Dark mages had always been interesting to me. All mage classifications were, really. But there was something about the specific way a mage could access their magical power that I found incredible. It was only natural to be intrigued by affinities I couldn't wield. The way that dark and light mages could manipulate the visibility of everyday life into something tangible had always been impressive--especially since they could travel by their powers.
As Jas slipped past the line of guards outside the set of ornate double doors that led to the imperial office, I realized there were more guards there than anywhere else in the castle--including the meeting room that their emperor and empress should be in.
That alone validated our suspicions in my eyes. What could be in this office that was more important than the emperor and empress themselves?
A chill shot down my spine as Jas's shadows uncurled from our group, and we stood in a luxurious room bathed in streams of sun rays coming from the tall, arched windows.
With an audible crackle, red magic flung at us from across the room.
My sight shifted to the spirit side instinctually to show angry red bindings coming straight for our spirits. The magic was vividly similar to the magic that made up the guys' hexes, and the magical signature was the same.
The protection rune around my neck and on their wrists emitted a purple hue, diminishing the hex with a powerful blast back at it. A whooshing sound echoed off the walls, and my heart lodged in my throat.
Silas's protection runes had been a far better idea than I could've ever hoped for. If he hadn't thought of it, I would've been exhausted by deflecting a fatality hex that strong for all of us.
"Thank the spirits for Silas," Bastian said on a relief-filled exhale.
"Don't thank me yet. The deflection from the protection rune was loud. We may end up being found out any minute." Silas glanced toward the door, where a few loud bangs vibrated against the door.
The guards had definitely heard it.
"Not your fault. Your protection runes did what they were supposed to. The hex casting was louder than your deflection," I told him, glancing around the imperial office. "We don't have much time. Let's find anything we can before they get in."
Aimon murmured an incantation under his breath before large vines appeared and closed in the doors, effectively locking us in. "That should buy us some time."
"Good thinking," Casper said before we all spread out.
As expected from the Revivium Empire, the furnishings were lavish and adorned with sterling silver and deep blues. The emperor and empress had separate desks, and instead of normal chairs, they had thrones that were intricately carved from polished ebony with silver accents.
In the center of the room, there was a grand mahogany desk fit for an imperial meeting. It didn't make much sense to have such an important imperial meeting in the standard meeting room and not in here unless there was something in here they were hiding.
We shuffled through the office haphazardly, not caring to keep anything tidy. Our goal had been to slip in and out unnoticed, but that was obviously not going to happen now. The goal had changed to find something--anything--that made this mission not worthless.
"I've never seen a fatality hex that potent be rigged," I muttered as I shuffled through the emperor's desk drawers, using my fire magic to melt the locks.
"Guess that explains why we didn't see anyone when we got hexed," Jasper growled out the words as he grabbed books off the bookshelf and flipped through pages before tossing them over his shoulder.
"We couldn't have known." Silas grabbed a file out of Empress Hayes's desk, and his grip on it tightened so hard his knuckles turned white. "Thankfully, we were prepared this time."
"And we have a sweet mage with us that could've obliterated that hex if we weren't." Casper winked at me, and my heart flipped.
It was still weird to have romantic feelings again, but this time, the feelings were different than anything I'd experienced in the past.
They weremore.
"Guys, I just found a journal of all kinds of botched potion experiments. It detailseverything. Like what the actual fuck." Jasper's lip curled in disgust as his eyes scanned the pages briefly. "We need to take this."
Jas tossed it to Aimon, who stuck it inside his satchel. "Got it."
"This too." Silas handed him the file he'd barely opened, and Aimon slipped it inside.
"I found some potions, but I'm not recognizing their magical essence at all." Bastian held a vial up to his face and squinted his eyes. "It's really creeping me out. I've been more connected to potion brewing since bonding with Fawn, but I can't get a read on these at all."
"Probably the potions that were written about in the journal." Jas's body shivered. "Take them."
"Okay." Bastian tentatively placed them in the pockets of his robe and frowned. "But I'm not sure how good of an idea that is."
"Oh, fucking hell." Aimon recoiled away from a shelf behind the empress's desk. I glanced over to see a jar of toe bones on display on the shelf that he'd uncovered after moving a picture frame of the emperor and empress.
