A/N: Sorry it's been a while! I've been busy with school and other obligations. Hopefully I didn't chase everyone away with my lack of updates. I hope you guys enjoy, and please let me know what you think! Every comment helps.
Move.
Pip didn't realize she had been sitting there for several minutes until Amon's voice finally boomed in her skull. She jolted out of her trance, gazing about the room with dull eyes. Her stomach was still bleeding profusely and soaked into the soft carpet beneath her knees. The light from the glowing orb still pulsed. Pip could hear the deep tones of her father's voice as he worked a spell. The spell. She was going to die very soon if she did nothing to stop it.
Why bother, she thought numbly, staring at her blood-soaked arms. Even if she managed to escape her father again, she would never be able to get rid of Amon. She was stuck with him for the rest of her life. The bullet wound in her stomach marked her death even if she wasn't truly dead. She was surprised that it didn't even hurt as much as she thought it would; being shot felt more like a forceful nudge into her gut. Maybe she was just blocking out the pain.
It won't be so bad to die like this, she thought, suddenly feeling very tired again. She stared at the floor, watching the blood ooze out like a slow animal crawling from its den. There was a sense of weightlessness, as if she was floating away even while staring at her knees anchored to the floor. Her stomach felt fluttery, or what was left of it, anyway. The world shifted underneath her.
Hell no, Amon snarled suddenly, drilling sharply into her mind. She stiffened at the sensation and her fingers dug into her wound. Her mind snapped into place, suddenly orienting herself from the sensation of floating. I'm not going down with the likes of you, he continued, his voice grating.
What could we possibly do? she hissed mentally. She felt torn, struggling to decide what to do. Give up or fight? She carefully peeled her arms away from their grip around her stomach. It was a gruesome mess, but it undoubtedly would start to heal eventually. It would not kill her.
Her father's voice suddenly stopped crafting the spell, catching her attention. She looked up in time to see him whirl around to face her. His eyes glittered with excitement, and the orb's light lit them up even more, making them glow. "Time for the next part," he said, striding over to her. He gripped her arm tight, pulling her to her feet. "Come along."
She stumbled, still in a slight daze. Distantly she wondered why he didn't use magic to simply drag her over. It was what he normally did. Maybe he is distracted, she thought, gazing at the orb with a blank look. When he suddenly released her she fell down again, collapsing into a heap next to him.
"Up," he commanded, though he didn't make a move to force her up. He stared eagerly at the orb, practically ignoring her. There was a circle of symbols drawn around the pedestal that held the orb, the lines and letters pulsing lightly to match the beat of it.
She struggled to her feet, her limbs feeling numb. The bullet wound wasn't going to kill her, but it certainly had an effect on her body. After the initial shock wore off, it'd started to throb and the pain was only growing.
Her father had started saying the spell again, his hands lifted palms-up. He turned to her again, still forming the words as he pulled a long, silver knife out of his suit. It looked more like a small sword rather than a knife. Pip was unsure what to call it.
"Good thing you brought your angel friend with you earlier," he said, studying the blade. "These things are handy." His hand suddenly whipped out, grabbing onto her wrist. She pulled back in surprise but he gripped her tight, squeezing. The blade flashed wickedly as he suddenly slashed through her palm, blood immediately welling up. She flinched but bit down on her tongue, forcing back the cry that rose in her throat.
He tugged on her wrist, guiding her closer to the orb. Holding her hand above one of the smaller circles surrounding the pedestal, he squeezed her hand into a fist until blood dripped onto the floor. When he finally released her she snatched her hand back, cradling it against her chest. She didn't know what the sword was, but it hurt worse than a bullet.
Her father held his hands up again, his head tipped back. A small smile danced on his lips as he continued the spell, the light of the orb growing brighter and brighter. Pip grew more panicked, realizing that the spell was about to do its job. She lashed out with her mind, but it recoiled when it hit an invisible wall near her father.
Gritting her teeth, she tried again from another angle, only to have her mind slam to a stop before it reached him. He didn't even turn to look at her. The orb only grew brighter still. A hum of energy started to build in the room, crackling over her skin. She could feel a sharp pressure building at the back of her nose as the spell built, squeezing. Heartbeat pounding her ears, her mind flexed again and again, trying to attack from all directions only to be driven back every time.
She stared desperately as the light started to surround her father. The pressure at the back of her nose spread behind her eyes and into the base of her skull, turning into a sharper pain. She could feel her nose bleeding.
Focus, Pip, Amon snapped.
Whirling around, she searched the desk. She pushed aside the papers and documents, knocking over the tumbler and bottle that had been sitting at the edge. A fancy letter opener glittered at her and she snatched it up, lunging at her father with the blade held high.
