Zavida perches on the radiator, and he flinched as Iggy was working. The sound was a little static puff, nothing lethal, butI guess he’s just the nervous type. I get that; if I hadn’t been trained so well as a child, I’d be freaking out, too.
The panda demon looms next to Zavida, his expression more his gentle bear than a demon. He’s very laid-back about all of this shit, and I appreciate that more than he knows. Most of his ‘brothers’ are high-strung, and he is not. That’s helpful as shit, even if he hasn’t been able to do much with this door situation.
I look at Kaspar, and for all his sullen posturing, his stern, watchful gaze is useful. He won’t allow me to be hurt because Morgana would be pissed, and even if I don’t advocate for myself, I bet he’ll jump in. He’s really been working hard to reverse his bullshit since Lucas and I were jammed up at the theater.
I think he’s going to win my mate over in not too long; the difference has been noticeable as hell.
But it’s Iggy who’s working on the door now, his sandy-blond hair sticking up from his hands raking through it. He got the ‘extra’ magic off of his strand a few minutes ago, and the fact that he wasn’t familiar with the type really pissed him off. Now he’s using his mage powers to carefully remove the magical piece attuned to his kind as he grumbles under his breath.
He looks back at us—me, mostly, though it could be a trick of the hallway light—and flashes the lopsided smile that once convinced a department head to allow a freshman student to run the entire theater orchestral program in our first month as roommates. Iggy’s always been a dashing, charming asshole when he felt like it—to both of our benefits. His grumpy shit only started when we met Morgana, and I’d bet my last reed that it’s because he’s fighting the pull of the mate bond.
“Slade,” he says, “I could use your help.”
I scoot forward, pushing up my glasses as I look at the lock. Every nerve in my body wants to preen because he asked for me rather than anyone else. I bury that pride beneath my best professional frown as I incline my head at Iggy, who waits at my side with his sleeves already rolled. I feel the raw edge of his magic waiting for my own to mesh with it.
This has always been one of my favorite things to do because I feel so close to him when we cast together.
“Do you want a song or just a harmony for your spell?” I ask, and he shrugs, a movement too elegant for the hallway’s dim light. “The others will need to cover their ears appropriately.”
“Just chime in with a wee bit of your power to give me a boost.” He says this as though he isn’t about to rip apart one of the most sophisticated anti-intrusion wards any of has ever seen.
I grin, nodding in understanding. “Got it. On three?”
“Three,” Iggy grunts quickly, and throws his entire weight into the incantation, the first word sizzling the air like dry heat. “Dimitte ut iubeo. Magia tua nunc ex hoc loco expulsa est.?1”
I’m half a breath behind, harmonizing his words and letting my voice slip lend the subtle undertone only a siren can manage. His spell work is more basic than his usual casting, but I assume he’s not comfortable showing his entire hand yet.
From the back, Liam hisses, “Focus. I think you’re getting it.”
The first bit I see as we chant is a protection spell. It resists frantically, but Iggy takes it down with little fanfare. I sing it down, matching with every note, until it softens into pliability.Iggy catches it, curls his magic around it, and begins the careful work of unspooling.
But there’s a snag—something thin and bright, woven almost invisibly through the next layer.
Iggy’s eyes snap open, and he looks at me with a frown. “Not mage or of my kind. There’s a second layer of non-human type magic in here.”
What in the fuck is this shit?
I blink as I watch the sparkling strand wind around the piece we’re working on. That looks like Fae magic, and how is it woven in with this strand, too? Whoever did this hada lotof help—more than one or two supes for certain.
“Liam,” I mutter, keeping my tongue low and vibrating with the spell’s residue. “We may need you again. More Fae magic inside.”
He does not answer, just strides over to look at where we’re working. “This is very unusual. It was twisted into the strand under whatever Iggy removed and is wrapped up with what you’re doing now.”
I tilt my head, and Iggy adjusts the pitch of his chant. Liam sends out some of his magic, picking at the Fae power while we’re focused on the other part.
Honestly, the magic itself is beautiful; it’s like a lattice of borrowed energy, and every junction point thrumming a tiny hymn of power. The more we unravel, the more it fights, but it yields at last, like a sheet tearing down the middle. There is a sound—real or imagined—of a child-like sigh of disappointment as both the Fae magic and the mage kind dissipate.
I fall back, breathing hard, and Iggy sags onto his heels, wiped but not spent. Liam backs away, and I feel his frustration at the level of protection this damn door has on it. The Prince doesnotbelieve this is just some random weapon or artifact; whatever is behind this door is very important.
Jasper, who has not taken his eyes off the process, kneels down beside us. He grunts as he stares at the remaining demonic strand in annoyance. “This is much bigger than we expected; it has to be. Why else would they go to this much effort?”
Iggy closes his eyes, ostensibly to keep from snarking at the dragon. “That much is certain, Prince Jasper. It should not take this many of us very powerful, differently powered species to get the damn thing open.”
Zavida cocks his head. “So, not just Darkstar, then?”
“Definitelynot.” Salem snorts as he shakes his two-toned head. “No way that fucker could do this, and I can’t imagine anyone liking him enough to do it for him. This is someone or something he let on campus to hide shit. No question about that.”
Liam squints at the remaining demonic magic hovering around the lock. “Has to be. And whoever it is, their Fae helpers—whether hybrid or full-blooded—are extremely powerful. Even if we think their training isn’t top notch, their power level is high. It would have to be in order to mesh with the other magics this way.”
