Ruins A.G.A. 2nd Novel in the Ruinsaga series

Chapter 22 .

Darren

"Don't use magic on these two," the woman who had first charmed me yelled. "They are immune." I felt sick to my stomach being back in that place. I was ashamed at how easily I had fallen for their charms and deceptions.

"Darren," Gunnor called out.

"Got it," I replied. It was time for me to protect Lily and her brother. I wouldn't let anyone hurt them.

I formed barriers around each of them just as I had practiced the night before. I stayed where I was and managed to maintain the barrier around myself. Richard and Arthur both eyed me closely, I assumed to make sure I was ok. I was at the moment, but I didn't know how long I could maintain all three barriers. Especially if there were a lot of attacks Lily's and Tanner's way.

Mason and Elsie regrouped by darting behind Richard's and Monica's barriers. A rush of fire almost singed them, but hit the barriers instead. The werecats were attacking one of the venefici's barriers with relentless attacks. When he would try to attack one of them with fire or electricity, they would jump lightly out of the way while the other one attacked the barrier.

My focus went back to Lily and Tanner as they each moved. It wasn't easy keeping my concentration on their barriers as they went in different directions, but it was also something we had practiced the night before so it was possible.

Lily headed towards the leader of the venefici, but she was cut off by another one. The young woman Lily now faced was the same one who had kept refilling my cup. The venefici pulled out a knife.

But it wasn't just Lily I needed to pay attention to. I also needed to protect Tanner. I moved the barrier with him as he shifted away from Lily towards another venefici. This venefici also pulled out a knife.

Both venefici moved not quite in sync, but close enough. They stabbed at my friends. I felt the contact with my barriers. My barriers jiggled slightly, although I was the only one who knew that. They didn't break and successfully repelled the knives.

"What?" the venefici in front of Lily managed to get out before I dropped the barrier around Lily's ax only. The ax easily entered the venefici's barrier as Lily chopped the woman's neck. I quickly looked away, but wasn't fast enough. I still processed the half severed neck.

The venefici in front of Tanner was quicker to process the fact that his attack failed than the venefici in front of Lily had been. He quickly retracted his knife and tried to stab again in the same place. Maybe he thought he could make a hole in my barrier. My barrier held up with no problems. The venefici retracted his knife, angled it to a different area to attack, but before he could Tanner stepped fully into his barrier. I had thought my barrier would clash with the venefici's and that I might actually lose my barrier when they stepped into the venefici's. I had warned both Lily and Tanner last night not to step into their barriers. But what I feared would happen didn't. My barrier simply slipped into the other barrier as I made it follow Tanner. I wasn't sure if it was my magic or the fact that magic didn't affect Lily and Tanner, or if the venefici's barrier was lacking. Or maybe a combination of all of them. As Tanner stepped through, he bashed his bat into the venefici's knee. The venefici cried out in pain and dropped to the floor as his knee gave out on him. Tanner didn't hesitate as he lifted the bat and bashed it into the back of the venefici's head.

I moved the barrier around Lily as she stepped towards the leader again and the barrier around Tanner as he stepped over the venefici he just killed. The leader of the venefici stayed where she was. Her lips turned up into a smirk as she watched Lily approach. She didn't even care that Gunnor and Alex just killed another of her companions or that the werecats got through the barrier of another venefici or that Mason and Elsie were also very close to getting through another barrier. Another venefici stepped in front of Lily and blocked her path.