Sorry I haven't updated in ages, but the site wouldn't let me.
Chapter 1 – LacyMy legs burned. My lungs were about to explode. My heart was going to burst its way from my chest. And yet I ran. Faster and faster as if my life depended on it. The toe of my black leather boots caught a crack in the pavement and for a moment I thought I was going to fall. But no. The motion only propelled me faster. I took short jagged breaths and kept going.
Of course I could have just orbed, but where would be the fun in that? The demon wouldn't have been able to trace me and he would get away from the trap. I couldn't let that happen. I could hear the heavy footfalls of the colossal demon behind me. He was coming in close. I felt the prickling heat of a fireball narrowly miss my ear.
Breathlessly I rounded the corner, the demon following.
"Fireball!"
The orange sphere was enveloped in a shimmering swirl of blue. I turned just in time to see the surprised outraged look on his pug like face before he was engulfed in flames. Stupid creature.
"You okay?"
From somewhere above me my younger brother Wyatt dropped to the floor. Without answering I looked up. Where had he been hiding? Then I saw it : a narrow balcony without any railing. Clever kid my brother.
I nodded in response to his question. "Now that was teamwork!"
Wyatt's face split into a grin to reveal his pearly whites. "It's official. With these kind of vanquishes we rock."
"We've al-" Before I could finish my sentence something hit my shoulder. The force of it spun me around as burning hot pain spread across my back, as if a rocket had exploded under my skin. For a split second I wondered what was going on, but then I saw her. Another demon standing at the opening to the alley, smirking at me.
Despite the pain in my shoulder I brought my arms up and unclenched my fists, letting loose my most lethal power. It did the trick. The demoness exploded into a flurry of particles and joined her male friend in the demonic wasteland.
I couldn't feel anything anymore. Even my toes and fingers had gone numb. I fell to the ground, unable to stand any longer.
"Lacy!" Wyatt cried, obviously only just realising something was wrong. "Lacy!"
The second time he said my name was fuzzy, like my ears were stuffed with cotten wool. As he came closer I could only just make out his form. It was bleary round the edges and so, so hard to focus on. I didn't want to focus anymore. I just wanted to succumb to the pleasantly warm feeling washing over me. My eyes fluttered closed and blackness took over.
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What seemed like seconds later my eyes snapped open. The room around me swan in and out of focus a couple of times and I found it hard to concentrate on the faces wavering above me. On the plus side, the pain in my shoulder had completely gone.
"She's awake!" Mom pounced on me before I even had time to sit up. "Thank God. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I replied, pushing myself off the living room sofa. Dad and Wyatt stepped back to make room for me. "What happened?" I directed the question to Wyatt.
"The demon apparently had backup; a female. She hit you with an energy ball while your back was turned."
I'd figured that much out for myself.
"I orbed you back here so Aunt Paige could heal you," my younger brother continued.
I glanced around the room and saw my youngest aunt standing back a bit, letting my immediate family crowd around me.
"Thanks," I told her.
"No problem."
"It's a good thing Paige was here," Mom said. "Otherwise I don't know what would've happened."
"Well, we could have called for Aunt Paige, or we could have orbed to her house."
The voice of my youngest brother, Chris, came from behind.
I smirked to myself. He was always ready with a sarcastic comment.
"We may not have been in time though," Mom pointed out.
I don't think she'd ever stop worrying about me or my brothers and sister. Seriously, I'm eighteen years old, the most powerful witch ever and still she insists I keep my cell phone on me at all times. Not that I really blame her for being paranoid. With the family I come from, you need to be careful.
"Mom I'm fine. I'm healed," I reassured her.
Mom gave me a fleeting smile to show that she was over it. Who was she kidding? Certainly not me.
"Anyway, did you get the demons?" Callie, my one and only sister asked.
"Course," Wyatt replied. "We always do."
"No, you mean Lacy always does," Dad corrected.
Here we go again. Yes, I'm powerful; yes I'm wonderful. At least, that's what my parents think. They think I have unlimited power, and maybe I do. But they don't need to keep rubbing it in my siblings' faces. I don't think Mom and Dad mean to. They love us all the same; it's just that… well I don't know why they do it. But I can't stand it. Can't stand the look on Chris's face when they say something like that. You see my little brother has a slight inferiority complex when it comes to me.
"Wyatt got the first one," I said, trying to make Chris feel better. I think it helped. At least he smiled at me, showing that he knew what I was doing.
"Anyway guys I'd better be going," Aunt Paige said.
"Bye," my family chorused.
"Thanks again," I said.
"No problem." Aunt Paige disappeared in a flurry of white and blue.
"I wish I got to fight demons," Callie grumbled as our parents left the room.
"You do," Wyatt reminded her.
"Not like you three. You get to chase them, save innocents. The only time I fight is when one attacks, and them someone else usually steps in."
I couldn't believe my ears. Callie actually wanted to do more fighting, even though she knew what it had done to our mother and aunts for all these years.
"Be careful what you wish for," Chris advised. "It might just come true."