulder and see it lunge after us down the gloomy corridor.

My eyes are trained on the storage door, hoping we can reach it in one piece and make it out of here, but the horrible sound of the creature advancing tells me that isn’t going to happen.

Julian must be thinking the same thing because all of a sudden he stops running and turns to me. ‘Run!’

As if in slow motion my eyes see the creature speeding towards us, and then I realise what Julian is trying to do.

He is trying to save me.

‘No,’ I manage to whisper.

‘Elena, you have to run. Now!’ he yells as he gets ready to defend us.

‘No, I won’t leave you!’

His eyes burn fiercely and he groans as he faces the enemy closing in on us.

I stand next to him, no weapon at my disposal, but ready to do whatever it takes to protect us.

The beast is nearly on us and for the first time in my life I feel completely helpless without my magic. How could I have been resenting it so much recently when all my life I’ve relied on it to get me through?

I keep glancing at Julian in distress, wondering how in the hell a scissor kick to the creature’s head is supposed to help us.

Julian’s body tightens as he gets ready for impact, twirling his knife around in his hand, waiting for the perfect time to strike out.

Within seconds the creature is on us, and as it launches itself at Julian another animal leaps out of nowhere and crashes into the creature, both of them going down in a tumble of fur and animal growls.

Julian doesn’t hesitate as he grabs my hand and yells something inaudible at me, but I am frozen in place thinking that the animal that just launched itself at the creature was Magi.

‘Elena, move!’

I can’t see any black fur as I watch the animals thrash at each other, and a shudder of relief runs through me before I’m pulled towards our escape.

We run out into the street with the spine-tingling sounds of vicious fighting following us into the dawn-filled morning.

‘Don’t stop moving, Elena. We need to get you home,’ Julian says, still keeping a tight grip on my hand.

‘But Uncle Jo and Magi could still be—’

‘They weren’t in there. Trust me. The creature lured them towards the woods before using its magic on you.’

‘How…how do you know this?’ I ask, trying to make sense of what just happened.

‘I was watching the house,’ he says, pulling me across the street.

‘So they’re safe?’ I ask.

‘They’re probably making their way back to the house as we speak.’

I hope he’s right
.

As we race back through the park my body starts to ache and the pressure on my chest becomes too much. I release my hand from his grip, stopping to take a deep breath.

‘What is it? What’s wrong?’ he asks, his face etched with concern.

My anger suddenly makes an appearance. ‘What’s wrong? Are you serious? Where do I start?’ I fling my arm out towards the museum.

His eyes glance at the museum, and then he lowers his voice. ‘That’s not what I meant. I get you have questions, okay, but now is not the time. We have to get out of here.’

I know he’s right, but I feel so frustrated, like I-want-to-punch-someone-in-the-face kind of frustrated. Why am I feeling like this?

Isis
.

I call on my power and it floods to the surface. Relief sweeps over me as I feel it return. But why didn’t it work in the museum? Julian gives me a quizzical look, his dark brown hair falling softly across his forehead.

My thoughts are momentarily stunned by his striking features, which in the morning light appear both foreign and familiar at the same time. My eyes follow the strong curve of his chin; his slightly crooked but well-sculpted nose; his dark eyebrows that frame his hauntingly beautiful steel-grey eyes; and lastly his full lips, which right now are moving up into a crooked smile.

‘Elena?’

Snap out of it girl
! ‘Huh? What did you say?’ I ask, feeling the colour rush into my cheeks. That smile of his is making my knees weak. How is he doing that?

His voice softens. ‘I said, we have to get out of here.’

I nod. ‘Yep, okay, let’s go.’ I’m about to take off running when I see red seeping through his shirt. My eyes widen. ‘You’re hurt?’

He looks down and presses his hand against the stomach wound. ‘It’s just a scratch.’

Pushing away the need to go back and stab the creature in the face for hurting him, I ask, ‘Did…did you want me to heal that?’ Thoughts of running my hand along the toned ridges of his stomach makes my toes curl.

As if reading my mind he raises his eyebrows in surprise. ‘It’s alright. Thanks anyway.’

I turn my face away before he can see the burning embers of embarrassment. ‘Okay, let’s go then.’ I take off at a jog.

He runs along beside me, back past the campus and towards the cottage. I shake my head at the surreal feeling of jogging along beside him. This is too weird even for me. First he was my enemy and now he’s my running buddy, who only a short while ago was willing to risk his life for mine. Phoebe’s reaction would be going through the roof right now.

We slow down as we near the cottage, and I stop and turn towards him, not quite knowing what to say.

He saves me the effort. ‘I know you won’t like this… but you need to let me come in with you.’

My mouth gapes open in shock. ‘Are you friggin serious? My uncle will kill you. Do you have a death wish?’

He calmly searches my face, unperturbed by my outburst, and takes a step towards me. My whole body freezes. ‘You and I both know that whatever is happening involves all of us. I know this is a little scary, but we have to do this together. Our future depends on it.’

His eyes burn a hole through me as he waits patiently for me to respond.

How can I respond when one, he’s looking at me like
that
, and two, if I say yes, then he won’t even see a future when Uncle Jo gets ahold of him.

He raises an eyebrow. ‘Well?’

I find my breath and exhale. ‘You’re a dead man, you know that?’ I turn and cross the warding to the cottage, trying to downplay the feeling of dread that is swarming inside my stomach.

