. No w g e t in y o u r s p o t a n d s hu t up. "
A d am la u g h e d , b r i g h t e n i n g , a pp a r e n t l y n o t at all p ut o ff b y M a d i s o n' s b o ss i n e ss. T h a t w as g o o d — M a d is o n w as b o s s y a l ot , a n d if A d am c o u l dn' t pu t u p w i t h i t … a n d no w M a d is o n w as t h i n k i n g l o n g- te r m , a n d h e r e ally n ee d e d n o t t o d o t h a t . At l e a s t , n o t un t il af te r h e t a l k e d w i t h Ly d ia agai n . S h a k i n g h i s h e a d , M a d i s o n f o ll o we d A d am t o t h e c e n t e r o f t h e s pe ll circl e .
A d am t o o k h is p lace in t h e t o p m o s t t r i a n g l e car v e d w i t h in t h e i nn e r m o s t circl e , w h ile M a d is o n pu t o n e f o o t in e ach o f t h e r e m ai n i n g t w o t r i a n g l e s , t h e n h e ld o u t h is h a nd s. H e ig n o r e d t h e t h rill h e f e lt w h e n A d am t o o k h is h a nd s a n d i n s t e a d l o o k e d u p t o s t ud y t h e p o s i t i o n o f t h e s un .
"G o o d ? " M a d i s o n a s ke d . A d am n o dd e d , s qu e e z i n g h is h a nd s. M a d i s o n ig n o r e d t h a t , s hu tt i n g h is e y e s s o h e c o u ld c o n c e n t r a t e . Cal l i n g u p t h e e n e rgy t h at a lw a y s bu r n e d , b rig h t a n d s t e a d y a t t h e b a c k o f h i s m i nd , M a d i s o n l e t i t c o u r s e t h r o u g h h is v e i n s. H o l d i n g it f o r a m o m e n t , M a d is o n si m p ly r eve l e d in t h e f ee l o f h is m agical e n e rg y , t a k i n g sl o w , d e e p b r e a t h s b e f o re f e e li n g o u t t h e li n e s o f t h e s p e ll circl e .
O n ce h e c o u ld f ee l t h e li n e s o f t h e circl e , M a d i s o n s h o v e d , pu s h i n g all o f h is e n e rgy i n t o t h e s p e ll c i r cl e . B r illi a n t gr e e n fl a m e s s p u n o u t a l o n g t h e li n e s o f t h e s p e ll circ l e , flari n g h igh a bo v e M a d i s o n' s h e ad. M a d is o n d i dn' t f ee l t h e ir h e a t — h e n e v e r d i d —a n d h e s m il e d t o s e e t h e m , e v e n as t h e f l a m e s i m m e d i a t e l y b e gan t o d ie d ow n .
H e w as gri pp i n g A d a m ' s h a nd s t o o t ig h t l y , M a d i s o n r e ali z e d , a n d h e f o r c e d h is h a nd s t o r e la x . M a d i s o n fr ow n e d , wo nd e ri n g if t h e s p e ll h ad wo r ke d . T h e r e w as n o w ay t o t e ll fr o m h is e n d o f i t . H e h a d s u cc e ssf u lly f e d all h is e n e rgy i n t o t h e circl e , t h o u g h , a n d t h at w as a g o o d sig n . If t h e s p e ll circ l e h ad b ee n i n c o m p l e t e , t h e e n e r gy w o u ld h a v e r i c o c h e t e d b ack a r o un d t o fi n d h im agai n .
T h a t wo u ld h a v e hu rt m o r e t h an b e i n g d rai n e d w o u l d , a n d M a d i s o n h o p e d t h e af te r e f f e c t s w a i te d a f e w m o re m i nu t e s b e f o re k ic k i n g i n . H e f e lt o dd ly h o ll o w , bu t t h a t w a s n o r m al. H e ' d o n ly d rai n e d h i m s e lf t w ice b e f o r e : o n c e a c c i d e n t a ll y b e f o re h e h ad a n y t r a i n i n g , a n d a n o t h e r t i m e in t h e lab w h e n h e ' d a cc i d e n t a ll y m is-ca r v e d a s y m b o l in a s p e ll c i rcl e .
" D id it w o r k ? " M a d i s o n a s ke d . T h e l a s t o f h is gr ee n f la m e s d i e d o u t , l e a v i n g n o t h i n g bu t sc o rc h e d s p e l l li n e s b e h i nd . M a d is o n b li n ke d ; h e w o u ld h a v e t o r e me m b e r t o cl e ar t h e c a s t i n g circle w h e n h e w ok e u p , si n ce t h e r e w as n o w a y f o r h im t o d o it n ow .
