Chapter Seventeen: Are You Afraid Of The Dark?

Russell followed them back to Tulsa. He arrived five minutes after they did, having used a Transporter spell. His magic wasn't as powerful as it normally was. He was still recovering from the Finder's Spell, which had required so much power it had left him powerless for days.

He scaled the drainpipe expertly and heard Carmen saying, "See you tomorrow," before he wrenched the window open and crawled inside to wait for her.

The process had been laughably easy, or at least he thought so until he actually set foot inside. A split second later, he found himself in a pristine flower bed…on the West side of town.

Of course. Protection spell. Should've seen that coming, he thought ruefully, pulling an azalea bloom out of his hair.

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Carmen let out the breath she had been holding. I really ought to be more careful, she scolded herself. It was just lucky that she had seen him in time, even though he hadn't seen her. There was no telling what he might have done.

She flopped on her bed and tried to clear her mind. She didn't bother to set a spell on the windowsill. Russell wouldn't try that again.

So. They could switch minds. But did Russell know? He had been trying to get in her window…that meant he knew she was close to home. Well, duh, she thought. He is a Finder.

But somehow, she didn't think that was it. She just had a feeling about it. And ever since she had first escaped Mordred, she had learned to go with her sixth sense feelings.

What did he want now? To spy on her, perhaps, but surely Mordred had some other way of doing that. If only she knew what, she could find a way to block it.

The moon glowed on her face as she contemplated the situation. At this rate, she thought, smirking humorlessly in the lunar light, they'll come to me.

The phone rang. She nearly jumped out of her skin. She slid down the banister and snatched it off the hook. "Hello?" she ventured cautiously. In the split second before the person on the other line, Carmen imagined a killer on the other line, or Mordred who had figured out how to work a telephone. Or a telemarketer.

It was Two-Bit. He was trying to scare her. "Carmen," he said in a raspy voice. "Are you afraid of the dark?"

"Whaddya want, Two-Bit?" Carmen asked, faintly annoyed.

"Aw, you just know how to suck the fun outta everything, don'tcha," Two-Bit groaned.

"What do you want, Two-Bit?" Carmen repeated testily.

"The light's on in your house," Two-Bit gave in. "Go. To. SLEEP!" he bellowed the last word.

Carmen rolled her eyes and hung up on him. She turned off all the lights and sat up in bed until she fell asleep just before dawn, watching the moon and worrying, just as she had been for the past few days.

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That afternoon, Two-Bit ambled down to the DX. He was bubbling with energy, excited to try out the spell he had learned just that day, though Carmen's warnings were still ringing in his ears.

"Hey, Soda," he greeted. Soda turned and saw Two-Bit. He raised his eyebrows in an expression of mild surprise.

"Hey, Two-Bit. Long time no see," he said. "Soda, what's up?" Two-Bit asked in alarm.

"Nothing," Soda said. "Just haven't seen you in a while. Steve neither. He's been hangin' around with some girl," he said in disgust.

Two-Bit raised an eyebrow. "Ain't he always? Anyway, didn't he break up with Evie?"

"Yeah, but this new girl's got him mad crazy. I never see him anymore."

Two-Bit grinned mischievously. Now would be a prefect time to use that new spell. He pulled out his switchblade, and hiding it under the table, muttered the spell quietly.

Steve came flying in through the door with a violent jangle of the bell hanging just above the door.

"What the hell?" he was yelling. Soda's eyes bugged out. Two-Bit tried to look as shocked as Soda, but was too busy doubling over laughing.

"Uh, I'll, uh, leave you two alone," Two-Bit said when he was able. He exited quickly and leaned against the wall outside thinking he was going to die of laughter.

Yet another incident when the trials and tribulations of being a wizard made it all worth it.

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Short and stupid, I know. Lately my writing has just gotten worse than usual, or is it just me? Please review and help me out.