“No!” I screamed and charged her. Looking up just as my body crashed into her, we both rolled to the floor in a tangle of arms and legs. Lila pinned me in an instant and raised her hand again, this time directing it at me. Yellow sparks ignited the tips of her fingers and a sick smile splayed across her face.
Robert rushed her just as the sparks flew, the Magical attack striking the wall behind me and narrowly missing my head. The wall exploded and rained plaster down on all of us. I choked on the dust and wiggled away from the two of them fighting for control next to me. Robert got a few quick punches in before she shook herself free from his grasp. She made a beeline for the door as Robert rolled onto his side, raised his hand and shot a ball of hot white light toward the intruder’s back. She flew forward, crashing into the front entry table and taking it down in a heap beside her.
Robert rose to his feet, hand still raised in defense, and walked over to her. As he knelt down to check for her pulse, her eyes popped opened and she threw Robert across the room with an invisible force.
I watched in horror as she stood, dusted plaster off her jeans and came toward me. An orange electric looking ball formed in the palm of her hand as she towered over me. "Playtimes over." A menacing smile formed on her lips and her eyes narrowed.
Pushing myself helplessly against the wall I closed my eyes and braced for the pain.
"Lila, please don't make me do this." Robert growled.
Opening my eyes I noticed that Lila had turned to look at him. I wiggled away while her attention was otherwise engaged and then looked at Robert horrified. He was holding a transparent, grapefruit sized ball in his hand. Thick black smoke swirled inside the sphere as blue sparks crackled along the surface.
"You wouldn't," Lila dared him.
Robert's expressionless face cocked to the side and he said, "Care to find out?"
Sparks flared on her fingers and she ran at him. Robert threw the smoky black sphere at her. As she dodged out of the way the sparks from her hand struck him in the shoulder. I followed the path of the black ball as it crashed into a photograph hanging on the wall above me. As the photo fell to the floor it disintegrated into a pile of ash.
Another explosion pulled my attention back to the fight as smoke filled the room. Robert stood up from behind the kitchen table where he had landed. Searching through the smoke for another figure I came up empty handed, she was gone.
“Are you okay?” Robert asked as he ran across the room and helped me to my feet.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I winced.
“You’re bleeding.” Robert touched just above my left eyebrow. Warmth spread over my face and then his hand fell to his side. “There, good as new.” I felt for the gash in my forehead but it was gone.
“Thanks,” I said, grimacing awkwardly. A lot of Magic had just gone down and I didn’t know how to begin wrapping my head around everything. I couldn’t deny what I’d just seen with my own two eyes, but that didn’t mean I understood it.
“You shouldn’t have attacked her, you know,” Robert noted.
“She was trying to kill you,” I countered.
“Violet, I’m supposed to be protecting you.”
“But-“
“But nothing. Don’t do that again,” he warned, his voice hard and unforgiving. “I need to make a phone call. Are you going to be alright for a minute?”
I managed to nod.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and anxiously tapped his foot while he waited for the other party to answer.
“Hey, I need you here now,” Robert said. He put his phone back in his pocket.
I made my way to the kitchen in a daze. Without really thinking about what I was doing, I pulled a glass down from the cupboard and poured myself a healthy dose of whiskey. My hand shook as I raised the glass to my mouth and sipped the amber liquid. Robert had said they would come after me again, but it wasn’t until now that I actually believed him.
I didn’t know how many minutes passed as I stood in the kitchen drinking, but a knock at the door stirred me from my reverie and I walked out to see who had arrived.
Robert opened the door and Brett burst in. “What happened?” she asked.
“We had a visitor tonight.” Robert pursed his lips, “It was Lila".
“Lila?" Brett turned at looked at her brother.
He closed his eyes and quietly nodded.
Clearly they had a history with Lila and neither of them looked pleased by the fact that she had attacked us tonight.
“Damn, they’re closer than they should be.”
“I know.” Robert frowned. I’d never seen him so serious before.
“Is she alright?” Brett asked Robert. “Are you alright?” She turned to me.
“Just fine.” I tipped my glass toward her. “Although I can’t say the same for my house.”
"It's nothing that can’t be fixed.” Brett waved nonchalantly.
“Brett,” Robert said and exhaled with frustration.
“Alright, geez. Someone’s cranky tonight.”
“Could you take this a little more seriously? What’s gotten into you?”
“I am taking this seriously. I just don’t have a giant stick up my ass,” Brett spat back.
“I really don’t need any of your shit tonight, Brett. Can you just help me get this place cleaned up?”
“You know, I don’t know why you always call me when there’s a mess to clean up. Why can’t you ever call Jake?”
“Because I actually like Jake and I need him running perimeter tonight.”
“Rude.” They both smiled and got to work. It was nice seeing someone go tit for tat with Robert for a change.
Brett got to work right away and started cleaning things up, Magically. I would have helped, but the only thing in my arsenal was a dust pan and broom. By the time Robert and Brett were saying goodbye, everything looked as it did before the fight. The only indication that any altercation occurred was the missing picture that had turned to ash. I guess Magic couldn't fix everything.
“Fill everyone in, will you?” Robert asked his sister. I couldn’t see them from where I stood in the hall but I could hear them perfectly.
“Of course,” Brett replied. “Do you think we should call on-”
“No, not yet. If there was something she could tell us, she would have sought us out already.”
“Robert, are you okay?” Brett asked, her voice laced with concern.
“I’m fine, it’s just been a long day,” he replied.
“Do you want me to stay with her so you can get some rest?” My heart leapt into my throat. I didn’t like the idea of Robert and I playing house but after tonight I really didn’t want him to leave.
“No, I’ll stay with her.”
A long pause followed.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Robert said. My interest peaked and I wondered how Brett was looking at him.
“Just be careful,” she said and I could hear the smile in her voice.
“Goodnight, sister.”
“Goodnight, brother.”
The door closed and I made my way out to him.
“So what exactly happened tonight?” I asked, propping myself against the back of the couch.
“Lila was sent here to kill you,” Robert said matter-of-factly.
“And who's Lila?" I raised my eyebrows with interest.
“She's Aiden's daughter and someone I've run across in the past.”
“Oh,” I said and hiccupped. I slapped my hand over my mouth, embarrassed.
Robert chuckled. “Violet, are you alright? Honestly.” He pulled my hand from my mouth and frowned down at me.
I nodded and another hiccup burst out. “What was-hiccup-that black thing that came out of your hand.”