A Little Touch of Magic | The Callers #1

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I slept fitfully that night. Father had shown me to a lovely room in his private cabin that had the comfiest bed I'd ever lay on, but still I couldn't sleep. His words at the end of my demonstration still stumbled around in my head.

One way or the other, I was a pawn in a bigger game to get rid of the opposing players. I didn't like it at all. For the first time since I had left the Home, my thoughts drifted back there. I wondered what the others kids were doing with their days. How they weren't being forced to choose between two sides. I just wanted to go back to those days.

After spending so long wishing for a family that I could call my own, the family I had was scary and nothing like I'd hoped.

I rolled over so I was staring at the ceiling. There was a heavy weight to the air. Something pressing down on my chest as I mulled over everything that had happened to me. My father was going to try and use me to bring down the Callers, Mr Ravencroft wanted to use me to bring down my father, and I was stuck in the middle, unable to choose a side because they both meant so much to me.

I watched lights dancing outside my window. The adults were gathered around a bonfire in the centre of the camp, discussing what I had shown them and how they could use it. I heard snippets of their conversation as I was led inside. Now, their voices were just a droning noise in the blinking darkness.

After another hour of dozing, trying to get my eyes to close and stay closed so I could sleep, I finally gave up. Creeping out of bed, I tip-toed to the window and pulled the curtain back just enough that I could peek through to watch the adults at the bonfire. If I was able to get away with it, I would have opened the window, but I knew that they squeaked terribly when they were slid open and it would have caught everyone's attention.

I didn't know what time it was, but it was pitch-black outside. Someone had spilled dark ink across the sky, not even the moon was visible. The only light came from the bonfire, illuminating the faces of those closest to it.

Father was pacing. Throwing his arms out as he spoke. I could hear the cheers rising from the others after each gesture. He was riling them up to fight the battle ahead, the one that I would play the most important part in. I didn't want that.

I didn't want anyone fighting.

I ducked down a little as a siren sounded around the camp. I knew that I hadn't set it off, but I still panicked. The shouts at the campfire picked up and I peered out again to see what was going on.

Two cars skidded into the clearing, their engines roaring and throwing dirt into the air and towards the campfire crowd. The crowd screamed and shouted at them in response. I recognised the cars immediately.

Mr Ravencroft and the others had come for me.

I scrambled to throw my things back into my bag. Pulling off my pajamas to replace them with warm clothes, I kept peering out the window to see what was happening. The Callers were using their powers to confuse and distract the group as the few Callers there fought back. It was chaos.

Panting, I stuffed my pajamas into my bag and threw it over my shoulder, heading out the door and towards the front of the cabin. The noises outside were louder there. Terrifying. I could hear screaming, shouting, cursing. I slipped out the front door and crept around the edge of the cabin.

I wasn't going to let them use me like they wanted to. I wasn't going to let them tear each other apart. I may only have been a little girl in their eyes, but I didn't need any of them to look after myself. I had been doing it near enough myself for years.

Hitching my bag further up my shoulder I ran to the shelter of the next cabin, ducking as some of Mr Ravencroft's birds swooped over my head, cawing angrily.

'Ilaina!' someone shouted.

I couldn't tell who it was and I didn't want to turn around. Running away from them all was hard. Harder than I thought.

'Ilaina! Stop!' That was Father.

Dark tendrils wrapped around me from the shadows in the ground. I struggled against their hold but couldn't do anything. I was trapped.

'Let her go!' Mr Ravencroft roared.

'I'm doing this for her own protection, you idiot!' Father shouted in return.

'You're doing nothing of the sort,' Mr Ravencroft cried, running towards me as best he could. 'Don't worry, Ilaina, I'll get you out of here.'

'I don't think so!' Father said, appearing at my side.

I watched as the two men stared each other down, the dark tendrils squeezing me in a reassuring way. I knew that Father wasn't trying to hurt me, but I still struggled against the bonds. No one was going to stop me from making my choice.

'No!' I screamed, my voice echoing around the camp clearing.

I felt the angry buzzing of my faerie friends coming to my aid. They shattered through the dusty particles of the tendrils holding onto me and I fell to my knees at the sudden release.

'Papua! Help me!' I cried.

I caught sight of the tiny red faerie as she danced in front of me, her entire being vibrating as she called the others towards her. As they joined hands to form a protective layer between me and everyone else, I caught sight of the two men who were fighting so hard for me.

'I'm sorry,' I whispered as their faces slowly disappeared from my view, blocked out by the faeries.

'Please, don't do this, Ilaina!' I heard Mr Ravencroft shout.

Father remained silent.

There was only oneperson I could think of who would tell me the truth. Who didn't care about meand wouldn't have a reason to lie to me. With thoughts of a golden-haired womancrossing through my mind, I ran.

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And it's done! A Little Touch of Magic is now complete! Thank you so much for reading and supporting it over the last year or so. If you'd like to keep up to date with the editing process and publication details - this title will be published as an ebook later in the year, date to be determined - then please do feel free to follow me on Twitter (hlwrites0490) or you can follow my progress over on my blog (www.hlwrites0490.wordpress.com). I'll be doing a cover reveal at some point so be sure to keep an eye out for that.

Editing is underway and I've got a lot of things to fix from this draft. Some things might change, I might even add in some new scenes and/or chapters!

Book two in the series - Back to the Beginner's Word - will be uploaded here later this year too. I haven't started writing yet so I'm not 100% sure when though.

Thank you again for all the support so far. I hope that you will continue to support the series as it grows.

Have a great day!

Heather x