Banishing Evil

---Aaron---

I held Katherine in my arms tightly, bringing her close to me. I watched as Rachel placed her right hand on Katherine's forehead. "You're burning," she murmured to Katherine. My brow furrowed in confusion. I could feel Katherine's body against mine. She was ice cold. The iciness seeped through my shirt and chilled me, almost making me recoil. Almost. Katherine needed warmth; she needed me. I gritted my teeth and held her closer.

Ashley spoke her spell, which was a long string of incantations that I couldn't make out. It must be in the old language, one that not many people still know. Her hands made shapes in the air. I watched as trails of purple magic appeared beneath her fingertips, forming intricate symbols and runes. They were wispy and soft, and bent to Ashley's will. As Ashley cast her spells, the purple magic swirled obediently around us.

Rachel traced her own symbols on Katherine's forehead. She muttered a series of healing spells under her breath, and yellow magic started pouring out of her fingers. It danced and swayed, sparkling and elegant. Ashley raised her voice, chanting faster and more complicated spells. The two magic met and intertwined, branched out, and then came together again. It seemed to me that they were forming an elaborate formation in the air, but I couldn't be sure.

Katherine was unconscious by this point. In the faint purple and yellow light, she seemed really pale and frail. Gently I placed a finger against her neck, feeling for her pulse. It was barely there, and even a non-magical person like me could tell that it was struggling. Please, stay with us. Stay with me.

Rachel stood to join hands with Ashley. Their magic swirled faster, spreading and weaving into many, many symbols. Their voices blended into one, loud and strong and clear.

"Exire Daemonem Voco.

Exire Daemonem Voco.

Exorcizamus te,

omnis immunde spiritus,

omni satanica potestas,

omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio,

omnis congregatio et secta diabolica,

Ergo, omnis legio diabolica, adiuramus te,

cessa decipere humanas creaturas,

eisque æternæ perditionìs venenum

Ab insidiis diaboli, libera nos,

Te rogamus, audi nos!

Ut inimicos sanctae circulae humiliare digneris,

Te rogamus, audi nos!

Terribilis Deus Sanctuario suo,

Cernunnos ipse truderit virtutem plebi Suae,

Aradia ipse fortitudinem plebi Suae.

Mala et abierunt!

Diabolo fuge,

Diabolo fuge

Consummatum est."

The room was dark and illuminated only by the magical tendrils that churned and twisted, casting shadows onto the wooden walls. Rachel and Ashley's clothes morphed from t-shirts and jeans into long sorceress dresses. Their cloaks flapped behind them, and and the sleeves of their new dresses fluttered when they moved their arms to draw more symbols. They looked no different than the powerful sorcerers and sorceresses whose portraits hung in the Academy. If I didn't know them personally, I would believe that Rachel and Ashley have been casting such complicated spells for years.

I could feel the magic pulsing in the room and the wind given off by the swirling spells, even though there should be no wind in a closed room. Rachel and Ashley moved in unison. They looked dangerous. Now I get why the Elders emphasized the importance of us being on their side. With powerful sorceresses and great warriors on the sides of the Evils, Lord Victor would be unstoppable.

Rachel shouted out a single command as Ashley shouted out another and sliced through the air with a wand, twirling it with practiced skill. Wait—a wand? Where did she get the wand? Did it materialize with the rest of her sorceress clothing?

A portion of the yellow and purple magic plunged down towards Katherine and me, while others stayed upright and waited like sentinels. I closed my eyes and held Katherine tightly, bracing myself for the impact.

A whoosh of wind made my hair fly around like crazy. I felt something grab my arms and tried to tear Katherine away from me.

"No! Let me go!" I struggled against my bonds as my eyes flew open. A couple of magical wisps had grabbed me while others were entangling Katherine. They were breaking us apart.

"Kath!" I lunged out for Katherine. I don't care what the magic is doing, but it's not going to take Katherine away from me.