She suddenly slammed into the invisible wall, thrown back a bit from the force of it. The light's energy danced across her skin as she collided with it, static buzzing and tickling her skin. Though the first attempt failed, she slashed again and again, trying to push through the light. Sparks flew as she sliced at it but it did not yield.
She finally gave up, panting as she squinted at the outline of her father's figure. It was becoming more difficult to see him as he continued chanting. She cursed loudly, spinning around as she searched the room for something, anything. Think, think, she chanted frantically, rubbing furiously at her nose as more blood dripped out. Do something! she shouted in her head, though she wasn't sure if she was saying it to herself or Amon. When her father suddenly stopped speaking she stiffened, the urge to flee boiling under her skin. She didn't think she would get very far, though.
"Almost done," her father said, his smile still curling around the edges of his mouth.
The spell pounded at her brain, the pressure still building.
Her father spoke the final word, holding his hands towards her as if throwing the light that had surrounded him. Pip flew back as a force suddenly barreled into her, slamming into her chest like a brick. Instead of hitting the floor she felt it surround her, coiling over her skin and looping around her limbs. She shuddered at the sensation, trying to pull away. But the magic only tightened, spreading. She could feel the force of it pool at her chest, gathering there. She grunted as she struggled against it, her mind flashing wildly as it tried to pull away.
Suddenly the light pierced her chest and her head flew back, a scream ripping through her throat before she could stop it. The light began to burrow inside her, a sharp pressure curling inside of her ribcage. The entire room shuddered around her as her mind began to struggle harder, wrestling against the light. Her father only watched expectantly, leaning forward.
She could feel the light dig inside her, a trail of burning pain following it as it moved. She clawed at her chest helplessly until her arms were pulled back.
We are going to die, Amon said bluntly. The words dropped in her mind like stones, sinking their way into her gut. We are going to die. She didn't know if he said it again or if it was her instead.
The light suddenly wrapped around inside her mind and pulled.
She screamed again as she felt herself suddenly start to split apart. Half of her was suddenly uprooted and ripped away. The light shifted and then pulled again, the pain growing sharper. Pip's scream strangled in her throat. No, no. As she felt a part of her peel away she suddenly reached out with her mind, latching on to the part of her that was still barely hanging on. No. Following her instincts she yanked back, pulling on the half that the light was tearing away.
The light jerked harder and she could feel the pressure rise, static snapping. She pulled harder but could still feel that part of her peel away, slowly being ripped off. "Amon, help," she said breathlessly, her voice sounding distant to her own ears. Did she speak out loud? She reached out to the part of her where she could feel Amon, desperately pulling him forward even as the light tried to wrench him away.
There was a heartbeat of hesitation before she felt a surge of energy flood into her mind. The feeling of it was strange, a foreign impression that somehow felt alien and yet familiar at the same time. She could feel it feed her mind like a fire, though, and the light suddenly yielded to her pull as her own energy doubled.
Much better, Amon said. She could feel his grin.
She gathered up the energy, wrapping it around her mind as if it were a rope. Then she yanked again even as she shoved the light out of her. The light immediately released her and retracted, unsheathing itself from her chest. She felt herself snap back into place, the torn parts of her blending together again.
The light fizzled slightly for a few seconds before it rapidly gathered itself up, the magic unraveling. Pip fell to floor as it suddenly dropped her. There was a quiet pop and the pressure at the back of her nose suddenly vanished. The light was gone.
Her father stood staring at her, his expression enraged. "What did you do?" he seethed, striding towards her.
She crawled backwards as he approached, staring up at him with dread.
"What did you do?" he repeated, his hand flicking up. She felt herself yanked into the air as he did so. She was dragged forward, forced to meet his burning eyes.
She stared in silence for a few moments, her eyes wide as her brain raced for an answer. Then she smoothed her face, forcing the terror out of it. I don't owe him that, she thought. Stone wall.
His reaction was rapid as he saw her face change. She felt a sharp crack as he backhanded her across the face. The sound of it echoed in the room as they both stood in silence. His incensed breathing was the only other sound. After a few seconds he let out a slow breath, and she watched as he carefully composed himself again.
"Very well, then," he said finally. "I'll figure this out." He gave her a small smile. "Waiting a bit longer isn't that hard. In the meantime..." As his voice trailed off he gripped her arm and forced her to follow him. "In the meantime I'll tuck you away somewhere until I can properly finish this."
She squirmed in his grip, clutching his hand to keep herself upright as he walked fast. She glanced one last time at Officer Denver's immobile form before they left the room.