Bloodmagic (Blood Destiny 2) by Helen Harper Page B

leave.”
    Maggie’s reply might have been muttered but I could still make it out.  “I’m not leaving you here alone with that thing – whatever it might be.”
    “Oh, it’s quite alright, she won’t hurt me.” 
    Mrs Alcoon sounded a lot more confident of that than I was.  Her intervention had dampened down the flames inside me somewhat, but I was still scared and angry, and the enormity of what was going on was starting to hit me.  Flames inside me was one thing – at least those I could keep hidden, after a fashion anyway, but actual flames sprouting from my skin was something else entirely.  Was it going to happen every time I moved my hands?  And what had I been planning to do to Maggie anyway?  Something was very wrong with me.  No doubt this was all some kind of fucked up genetic thing and nothing to do with her spell in the first place.  And yet for a flash I’d been prepared to, I didn’t know what, but prepared to do something.  I couldn’t go anywhere without screwing everything up.  My whole body sagged in defeat.
    Mrs Alcoon moved to the side and relaxed her posture, putting on a smile for Maggie that even I could tell was somewhat forced.  Maggie, meanwhile, stared at me with a hard expression in her eyes.  I suddenly understood where the expression ‘eyeballing’ someone had come from.  I swallowed nervously and cleared my throat.
    “No, I’ll go.   Being here was a mistake.  This spell was a mistake.  All of this,” I gestured hopelessly around the air, “was a mistake.”
    “You’re not going anywhere, Mackenzie Smith,” Mrs Alcoon stated, pointing me towards the little kitchen.  I noted that she was being careful not to touch me again.  “There are no mistakes that have been made.  We just need to talk, that’s all.”
    “I will not…” Maggie started to bluster before she was interrupted.
    “You will.”
    The little round woman harrumphed loudly and glared at me, then stomped over to pick up her handbag. “If you do anything, and I mean anything, to harm June I will come over here and kill you myself.”
    “I won’t hurt her,” I said, hoping that it was the truth.
    “Maggie, I already said…,” Mrs Alcoon started.
    “Fine!  I’m going!” 
    She gave me one last hard stare and then turned, undid the locks, and left out the front door.  The bell jangled loudly as she slammed it shut behind her, making me cringe.  For a moment, a heavy silence hung in the air covering the entire atmosphere.  Then Mrs Alcoon took a deep breath and spoke.
    “You have dragon blood.”
    I stared at her, mute, then looked down at my hands.  Thankfully they were now green flame free.
    “Maggie’s right,” Mrs Alcoon continued, “I don’t have brilliant clairvoyant powers.  I don’t have any brilliant powers other than perhaps those of disorganisation.  That’s why I haven’t sensed what you are until now, I suppose.  The necklace’s spell must have magnified what already project.”
    I continued to stare at her, my tongue cleaved to the roof of my mouth.
    “I caught a glimpse of the future.  There were a group of robed figures and they were talking about how you were a wyrm.  You were with them.”  At my suddenly alarmed look, she quickly continued, “You were with them, not being held by them.  They seemed to, I don’t know, respect you, I think.”
    I must have still looked worried because Mrs Alcoon continued in a reassuring tone.  “You have nothing to fear from me, Mackenzie, I am not strong enough to be part of the Ministry so there’s no higher power that I am beholden to tell.”  I started at her mention of the Mages.  She nodded at me.  “Yes, I know what they are.  They’re not interested in me although I have no doubt they’ll be interested in you.  These people you lived with before  - the ones you learned about the Fae from – were they dragons too?”
    I shook my head and found my voice. If I was really going to trust her,