I staggered, half in awe and half in terror. He was magnificent, his hazel eyes glowing, his power filling the air like a storm. But I could feel the twist of it too—the curse, the way it fed on every ounce of strength he conjured.
He shouted words in the ancient mage tongue, the guttural syllables shaking the very walls. His spell split the corridor in two, a canyon of light and shadow that burned through the horde. The students behind us gasped, some cheering, while others shielded their eyes.
But when the light dimmed, Keegan fell to one knee. His breath tore from him in ragged gasps, sweat running down his face, his whole body trembling. The curse gnawed at him, greedy for more.
“Keegan!” I darted to his side, pressing a hand to his shoulder. His skin burned under my touch, and for a heartbeat,I thought he’d collapse right there. But his hazel eyes lifted to mine, still fierce.
Sacrifice.
“Not done yet,” he growled, forcing himself upright. “Not while they’re still coming.”
The shadows howled, as if answering his defiance, but then they vanished, and for the first time, I sawhim.
Malore.
Not his body…no, he was too clever to step through so soon. But his shadow stretched across the courtyard outside, towering, wings of fog stretching wider than the Academy itself. His face flickered in the mist, jagged features made from stormlight. His laughter rolled like thunder, shaking dust loose from the ceiling.
The students faltered, their lines wavering as his presence pressed against them. Even the strongest shifters bared their teeth but stepped back. Fae charms dimmed. Witchfire guttered.
He wasn’t even inside, and already he was breaking us.
I tightened my grip on my wand, but the wood shook in my hand. I could fire blast after blast, burn myself hollow, and it wouldn’t be enough. Keegan was already bleeding power, and the curse would take him before Malore did if he pushed any further.
The truth slid into my bones, cold and sharp.
We couldn’t fight him like this. Not as scattered pieces.
The dragons had warned me.
The only way to break the path Malore twisted, the only way to silence his laugh, was to stand united. All of us out in the open.
I knew it as sure as the shadows pressed closer.
But first, we had to survive this.
I shoved my wand back into my belt, ignoring the gasps from the students who saw me drop my only weapon.
“Maeve!” Keegan barked, his voice hoarse. “What are you doing?”
“What I have to,” I said, planting my feet.
I walked outside and stretched out both hands, palms wide, and called not just to flame, not just to Hedge, but to the bones of the Academy itself. The ground under my boots thrummed, the Wards in the distance responded as the air between my fingers lit with threads of magic too old to name.
The shadows surged, and I met them head-on, not with fire, not with light, but with the will of Stonewick itself.
Vines erupted from the cracks in the earth, thicker than tree trunks, blazing with emerald fire. They whipped into the air, smashing beasts to smoke, knotting into a barrier that pulsed with my heartbeat. The shadows shrieked, clawing, but they couldn’t pierce it.
Behind me, the students filed outside in steady footsteps, their magic flaring brighter as they felt the Academy stir with me.
Nova’s staff gleamed like a green star, Ardetia’s charms sang, Bella’s fox-fire blazed higher. Even Stella’s teapots cracked louder, steam hissing as she threw them like bombs.
Keegan stood at my side, swaying but unbroken. His unyielding gaze never left me as if I were his anchor.
Malore’s shadow stilled, his laughter cut off mid-echo.
He saw me.
Hefeltme.
