Paul slumped back against the door and slid to the ground in defeat.
I turned away from him, knowing despair was contagious. I wasn’t ready to give up. Not yet.
I walked back to Selene. “Can you stand?”
In answer, she pushed herself up, the gesture awkward with her hands bound. “What now?”
“Turn around,” I said. “I’m going to try pulling the ropes off.”
Selene frowned. “It won’t work, Dusty. You know that.”
“She’s right,” Paul said, his voice faint and hard to hear from across the room.
“I have to try. We have to do something to get out of here.”
Selene exhaled then turned around, showing me her back. I did the same, and then scooted until I felt her fingers brush mine. She and I were close enough in height that I was able to reach the ropes around her wrists easily. But the moment I touched them, the skin on my fingers began to burn. I flinched away but only for a second. After the spell Titus had used on me, burnt fingers seemed minor.
I grabbed the rope again and pulled, wincing against the pain as the burning increased. Selene made a choking sound as the rope moved down her wrists just a little, and I knew she was feeling the same burn I was. But she didn’t cry out, and I kept at it, pulling with everything I possessed.
It didn’t matter. The spell was too strong.
I let go and stumbled forward, panting. My hands felt like I’d held them pressed against a lit stove top. I could feel the blisters forming. I turned and sank to the floor beside Eli, the disease of despair taking over me at last. I hung my head, trying not to cry.
No one spoke for several long minutes. And I knew we were all waiting and wondering when the destruction would begin. It was impossible to tell how late in the day it was. And I had no idea if there would be warning tremors beforehand or if the ground beneath us would just give way all at once.
“He’s waking,” Selene said sometime later.
I raised my head and watched as Eli stirred on the floor. He groaned and rolled over. “What happened?”
“They’re gone, and we’re trapped,” Selene deadpanned.
Eli scooted and twisted his body until he was able to get into a sitting position, leaning against me for support. “No, we’re not. I’ve got a way out.”
I exhaled and shook my head. “Titus took your wand.” I paused, then I decided he would be happy to know that his inability to work magic was because he’d been given a defective wand and not because of something lacking in himself. Any happiness, no matter how small, would be welcome right now.
When I finished explaining Eli surprised me with a matter-of-fact nod. “I’d suspected something wasn’t right about it for a while now. When I cast that first spell in Miss Norton’s class it was so easy. But everything with my wand was like trying to swim through mud. That’s why I took Miss Norton’s talking stick.”
My mouth fell open. “You did?”
“Yes.”
Well, I decided, there wasn’t much point in being angry now.
“I saw it and had to,” Eli went on, getting to his feet. “If we ended up here at the festival, I didn’t want to be powerless. And boy, was that the right decision. Now someone come here and take off this bracelet.”
Selene stepped forward, and I watched, a welcome surge of adrenaline starting to pump through my system.
“Is that what I think it is?” I said as Selene slid the bracelet off Eli’s wrist.
Eli stretched out his fingers, taking the bracelet from Selene. “Yes, it is.” Then with an awkward gesture, he managed to disengage the glamour concealing Miss Norton’s talking stick. I’d never been so happy to see it.
Eli pointed it as best he could at Selene and said, “Ou-agra.”
At once the silver rope binding her vanished. Joy boosted me to my feet as Selene returned the favor for Eli. Then she cast the spell at Paul while Eli freed me. He picked me up in a fierce hug. It hurt a lot, and Eli was unsteady on his feet from the blow to his head, but I welcomed the pain and shakiness, any reminder that we were still alive.
But as he set me on my feet, a loud grumble went through the building, and the floor and walls began to shake.
“It’s started.” Eli let go of me. “Come on. We’ve got to get out of here.”
Selene was one step ahead of us. She charged to the door and blasted it open with a spell. Then she turned to help Paul, who was struggling to remain upright.
I rushed over to help, too, but then Eli said, “I’ll do it. I’m stronger, and you two are better at magic.”
I frowned. “What about your head?”
“I’m fine. The dizziness is already passing. Now go.”
I hesitated, but only for a moment. I squeezed Paul’s hand, then stepped away, making room for Eli, who swung Paul’s arm over his shoulder, supporting him.
I led the way out with Selene right behind me. The narrow passageway beyond the door was even darker than the chamber we’d left, and Selene and I both conjured fire in our hands. There was only one way to go, and I headed down it, keeping the flames low. I was afraid I would catch myself on fire as the tremors continued, making it difficult to walk without stumbling. Every few seconds, bits of stone rained down around us from the ceiling.
After walking a little while, the passageway dead-ended.
“That can’t be,” I said, staring at the stone wall in front of me. My instincts insisted there should be a door or staircase here instead of a wall. I reached out with my free hand and touched the wall, confirming its solidity.