I stiffened. That voice, the same one that had been inside my head lately, left me chilled to the bone. The fire in my core banked and died completely. I wrapped my arms around my middle.
In the background, I could hear a screeching animal trying to break free. I swallowed nervously. Beside me, Ryder stiffened. If Alvin had an animal nearby, he might try to sacrifice it and activate the alien arcana hiding inside me.
If I didn’t leave, Alvin would make me do something I would regret.
“You all have one last chance to redeem yourselves,” Alvin announced while the creature screeched louder and louder. “You all think you’re safe. You think you can escape me. I will show you what happens to traitors who won’t kneel.”
My stomach hit the ground. I lurched backwards, twisted, and launched into a sprint. Dad called out, clearly confused. The world around me blurred. I needed to put as much space between myself and the pack as possible.
Mom stumbled out the front door and cried my name. I didn’t stop.
Man, this was some bullshit. My ankles screamed at me for running in cheap combat boots. The ritual arcana flickered like a monster coming to life. My own electricity flashed in answer. The ritual arcana reached out and grabbed ahold of it.
I cursed under my breath and tried to wrench the electrical energy away from the ritual arcana. The effort made my feet tangle beneath me. I stumbled and caught myself, the sidewalk scraping my palms.
Above, the skies let out an ominous rumble. I hoped that was Ryder’s doing and not mine, but I could already feel the arcana within me moving. It reached into the sky and grabbed ahold of the lightning.
Run, I thought to myself. You can’t strike who you can’t see.
I doubted Alvin wanted to strike me. Why waste a sacrifice on someone who might not even die? Besides, I was useful so long as I was alive.
So, I ran. And I hoped that Ryder had things handled back at the house.