" P e r f e c t l y , " A d a m s ai d , s q u ee z i n g M a d i s o n' s h a nd s. " T h a n k y o u. "
M a d is o n s h r u gg e d , fl u s h i n g a n d f ee li n g a li tt le d i z z y . A d a m ' s t o u ch w a s n ' t t h a t s p e c i a l … t h e n h is h e ad s pu n agai n ,
A d am la u g h e d , b r i g h t e n i n g , a pp a r e n t l y n o t at all p ut o ff b y M a d i s o n' s b o ss i n e ss. T h a t w as g o o d — M a d is o n w as b o s s y a l ot , a n d if A d am c o u l dn' t pu t u p w i t h i t … a n d no w M a d is o n w as t h i n k i n g l o n g- te r m , a n d h e r e ally n ee d e d n o t t o d o t h a t . At l e a s t , n o t un t il af te r h e t a l k e d w i t h Ly d ia agai n . S h a k i n g h i s h e a d , M a d i s o n f o ll o we d A d am t o t h e c e n t e r o f t h e s pe ll circl e .
A d am t o o k h is p lace in t h e t o p m o s t t r i a n g l e car v e d w i t h in t h e i nn e r m o s t circl e , w h ile M a d is o n pu t o n e f o o t in e ach o f t h e r e m ai n i n g t w o t r i a n g l e s , t h e n h e ld o u t h is h a nd s. H e ig n o r e d t h e t h rill h e f e lt w h e n A d am t o o k h is h a nd s a n d i n s t e a d l o o k e d u p t o s t ud y t h e p o s i t i o n o f t h e s un .
"G o o d ? " M a d i s o n a s ke d . A d am n o dd e d , s qu e e z i n g h is h a nd s. M a d i s o n ig n o r e d t h a t , s hu tt i n g h is e y e s s o h e c o u ld c o n c e n t r a t e . Cal l i n g u p t h e e n e rgy t h at a lw a y s bu r n e d , b rig h t a n d s t e a d y a t t h e b a c k o f h i s m i nd , M a d i s o n l e t i t c o u r s e t h r o u g h h is v e i n s. H o l d i n g it f o r a m o m e n t , M a d is o n si m p ly r eve l e d in t h e f ee l o f h is m agical e n e rg y , t a k i n g sl o w , d e e p b r e a t h s b e f o re f e e li n g o u t t h e li n e s o f t h e s p e ll circl e .
O n ce h e c o u ld f ee l t h e li n e s o f t h e circl e , M a d i s o n s h o v e d , pu s h i n g all o f h is e n e rgy i n t o t h e s p e ll c i r cl e . B r illi a n t gr e e n fl a m e s s p u n o u t a l o n g t h e li n e s o f t h e s p e ll circ l e , flari n g h igh a bo v e M a d i s o n' s h e ad. M a d is o n d i dn' t f ee l t h e ir h e a t — h e n e v e r d i d —a n d h e s m il e d t o s e e t h e m , e v e n as t h e f l a m e s i m m e d i a t e l y b e gan t o d ie d ow n .
H e w as gri pp i n g A d a m ' s h a nd s t o o t ig h t l y , M a d i s o n r e ali z e d , a n d h e f o r c e d h is h a nd s t o r e la x . M a d i s o n fr ow n e d , wo nd e ri n g if t h e s p e ll h ad wo r ke d . T h e r e w as n o w ay t o t e ll fr o m h is e n d o f i t . H e h a d s u cc e ssf u lly f e d all h is e n e rgy i n t o t h e circl e , t h o u g h , a n d t h at w as a g o o d sig n . If t h e s p e ll circ l e h ad b ee n i n c o m p l e t e , t h e e n e r gy w o u ld h a v e r i c o c h e t e d b ack a r o un d t o fi n d h im agai n .
T h a t wo u ld h a v e hu rt m o r e t h an b e i n g d rai n e d w o u l d , a n d M a d i s o n h o p e d t h e af te r e f f e c t s w a i te d a f e w m o re m i nu t e s b e f o re k ic k i n g i n . H e f e lt o dd ly h o ll o w , bu t t h a t w a s n o r m al. H e ' d o n ly d rai n e d h i m s e lf t w ice b e f o r e : o n c e a c c i d e n t a ll y b e f o re h e h ad a n y t r a i n i n g , a n d a n o t h e r t i m e in t h e lab w h e n h e ' d a cc i d e n t a ll y m is-ca r v e d a s y m b o l in a s p e ll c i rcl e .
" D id it w o r k ? " M a d i s o n a s ke d . T h e l a s t o f h is gr ee n f la m e s d i e d o u t , l e a v i n g n o t h i n g bu t sc o rc h e d s p e l l li n e s b e h i nd . M a d is o n b li n ke d ; h e w o u ld h a v e t o r e me m b e r t o cl e ar t h e c a s t i n g circle w h e n h e w ok e u p , si n ce t h e r e w as n o w a y f o r h im t o d o it n ow .
" P e r f e c t l y , " A d a m s ai d , s q u ee z i n g M a d i s o n' s h a nd s. " T h a n k y o u. "
M a d is o n s h r u gg e d , fl u s h i n g a n d f ee li n g a li tt le d i z z y . A d a m ' s t o u ch w a s n ' t t h a t s p e c i a l … t h e n h is h e ad s pu n agai n ,
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