She stared at Abraxas for a moment. Annoyed. They had already talked about this behind her back.
She shook her head and looked down at the cards between them. “You don’t know what that felt like last time.”
“No, I don’t,” Mal replied calmly. “But I felt you that night in the Headmaster’s office. I felt the pain and the fear when you returned. I feel the lingering effects of it more every day coming from you. You let something in your mind that night.”
Her eyes whipped to his.
“You opened a door,” he said.
“Yes I did,” she said. “And you know who stepped inside. I know who stepped inside. And you think the best thing to do is take him straight to my father? Who could be in the middle of discussing this war? Discussing their plan? Brilliant idea, the both of you.”
Chapter 34
A prickle shot down her spine. But not the exciting kind. Not at all the way Mal’s Magic felt when they kissed. The kind that whispered from the cold shadows of her mind to run. The kind that had her witches’ instinct pooling sweat on her palms.
She opened her eyes as the feeling grew. The dark hall was eerily still in the middle of the night. The prickling was faster now. Like running footsteps-
or a portal barreling open
or magic collapsing-
She sat up slowly in the dark hall, feeling for the danger that lurked close by. Abraxas was snoring lightly next to her.
She looked across the row of students.
Mal was already sitting straight as a board. Something warm and slick rested above her lip. She touched her face, pulling her bloodied fingers back.
Mal’s eyes grew wide as the prickle down Maeve’s back dug in deep and ran down her arms. He lunged for her as the doors to the Hall sprung open.
“Students!” Screamed Rowan, awakening them all.
Mal’s body slammed into hers as a deafening crack sounded through the hall, like two boulders slamming together. The sound ensued panic. Screams flooded the hall as the ground beneath them began to violently shake. The stained glass windows depicting the school and its courts shattered. Glass musically fell to the floor.
Mal gripped her face in his hands.
“You stay close to me. Do you understand?”
Maeve placed her hands over his and nodded.
“To the foyer now!” Yelled Rowan.
Chandeliers of candles crashed to the stone floor, paintings and tapestries dulled into nothing. Rubble and bits of stone fell from the ceiling, stirring dust and debris and cracking the stone floors.
Abraxas was there suddenly, helping Maeve to her feet with his eyes locked on Mal. “Maeve is the target!” He yelled over the screaming students. “They’re here for Maeve!”
The realization slammed into her. “That soldier the other day-”
Abraxas cut her off, “The Magical Militia is no longer under your father’s command.”
Mal’s arm slipped around her waist, pulling her back to him.
And this time, she didn’t pull away from his touch. She melted into his protection, into the cool electricity that shot down his arm and circled around her.
“They are under Kietel’s.” She said.
The blinding light of a portal was pouring into the hall from the foyer.
They ran across the hall. Sparks and blasts of light of many colors illuminated the foyer. Magical Militia were fighting Magical Militia. The portal was barely large enough for two or three students to get through at a time. Larliesl and Arman held the portal open, urging students to hurry.
