Reasoning with Feral Magic
I’vebeenheretwicealready: once to set the chimeras free and once to imprison one. I’m back again, and this time is different. This time is final.
The bio magic containment room pulses in front of me with a strange energy, its metal door gleaming under the corridor’s dim lights.
“Stand guard,” I whisper to Natalie, giving her hand a quick squeeze.
She nods and positions herself between me and the corridor, ready to defend us if anyone approaches—or if this doesn’t go as planned. “Be careful. If it attacks you—”
“It won’t.”
I hope.
I flex my fingers under the gauntlet, which is warm against the back of my hand. Sucking in a breath, I slam my fist into the lock. The metal gives way with a satisfying crunch, and the door swings open on silent hinges.
Cool air rushes out at me, carrying an earthy scent. The chimera we caught lies inside the first cage, the room’s only occupant, its flickeringform cast into shadows. One moment it’s the turtle from the pond, then a bear, an eagle, a bull… It expands and contracts, breathing as it sleeps.
I approach slowly, my breaths and footsteps too loud in the absolute silence. I’m jittery, like I’m expecting it to wake up and lunge at the bars any second. But I know from last time that it won’t wake up until I’ve opened its cage.
I raise my fist, my heart hammering. I have to do this.
The lock shatters under my punch, the impact echoing through the room like a gunshot and reverberating up my arm.
The moment I swing open the cage door, the chimera stands, taking the form of the little deer from before. It lowers its head, antlers pointed at me, muscles tensed as if preparing to charge.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, holding my palms up. “I was wrong to trap you.”
The deer’s eyes are deep pools of purple, unblinking and ancient.
There’s a tickle in the back of my mind—its consciousness brushing mine, tentative and suspicious. The sensation is both foreign and strangely familiar, like remembering a dream I had long ago.
“I need your help,” I say. “The witches are planning to destroy all the chimeras at Lighthouse Park. We have to warn them.”
The deer tilts its head, and a voice like rustling leaves whispers in my mind:“Why should I trust you, little hunter, after all that you’ve done?”
My heart skips a beat. I swallow hard. “Because I’m trying to make things right. I understand now what you are—and what I am.”
The deer steps closer. Its form ripples and grows until a stag stands before me, all muscle and pointy antlers. Power radiates from it in waves that make my skin prickle.“Your blood remembers what your mind has forgotten, Guardian. But understanding is not enough.”
I square my shoulders, but I’m trembling as I look up at the massive stag. “By doing this, I’m ensuring I’ll never be welcome here among thewitches again. I might be hunted by the coven for the rest of my life. I’m willing to sacrifice my place here to protect you. Is that not enough?”
The stag’s gaze is piercing, as if it can see straight into my soul.“What of the witch who stands outside? Will she sacrifice her place as well?”
My heart stutters. I’d assumed Natalie wouldn’t face the same consequences if she helps me, like before. But maybe that’s naive. She’s risking everything—her position, her family, her identity.
“That’s her choice to make,” I say finally. “But I know what mine is.”
Natalie turns from her post at the door, maybe realizing we’re talking about her.
I back up, giving the chimera space to walk past me.
The stag steps out of the cage, its hooves clattering on the stone floor. It lowers its head, and my heart skips as we come eye to eye. Its breath washes over me, strangely cool and damp, like a puff of mist.
“You have taken much from us already.”The voice in my mind grows colder.“One act of atonement does not erase a history of cages.”
I reach out but stop myself from touching it. “Please. I need your help to save the others.”
“We do not need saving.”The chimera’s form ripples and shrinks, becoming a red fox. It circles me, its tail brushing my legs.“Your ancestors would weep to see what you have become—a tool for the witches who cage ancient magic.”
