Sleight of Hand: The Final Card

Chapter 16

"So, what happened when you guys were released?" Bacon asked as their group drove through the out­skirts of Charleston.

Bacon was in the driver's seat, navigating his way back home while Mac occupied the passenger seat, using a little bit of power to ensure their piece-of-junk car didn't fall apart while they traveled.

Alyakim shot Bacon a withering look from the backseat where she was sandwiched between Elyk and Arries. Mac could tell she wanted out. She had a crazy look in her eyes.

Mac understood. They'd all decided it would be best to travel through the night to get home as quickly as pos­sible, even if it meant battling exhaustion—especially because of the one-hour time change between Tennessee where they'd stopped the first night and South Carolina where they lived. He, Bacon and Alyakim had taken turns driving, but it was clear everyone was ready to be out of the car and back in their own space.

"Bacon, you shouldn't ask that!" she exclaimed.

He looked confused. "Why not?"

Alyakim rolled her eyes. "What if it's traumatizing?"

Arries piped up, "Sis, we've been through more traumatizing things than that. Like an entire war, for exam­ple." Alyakim studied her sister sadly.

"Well, we woke up on this really nice, comfy rug," Elyk started, holding his hands out in front of him like he was picturing the scene in front of his eyes.

"Arries and I were both there. It was a strange feel­ing. Like... I felt super tired and weak. Which is weird, because I am literally just energy." Elyk chuckled at some secret joke, which Mac assumed probably included himself.

It was well-known that him and his brother had been a couple of troublemakers when they were kids, mostly because their combined powers could create bombs. A sudden memory flashed in Mac's mind of him and his brother at eight years old, cackling as they lobbed minia­ture grenades they'd made themselves over their fence and into their neighbor's yard, startling them when the metal spheres exploded and scattered multi-colored clouds of glitter mixed with chalk dust all over their yards. Mac chuckled, too, and shook his head, returning to the present as Elyk continued his story.

"We look up and there he is. Just... sitting on this ornate sofa in front of us. His eyes were glowing with purple light. He looked insane. He looked all business-like with his fancy—probably Gucci—black silk shirt and fancy leather shoes. He had his hair combed back all slick like he thought he was all that. He had this fizzy drink—I personally think it was champagne—and then when Hali left the room—I still can't believe she's behind all this... she seemed so cool when I met her—he sent this like... purple cloud of power at us and when it touched us, it felt really weird, like it was soaking right into our skin and wherever it touched was kind of pain­ful and it spread until it was all over us, and then things went blank, and I can't remember anything else until you guys got him out of my head."

"That had to have been terrifying," Mac commented, studying the trees as they came up suddenly and surrounded the narrow back roads they were trek­king on.

"Nah. We knew you guys would pull through," Elyk dismissed lightly with a flick of his wrist.

Mac, Bacon and Alyakim shared a glance. The Elite weren't exactly pulling through at the moment. Otherwise, the Mage—and Hali—would have been defeated already and the Superhumans would be safe, with all their power.

"We're almost there," Bacon announced, changing the subject. Everyone groaned in relief. After being stuck in the small car for about twenty-four hours straight, Mac was sure he could do without being around people for a long time. The car was suffocatingly silent as they traveled through the last stretch of trees on Kurtis's long, gravel driveway that wound through the woods of South Carolina and the hills where the Superhumans used to reside.