A burst of red light ricocheted towards them. They dodged it and kept running.
Rowan was dueling multiple Magical Militia at once. Maeve had never seen the stoic spy so violent. Curses whipped from him with passion as he guarded Larliesl and Arman’s portal.
Maeve’s anger flared as she watched the betrayal.
With the point of two fingers a black light burst forth from her, spiraling across the hall and slammed into one of the soldiers Rowan battled.
“Go Abraxas’,” said Mal. “As soon as you are on the other side of that Portal trust no one except Ambrose.”
Abraxas took off towards the swirling light. Students hurled past them. There were too many soldiers swarming the foyer from the courtyard.
Headmaster Elgin flew down the castle stairs, Magical Militia hot on her heels.
They didn’t fire at her.
“Take down that portal!” She yelled, pointing towards Rowan.
The remaining two soldiers fighting Rowan dropped to the floor at once. Maeve’s head whipped towards Mal, whose single finger was pointed at them.
Elgin made her way across the hall, her eyes on Mal and Maeve.
“We needn’t spill Golden Blood, Sinclair,” said Elgin. “I will not harm you.”
“I cannot grantee the same,” seethed Maeve.
“You will see, the both of you, in time,” she said.
“You are out of time,” said Mal.
Elgin looked to him. “So be it.”
She pointed two fingers towards the Portal and adjusted her aim at Arman. Bright blue light shot towards him, slamming him square in the chest.
The Portal faltered as he was weakened, shrinking in size. Magical Militia now swarmed him and Larliesl. Harquinton and the rest of the staff stood fighting them off.
Rowan stood tall and faced Elgin.
“Rowan,” she said. “I tried to tell you.”
His fingers sparked at his side. “I do not listen to traitors.”
Their fight exploded across the foyer as their hexes slammed into one another. Students screamed at the sound. Maeve turned towards Mal.
“There are too many of us to make it through the portals before this place collapses.”
Maeve looked up at Mal, whose eyes were already on her.
“We can do it,” he said.
She nodded.
Without hesitation, without thought, and with a thunderous clap, they grasped each-other’s forearms. Light shot down their shoulders, banding along their arms and joining with the other. Had Mal’s grip on her arm not been iron-tight, she would have gone flying backwards and slammed into the stone floor.
The bright green and blue whirls of light began circling between them, growing brighter and brighter and wider until the stone floor beneath them was swallowed by the light. A bright golden light erupted from their gripped forearms and latched itself onto the oscillating shape of the portal.
Mal nodded, and they let go and stepped away.
Scrambling students nearly shoved past them to gain access to the portal, their screams frantic and scared.
