Disclaimer: No one would publish this.
Dameon's eyes flashed a steely gray, and Nita flinched despite herself. Then, to her relief, he laughed. "You're a fiery one, aren't you?" he said, shaking his head at Nita and smiling. "We've just saved your life and that of your friend, or didn't you know what terrible danger you're in?"
I know I'm in danger; I'm just not sure you're the good guys, thought Nita. She said nothing, still feeling suspicious. Dameon and Andrea shared a look that was hard to read. Then Andrea leaned forward so that her curtain of sunshine-colored hair almost obscured her face and whispered, "If we're the bad guys, then they should build a monument to the Lone Power everywhere we go."
Nita's mouth dropped open in shock. "Dai-stiho, cousin," she managed when she had regained her powers of speech.
"Dai-stiho," replied Dameon and Andrea as one.
"Allow me to clarify," said Roshaun delicately, after Kit and Dairine had finished explaining all they knew. "You believe that Nita was kidnapped by these so-called 'shadow creatures' who attacked Kit. You're using Ponch's power" he nodded at the dog, who inclined his head graciously in return "to trace her, correct?"
"Yes." chorused Kit and Dairine.
Roshaun frowned. When he next spoke, he addressed Ponch directly, crouching down to Ponch's level so that he could speak to him face-to-face. "I'm not an expert on how your power works, but I must admit it makes me slightly…apprehensive to know that we have no idea what kind of situation we're getting into."
"No one's dragging you along," snapped Dairine, her hand ghosting towards her hip. Roshaun held up a hand for silence, and Dairine opened her mouth furiously. But then Ponch began to speak and she closed it rather reluctantly.
"I'm sorry I can't be of more help to you there, but you have to understand that I am only a manifestation of the One. I have only an infinitesimal portion of the One's total power. Now, by your standards that's still rather a lot, but nothing compared to the real deal. It's like this: while I exist in the physical universe, I must have physical limits, and those limits are imposed by those around me."
There was a short pause as they all tried to work out what that meant.
"Does that mean you're just a dog?" asked Dairine bluntly. She'd never been very fond of tact, probably because she saw most other people as useless.
"Yes. Just a dog. A dog that could level your planet," said Ponch calmly.
They were all silent. Even Kit felt intimidated.
Ponch gave an amused bark. They all jumped. "I was only teasing," he assured them mildly. "That would, of course, go against everything I stand for."
"Excuse me," the blond girl interrupted suddenly. She took a step forward and shook her hair back from her face. "This is all very amusing, but aren't we wasting time?"
Kit frowned. "Um, not to be rude, but who are you? And what're you doing here? This is wizard's business."
"It's good I'm a wizard then," said the blond girl lightly. "My name is Alyra. I'm Roshaun's sister."
Those three sentences seemed to contain far too much information for Kit's poor over stimulated brain to process. His mouth hung open in shock. Dairine, however, was having no such problem.
"You're a wizard?!" cried Dairine incredulously. "No way. I just heard you the other day talking about how wizardry was a crock!"
"Oh, so you're an eavesdropper as well," Alyra surmised coolly. "Charming. My brother always did have the best taste in girls…"
Dairine was practically foaming at the mouth, but before she could utter a sharp retort, Roshaun cut in and once again pointed out the obvious.
"As interesting as this conversation is, we have a job to do. You'll have plenty of time to snarl at each other later, girls,"
At this, the two young women turned away from each other, but they both took the time to glare at Roshaun before taking their respective places in the circle. Roshuan knelt down and quickly added his name, along with his sister's, to the diagram. Kit glanced over his work, as was customary, then Dairine began to speak the words of the spell. Another voice joined hers, then another, weaving a tapestry of musical speech as the air around them began to shimmer with the hum that was the last remaining echo of the big bang. There was pressure on the top of Kit's head. He closed his eyes and let the spell speak through him. The pressure was inside his chest now, like a hand cradling his heart. The hum was inside him now. He was rooted to the ground. He was dying. He had never felt more alive.
Without warning, the hand clamped down on his heart, and he was whisked away, with only the bang of displaced air and the stirring of the leaves to show he'd ever been there.
A/N: I realize this isn't my best chapter, but give me a break, I'm rusty. Next one will be better, I promise. Reviews are nice. :D