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Sienna readied herself for another attack, signalling her friends to carry on while she had the guy distracted then froze when instead of charging her again he instead gave another bellow and shattered glass and broken masonry rose off the ground and flew at the four of them. Sienna threw up her hand in what should have been a futile warding gesture and the pain that had been building in her head exploded before fading to nothing. In the same instant the flying masonry stopped short, disintegrated and fell to the floor in a fine dust.

“What the fuck!” Sienna usually tried not to swear because it upset her parents but right now it seemed appropriate. She didn’t have time to puzzle over it however because their assailant rushed at them again. Sienna didn’t even think about she just threw out an arm and imagine him being thrown away from them. It made no sense but somehow she knew it would work. A wave of energy passed out of her and struck the man He cried out and flew back into the wall with a sickening crunch. He hit the ground unconscious, at least Sienna hoped he was unconscious and not worse. After a moment she saw his chest rising and falling and sighed with relief. She steeled herself and turned to look at her friends.

Lucy was still struggling to breathe and seemed unaware of what had happened but as Sienna had feared Charlotte and Wendy were staring at her with scared and bewildered expressions. Sienna imagined her face looked much the same.

“H-how did you do that? Charlotte asked. “What are you?”

Sienna wouldn’t have minded knowing the answer to that herself but right now she was concerned about the fact that Lucy seemed to have passed out.

“We need to get Lucy to help then we can worry about that,” she said.

Wendy stared at her for a moment before nodding but Charlotte just continued staring at her with big, frightened eyes and didn’t look like she was going to move until she got an answer.

“Look, Char, I’m as baffled and scared as you are!” she snapped after a moment. “I don’t know what’s going on but I do know Lucy needs help now and this can wait so get bloody moving!” As she snapped at Charlotte she felt something click inside her head and her friend seemed jolted backwards. Charlotte’s eyes went blank for a moment and she nodded.

“You’re right,” she said and began pushing the chair again.

Sienna’s stomach roiled guiltily as she led them all the last few hundred meters to where the mist finally petered out completely. She didn’t know how she’d made Charlotte start moving but she knew she had just like she’d thrown that man into the wall She really wanted time to pull herself together and figure things out but Lucy was more important right now so she pushed it aside. They rounded another bend and Sienna sighed in relief as they found a police cordon with ambulances and fire engines just beyond them. Several paramedics came running and took Lucy off their hands as a policeman pointed the rest of them towards a portacabin.

“Go and get decontaminated girls,” he said. “Then you can join your friend. We don’t know what this agent is yet but we have established that it’s not a nerve or biological agent, so we don’t think it’s any sort of attack. Must have come from the meteorite. Whatever it is it seems harmless except to people who have a reaction like your friend so I don’t think we’ll need to hold you long.”

“Thanks!” Sienna said as the three of them headed to the portacabin where hair samples and skin swabs were taken before they were wold to shower thoroughly. When they emerged their clothes were gone, replaced by coveralls.

“You’ll get them back,” one of the technicians promised. “But we need to test and decontaminate them first. For now let’s get you to the hospital to join your friend.”She hustled them outside and into a waiting police car, which just as promised took them to the hospital.

“We don’t think anything criminal has happened,” the policewoman who was escorting them to Lucy said. “But if that changes we’ll need a statement so I’ll have to take your addresses, and with the mobile network currently overloaded we’ll be able to reassure your parents you’re–” She broke off as the very noticeable sound of gunfire came from the direction of the town centre. “Now that certainly is criminal.” She hurried them a few steps to a curtained cubicle. “Your friend is in here. I’d better go and find out what’s happening now.” She hurried off leaving them in a cubicle with :Lucy who was still unconscious and on Oxygen but whose breathing seemed far easier now.

In the corner of the cubicle was a television which someone had set to the news. Sienna wasn’t surprised to see that everything centered on Castleham and what had happened there. Given that the reporter was standing outside the Star Centre among the dust and ruin but with no sign of the magenta fog and with ambulances visible behind her Sienna gathered that the cordon had been lifted at some point while they were showering or travelling here which meant the other casualties would be here soon.

Sienna breathed a sigh of relief that it all seemed to be under control and was about to beg her friends not to reveal what had happened to her when she registered what the headline was saying. She grabbed the remote and put the subtitles on. The reporter was saying the same thing – people were reporting being attacked by people suffering from some sort of neurological probably problem. She even mentioned the claims of poltergeist like activity. The news cut back to the studio where a sceptical talking head said that the latter was probably just falling glass and masonry being interpreted through the lens of confused shock.