"Aaron! You have to let go! Otherwise the evil smoke might infect you and use you against us!" Ashley shouted, her voice piercing the chaos of screaming winds and the resonance of chanting.

"But—!" I tried to protest.

"Aaron, we don't have time!" Ashley snapped, fixing me with her powerful gaze. In her eyes, I saw a storm and an intense battle between good and evil. In her eyes, I saw how powerful and dangerous she could be.

I let go of Katherine. The magic tendrils pulled me backwards and tossed me onto the floor. Katherine was now wholly encircled with magic and floating about four feet above the floor in the center of the room.

We all heard a shriek. I watched, horrified, as black smoke poured out of Katherine's open mouth. Her body spasmed and fought against her magical bonds. I lunged out for her again, only to find that I, too, was being restrained by the magic.

"Hey! Ashley, what are you—mmf!" A tendril of magic snaked up and circled my face, gagging me. I struggled against my bonds, no longer sure of what's going on and who's on whose side. Why is Ashley doing this to me?! Why are they restraining me? Why does Katherine look in pain? A sudden thought struck me. What if Ashley and Rachel were working for Lord Victor?!

No way. No freaking way. I've known Ashley and Rachel for years. Rachel is Indigo's best friend, and Ashley is Katherine's best friend. They wouldn't betray their best friends. But why are they tying me up?

Another shrill shriek sounded, making my ears hurt. The black smoke had extracted itself from Katherine and was floating above her in a condensed cloud of pure darkness about the size of horse cart. It was huge. Katherine had gone limp and lifeless in her magical bonds. Suddenly, the smoke zipped and headed for Ashley. A purple streak of magic zoomed out and knocked it away, then disappeared in a lavender puff of smoke. Snarling—can evil smoke snarl?—the black smoke changed directions and headed for Rachel. She pushed it back with a wisp of yellow magic. They fought, magic against magic, as good and evil collided into puffs of colored smoke.

Katherine dropped from her magical bonds and fell onto the floor, lifeless. I finally broke free of the magic restraining me. Magic or no magic, I was going to get to Katherine. By now, a full of battle raged in midair. The black smoke was relentless, attacking Ashley and Rachel with strands of black smoke. Ashley and Rachel stood side by side as they directed their locks of magic. The room was so dark. Only the purple and yellow magic glowed brightly and casted faint light in the otherwise dark room. As I looked around more carefully, I could see that magical boundaries separated us from everyone else. Lucian, Jason, and Indigo were trapped on the other side, wanting to help but unable to even approach.

I half crawled to Katherine's limp form on the wooden floor. Ignoring the poofs and screams and high pitches noises of fighting magic above us, I carefully took Katherine in my arms. No one, and nothing, tried to stop me. Perhaps they were all too occupied with the battle to notice. Katherine was breathing, but barely. I had to get her out of the war zone.

I stood and started running back into a corner far away from the magic with Katherine in my arms. The hairs on my neck stood up. Something was wrong. I spun around to see the huge black smoke coming for me. The wind knocked me down to the floor, and I felt my ankle twist. I turned so that my body was shielding Katherine's. I can't let her be possessed by this monster a second time.

Thoom! A hollow echoing sound followed by a rush of wind so close to my face

made me think I was struck. When I dared to open one eye, though, I saw a vibrant purple streak hovering near me, staring at the black mass of smoke hovering several feet away. Ashley caught my eye and then turned her attention back to the battle. At the last moment, she had saved both Katherine and me. I felt ashamed to ever think that she or Rachel would work for Lord Victor.

Ashley chanted a few more spells, whirling her wand through the air. "Diabolo fuge!" Her voice was loud and clear. There was a surge of power. The purple and yellow magic glowed so brightly it hurt my eyes. With a mighty roar, all the streaks of colored magic aimed for the dark cloud and attacked. I turned and held Katherine close, turning my back to the battle so that we might be shielded from whatever happens next.

Boom! It was as if a cannon had fired inside the room. I felt the rush of wind and I heard the inhuman shriek of evilness as it was overwhelmed. Then it was all over.