Mavyn’s words echo in the room still teeming with Professor Asier’s aura and magic. I shift in Asher’s hold to watch. To look and actually process all the destruction. That devil. . . my soul had trembled. I had frozen because of the force, and I hadn’t been able to do anything until Mavyn’s aura became known.
And her aura. . .
Her power extended further than that devil’s. Her magic exceeded his by leagues.
Weak. . . ? Auraless. . . ?
I mean, technically right now she does feel auraless, but not before. Most definitely not before.
The men still standing below, all their eyes on Mavyn, lower their brows as they survey the space again. I don’t blame their confusion. A vampire against a devil? There’s no comparison, no doubt about who would win and who would lose.
No, it’s not possible. No matter who the vampyr was. Mavyncan’tbe a vampire.
So what is she?
“Ms. Tsuki. . . “ Chairholder Arcturus steps further into the room. His red eyes slightly glowing as he peers at Mavyn. “We were led to believe you have no aura and barely any magic.”
Her back is to me so I can’t see her expression, but I do see her head cock. “I don’t remember ever telling anyone I had no magic.”
Her tone chills my spine and has me tensing in Asher’s hold. She went from zero to infinite and back to zero again. I didn’t know it was possible to conceal your aura to the point where others can’t feel it at all.
“So whatexactlyis your magic that could go againstKolasi? He is a devil who has no leash on histrue form.”
I can’t move. Asher is rubbing my back – I think – but I can’t feel it. Mr. Arcturus had asked who was able to go against Kolasi before but it didn’t process. My brain didn’t register that theDeath Devilhad been in my presence. Who was going to kill us all.
His stories proceed him and they’re drenched in blood and broken bodies. For a devil or angel not to have a lock on their true form. . . thosethingscan decimate worlds. They say he’s gone insane because of how all-consuming his true form is over him.
He’s a lunatic.
A psychopath.
Amonster.
And Mavyn’s magic surpassed him. Both in power and emotion.
Her head twists and I catch a glimpse of pale pink. Her eyes lock on mine with a blank expression, and then they shutter as she looks at the ground. Her shoulders drop and she looks back over the room. Looking at the mess, the ruined room.
She could have annihilated us.
I push Asher’s arms off and stumble over debris before righting my footing and stepping over to Mavyn. Steeling my spine, I level a glare I know my mother would be proud of to the blood demon. His red eyes that look exactly like Thorne’s widen at me.
“You sound like you’re accusing someone of something malicious when she is the reason we’re all alive and unhurt.” He blinks at me and his sneer drops. “I would think the wellbeing of the students of this prestigious university would come first when faced with an attack from an enemy the Mage Board should have been able to handle decades ago.”
I step in front of Mavyn and shield half of her body with my own. My aura of water and ice and frost dropping the temperature in the air. It’s no match for the celestials – not even close to a match against Mavyn – but even the weakest, at times, can be more powerful than the gods.
“When all of us shrunk to the furthest corners of the room, helpless despite all of us having magic that is anything but, Mavyn stood before two beings with magic andaura that surpasses most celestials. When she has only ever been discriminated against, hated, faulted, berated, tormented, Mavyn was the only thing standing between us and death. Shesavedall of us. She, who you sentenced to this school because it was either this or death, protected us without any of us offering even a promise of help.”
I point my finger at them. The celestials who do have hatred for her. Fury fueling my blood because of the unfairness to my friend who has been tortured but never asks for anything.
I didn’t help her before, but I will now. She didn’t hesitate before. Starting now neither will I.
“So watch your fucking tone.”
Warmth seeps into my shoulder as a hand grips it. I twist my head and am greeted by shining rosy pink. And then warmth consumes me in total as I’m pulled into Mavyn’s arms.
My frost melts from where it had been spreading onto my skin, and while most people can’t stand to touch me when it covers me, Mavyn does not stop. Not even Asher can hold me when my frost freezes. But this girl who I’ve only known for two months, who was resigned for me to already hate her before I met her, she doesn’t care.
“Thank you,” she whispers beside my ear. It takes me a second to knock myself out of my trance and I throw my arms around her too. Pulling her tighter to me as I hug her like I hug Hanna. Tears building within my shut eyes because she did save me. I would literally be dead right now without her.
