The Librarian: A Remnants of Magic Novel (The Librarian of Alexandria Book 2) by Casey White (read ebook pdf txt) 📕

earthquake mage had caught up. Before he could get a good look, though, Leon yanked on his arm. “Come on! We’re almost-”

“R-Right,” Daniel gasped. He forced himself to turn straight again, turning his gaze back toward the garage.

But he’d made it no more than a step or two when the ground started to shake.

No. Daniel stumbled, losing his balance in an instant. His leg screamed in protest, aching with every vibration.

Leon hauled him back upright. “Hurry.”

“Go,” Daniel whispered. His legs felt like overcooked noodles. “Just go, and-”

With a wordless cry, Leon dragged him another step toward the garage.

Daniel tried. He did. Something inside of him had started screaming at the sight of the men running around the corner, something deep and primal. He’d felt this before, back in the motel room, but hadn’t had a name to put with it. Now, he was starting to figure it out.

It’s okay, he whispered silently, turning his thoughts inward. His lungs burned. Every step sent pangs of agony to his bones. I won’t- I won’t let them take you, Alex. We’ll get out.

The fearful power inside of him didn’t subside. He could still feel it simmering, right beneath the skin.

The quaking of the ground was accelerating, though, the ground beneath them starting to shimmy. The sandy terrain between them and the road glooped ominously. It almost looked...more like water than soil.

Somewhere, deep in the recesses of his mind, tomes of half-remembered knowledge started to open one after another. Liquefaction, his past studies informed him. They’re trying to suck you in. Bog you down. And then-

Other men joined Rickard’s group, clustered on the grass. Most of them hung back, lurking at Rickard’s side, but one...one Daniel recognized. The man with the rifle, who grinned across the expanse at Daniel, and started to raise the sights to his face.

“Run,” Daniel said. Adrenaline turned his blood to ice, and he pushed Leon ahead of him. “Don’t stop.” They’ll shoot you, he wanted to say. Don’t let them shoot you. He was too tired, and too out of breath, and the ground bucked and rolled enough that he couldn’t spare the words. Far ahead, Olivia and Maya darted into the shadows. His heart leapt. Safe.

The sand underfoot sucked at his steps, though, dragging him deeper. He wrenched his feet free, his vision zeroing in on the asphalt ahead. He was close. So close. He just had to get back to solid ground, and-

A hideous groaning roared across the gold-lit street. Daniel’s chin snapped up.

The ground ahead was churning, too. The street signs driven into the sand were starting to topple one after another.

As was the house-height tree growing alongside the road, its branches bare of leaves. It teetered ominously, twisting faintly as the ground beneath it gave way—and then the roots ripped free with a horrible sucking noise.

The wood screamed as gravity took hold. Bark and branch filled his vision, plunging downward.

Daniel could only gape, lurching a step forward. His hand slammed into Leon’s shoulder. He shoved hard, driving Leon away from him.

Leon could still move. He could get free. There was no reason for Leon to get crushed along with him. Steeling himself, Daniel brought his arms up, shielding his head. He stumbled onward, but already knew there was no way for him to run. Not really.

The cries behind rose louder. Angrier. He’d have smiled, if he had time. Someone wasn’t happy about this turn of events, then. Too bad for them.

The scream of tearing wood washed away their cries. Daniel shuddered, starting to close his-

A figure darted back in from the side, hip-checking him. Hard. He hit the ground with a pained cry.

And Leon lunged in, grabbing for the tree. His shoulder lifted, like he was going to catch the damn thing.

No. He’d get flattened. He’d-

Leon’s hands slapped onto the bark, and-

Daniel’s ears popped. It was like a wave running through the air, as though the pressure surrounding them had just...cleared. It’d stopped.

And so had the tree.

- Chapter Twenty-Five -

Daniel gaped.

The tree hung over him, caught in midair.

For a moment, all he could do was lay there, open-mouthed.

Impossible. It was impossible. Leon should have been crushed. Squashed flat.

Leon, who seemed to have only the barest hold on the tree. It was just his fingertips touching the bark, as though he’d simply reached out and-

The missing puzzle piece dropped into place with a thunk real enough to rock him to his bones.

Leon had frozen the tree in place. Leon, who still had the pipe shoved into one pocket, glistening silver in the golden light. His face was red, and his arms were taut, but he didn’t seem to be putting any strength into holding the tree off the ground. Daniel swallowed, pushing past the lump in his throat.

Well, at least they’d seen his magic rear its head, now.

He rolled away in the next heartbeat, squirming out from under the tree trunk. Just as soon as he was clear, he scrambled to his feet, twisting back to Leon. “I-I’m good. Let it-”

Leon grunted, pushing hard at the tree as though to shove it aside, but the tree didn’t budge. Screwing up his face, he pulled himself free instead.

The tree hovered in midair for a single, pregnant moment—and then slammed into the ground with a rush and a roar of breaking branches.

The sound seemed to be the last straw. The spell thrown over the scene snapped. Beyond the tree’s crown, Cyril straightened, eyes wide. A pair of men closed in behind him, guns in hand.

Shit. Daniel stumbled around the ruined stump of the tree, grabbing for Leon—who reeled, rapidly going pale. He clutched his face with both hands, gasping.

“Move,” Daniel said, and this time it was him pulling at Leon, dragging him onward. “Come on. Move, before-”

The first gunshot split the quiet of the night. Daniel yelped, all but wrapping himself around Leon as the rush of air coursed past. Too close. That’d been too damn close.

He had nothing—no weapon with which to attack, even if he