What had caught Sienna’s attention, however, was that people had been reporting men in military uniform shooting the attackers. The newsreader said that the government and military were denying any involvement but people had indeed been shot. Police were searching for the perpetrator and believed it was probably a lone gunman taking advantage of the chaos to settle some grudges.

“Oh come on!” Wendy said. “Like some random dude just happened to have a gun to hand to take advantage of this mess.” Sienna glanced around and saw Wendy looked serious. “Someone knew that this was going to happen. I have no idea how they could have arranged the meteor but magenta gas is not natural. I’m sure these shootings aren’t a coincidence either. I think you’re in danger, Sienna.”

Sienna swallowed and nodded. “I was just thinking that as well.”

“We should tell the police.” Charlotte’s face was still pale and frightened and she was hugging herself as she stared at Sienna. “That wasn’t normal, Sienna. You might be going to end up like that man who attacked us.”

“Charlotte! You saw what that reporter said!” Wendy snapped before Sienna could speak. “People are being shot.”

Charlotte’s fae tightened and for a second Sienna feared her friend was going to say that she should be shot. Instead she shook her head. “The police would protect her, wouldn’t they?”

“And what if the shooters really are the military?” Wendy asked. “They denied it but then they would. Look I’m scared too but I don’t think Sienna understands what happened either and she did save us.”

“I’m scared too,” Sienna admitted.

“But-” Charlotte broke off as Lucy stirred and opened her eyes.

“Lu!” Wendy said. “How are you feeling?”

“Better, but my chest still hurts,” Lucy said. “What are you arguing about?”

“That’s a long story and you probably won’t believe it.” Wendy leaned out of the cubicle checking no one was in earshot and then quietly told Lucy what had happened when man attacked them and what the news was saying. She missed out the bit where Sienna had nudged Charlotte – she probably didn’t realise that had happened.

It was hard to tell through the oxygen mask but it looked like Lucy was frowning when Wendy finished.

“That can’t be right,” she said finally. “Can it?”

“We saw it,” Charlotte said. “I know it sounds unbelievable but it’s true. I still say we should go to the police.”

“No!” Lucy said sharply. “I don’t trust the police. We shouldn’t go until we’re sure it won’t get her shot, and not even then unless she wants to. If this is true then Sienna saved us, and if not then I’m pretty sure she saved me by getting the wheelchair. We owe her.”

“Thanks, Lu,” Sienna said.

Charlotte looked extremely conflicted as she stared at them but eventually she nodded. “Okay, you’re right. But she has to get this under control.” She gave Sienna a determined stare. “And if you ever push me like that again I am going to the police.”

“I’ll try,” Sienna said. “But it wasn’t intentional.”

“What’s this?” Wendy asked.

“When I was frozen after she threw that guy she forced me to get moving,” Charlotte said. “I don’t know how but when she snapped at me I had to move.” She looked back at Sienna. “That’s why you have to get this under control You can’t override people like that.”

“Is that true?” Wendy asked

“I think so,” Sienna said. “It felt like something clicked inside my head when it happened.”

“Hmm.” Wendy frowned thoughtfully. “That’s a point. What happened from your perspective. It might help us figure this out.”

“Ah…” Sienna cast her mind back and described how she’d felt during the incident and the sudden departure of her headache when she stopped the stuff that was flying at them.

When she finished Wendy frowned. “Well it sounds like you controlled it when you threw him. So perhaps you just need more practice.”

“And where am I supposed to practice?” Sienna asked. “I can’t tell my parents about this they’ll either think I’ve lost it or freak out.”

“I know a good place,” Wendy said confidently. “I’ll show you tomorrow afternoon. For now we need to concentrate on Lu until our parents arrive.” She frowned. “I hope they remembered to call our parents with the shooting starting. I’ll go and check with one of the nurses.” She slipped out of the cubicle leaving Charlotte and Sienna standing there with Lucy.

“So,” Charlotte said awkwardly. “What do you think happened to you?”

“I really don’t know,” Sienna said. “Obviously it was related to the headache but…” she trailed off.

“Yeah,” Charlotte looked at her feet. “I’m scared of you right now.. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Sienna said. “I’m scared of me right now. I really don’t understand how Wendy is so calm.”

“She’s bluffing,” Lucy said. “She’s absolutely terrified. She only stops waving her hands about when she’s scared. But you know Wendy she’s too curious to let fear get in the way.”

“I guess,” Sienna said then broke off as she heard several sets of footsteps approaching. A moment later Wendy pushed back the curtains and came in with Lucy’s parents who immediately rushed to their daughter’s bedside.

“Our parents are on their way as well,” Wendy said. “Let’s leave Lu to reassure her parents and go and meet them.”

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