Magic, Lost Memories Book 2 of the Magic Series

At the bottom of the ridge, I am met with a disturbing sight, even for me. People halfway through being transformed into the human-demon hybrids. Oh, no.... Now everything is falling in place. How could I be so stupid and not have seen it before? As soon as Selina and Lydia wake up, I'm out of here. I don't need to relive what happens. I start running past the lines looking for Lydia. I barely halt and duck behind a rock while trying not to catch fire via lava river that is running adjacent to the path as several hybrids that I recognize with no difficulty come out of the mists. I can't sense them down here.

"Something is wrong. The black on her wings has been retreating for several hours now and is almost completely gone. We must inform the Great One," Bellatrix says to Greyback and Grievous.

"And this is only being reported now?" Greyback asks. "If she wakes up—"

"She is weak. We can easily restart the process," Bellatrix snaps.

"It will be too late for her to join us on the final wave," Grievous says.

"The Great One will understand, he knows she takes an unusual amount of time for it to work," she replies as they hurry on. I continue the other way and double my pace while I'm at it.

I finally find Lydia lying on the ground, chains all over her keeping her grounded. The tips of her wings are black, but that's about all. Her weapons and locket are piled a foot away from her. I ignore them for the time being kneeling next to Lydia and shaking her. I doubt I have that much time to get us out. Her eyes open disoriented.

"Stella?" she asks weakly focusing on me.

"Yeah, come on, we gotta get out of here," I say.

"It's impossible," she states. I have never heard Lydia sound that defeated before. It scares me.

"Yeah, let's fight about that later. Where do we get out?" Her gaze turns upwards. I follow it up to a huge open portal that's glowing white. I grab her things.

"Okay then, let's get going," I say as I start cutting off her chains.

"Leave me. I'm too weak."

"Not happening.... What am I doing?" I mutter to myself as I imagine the chains disappearing. Their gone before I can blink. "Come on, can you stand?" Lydia shakes her head. "Well, wings would be handy now." I pick her up and imagine my wings back, but black instead of white.

As soon as I feel them, I fly up into the air as fast as I can. Lydia's eyes close and her head fall back limply. No, no!

"Lydia, stay with me," I say. "We're almost out." I can still sense her, but she's fading. I start to use magic, pouring energy into her, as we get closer to the exit. Then the guards who were either sleeping or having a brawl notices that I'm about to escape. Arrows and magic fly at me, but it's too late. I'm through.

***

I arrived back into the clearing startling everyone.

"Are you alright?" Rey asks. I ignore her as I throw my astral form, or soul as I somewhat explained before, out of my body and find Lydia's. I pick her up and rush her into the Ghost and lower her back into her body before returning to mine.