I feel him grinning as he follows me, and even though in my heart I know he isn’t a threat anymore, I still wait to see if the warding rejects him or not.

It doesn’t.

As I make my way up the back stairs I remember what I went through in the last couple of hours and my stomach lurches. I was nearly killed in that museum by a creature that can’t have been from this world. And if it wasn’t for Julian…well surely that might sway Uncle Jo not to rip his head off?

I expect Uncle Jo to rush out the back door and pull me into his arms, but the house is silent as I walk into the kitchen and my pulse quickens.

‘Uncle Jo? Magi?’ I yell out. The house is deathly still and a coldness fills my chest. If they’re not here then where are they?

I send out a call to Magi and she sends me an image back. I shudder with relief as she lets me know they are heading back through the woodland towards the house. Then the relief quickly morphs into fear as I turn to see Julian watching me.

‘Uncle Jo and Magi are on their way,’ I say, ignoring the pounding of my heart.

I take a seat at the kitchen table and reach down to rub my sore and now-red feet. He takes a seat across from me and sits ramrod straight, like he’s waiting for a command from a superior officer.

‘You can relax you know.’

His lip twitches. ‘I am relaxed. This is how I sit.’

A smile plays at my lips when I realise he’s probably nervous about Uncle Jo’s return. A faint muffled noise distracts me and I attune my hearing to the sound.

‘Aunt Lily!’ I jump up quickly and run to the linen cupboard, where I release the cellar door latch.

As the door opens Aunt Lily rushes up to me. ‘Is everyone alright? Is anybody hur—’

Her eyes widen as she looks over my shoulder at Julian.

‘Everyone is okay. Uncle Jo is on his way back now.’

She doesn’t say a word. She can’t stop looking at him.

Here we go
. I square my shoulders. ‘Aunt Lily, this is Julian.’

A few seconds pass before she wakes from her zombie stare. ‘Huh? Oh, well…’

Julian thrusts out his hand towards her. ‘Nice to meet you, Mrs. Olsen.’

She looks down at his hand slowly, a flicker of uncertainty skimming across her features.

‘It’s okay, Aunt Lily. He’s here to help us.’

She takes his hand gently and he helps her out into the hallway before we head into the lounge room.

‘What happened, Ellie?’ she asks me, her eyes still wandering to Julian every few seconds.

Julian has stayed back a little to give us some room. He is leaning against the bookcase and is trying to act relaxed, but his energy tells me that is far from the truth. His gaze falls on me and that warm fuzzy feeling in my stomach returns.

‘You better sit down.’

The back screen door swings open loudly as Uncle Jo’s voice echoes through the house. ‘Ellie?’

Holy crap sticks
!

‘In here!’ It is amazing how quickly all three of us went from okay to absolutely terrified in about two seconds flat. The tension in the air electrifies.

Magi and Uncle Jo walk into the lounge room, and as his eyes swiftly take in the scene he whips his rifle off his shoulder and brings it up, pointing it straight at Julian.

‘Who are you?’ he growls.

I move forward quickly and place my hand on his arm. ‘Uncle Jo, he’s here to help us.’

He cocks the gun loudly and takes a menacing step towards Julian. ‘I’ll only ask one more time. Who are you?’

Julian’s face remains inscrutable and Aunt Lily does something really brave. She positions herself between the gun and Julian.

‘Josiah Olsen, you better put that gun down this instant.’

His eyes fall on her in surprise.

‘You heard me,
right now
!’ Her usually serene face is etched in a stern frown, and if it was at any other time I’d think this scenario was comical.

Uncle Jo slowly lowers the rifle, but he obviously isn’t happy about it. ‘Someone better tell me what’s going on this
minute
.’

‘If you stop acting like a man
deranged
then we will tell you,’ Aunt Lily says, still scowling at him.

He uncocks the rifle slowly for effect and places it down on the sideboard. ‘Better?’

She smiles. ‘Much better. Now have a seat.’ She gestures towards the lounge and grabs Julian’s arm, directing him to the other chair.

I’m watching this scene with amusement, realising that Aunt Lily is actually sorting these guys out single-handedly. I remind myself to ask her what her secret is later as I position myself next to Uncle Jo.

Magi remains sitting in the doorway, and I call her to me but she doesn’t move. ‘Mags, it’s okay, come here girl.’ I pat the cushion beside me.

Her eyes fall to Julian before she turns and heads back outside. I make to go after her, but Uncle Jo grabs my arm. ‘Let her go, Ellie. We have more important things to talk about right now.’

I reluctantly sit back down, a feeling of sadness washing over me, and I know it’s coming from Magi. What has her so upset?

‘I’ll get us some refreshments,’ Aunt Lily says and lifts her eyebrows in Uncle Jo’s direction, as if to say
behave until I get back
.

Julian clears his throat, shifting uncomfortably under Uncle Jo’s scrutinising glare.

I sigh, wanting to get this whole alpha play-off over and done with. ‘Uncle Jo, this is Julian. Julian, this is Uncle Jo.’

Neither one of them move. They both just stare at each other across the lounge room, waiting for the other one to break contact first.

And then Julian gets up enough courage to speak first. ‘Mr. Olsen, I know what you’re thinking, bu—’