Zara Steele's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Zara wrapped bright purple yarn around the lamppost, her fingers moving fast in the cold night air. Each knot held a protection spell her grandmother taught her, each color a word in the code that would lead frightened people to safety. The wizard's golden curse was spreading through the city again, hunting anyone who felt afraid. Footsteps echoed behind her. A young woman stumbled into view, clutching an ornate amulet at her throat. The gemstone pulsed with bright flashes of light that cut through the darkness. Terror rolled off her in waves that would draw the curse like blood draws sharks. Zara grabbed the woman's wrist and pressed her hand against the purple yarn. The protection spell flared warm under their palms. Golden light appeared at the end of the alley, spreading across the ground like liquid metal. But where the yarn touched the wall, the gold stopped moving. The woman looked at Zara with wide eyes, then down at the purple thread that now glowed faintly blue. She understood. The first safehouse was three blocks away, marked by a rainbow spiral that would keep the curse outside its walls.