Page 120

He walked away and she exhaled, quietly thanking whichever spirit had answered her calls. Behind her, in the shadows of the trees, she heard a rattling breath. Mira spun around. Just like in her last vision, red eyes emerged from the shadows. Rakkley stood in his tattered robes. His mask seemed to have fused with his deformed face. The flesh around the metal was oozing. Rusted staples held the skin on his forehead together.

Everything went entirely quiet.

“It’s not real,” she whispered to herself and closed her eyes. Just like last time. It’s just a vision.

But when she opened her eyes again, her heart sank with sudden realization—this wasn’t a vision. Because she saw the look of sheer and utter panic on Aidric’s face as he came running toward her at full speed, his hand with the Shadowflame outstretched, dark shadows dancing with promise in his palm.

“You have something of mine,” Rakkley said with a wheezing breath.

Behind him, Feeders emerged from the forest. Black veins wriggled under their translucent skin. Their snarls came closer. And when they opened their sharp black teeth and screamed, she knew death had come for her.

35

Rakkley’s bloodshot eyes focused on Mira. For a moment she stood there frozen. Fear locked her in place. Do something.

Rakkley was hunched over. His skin was even more gray than it had been during the war. It didn’t take a healer to see that Dark Magic had taken a toll on his body over the years.

Surely there were noises. Screams. Explosions from spells. But she didn’t hear anything—aside from her heartbeat, drumming loudly in her ears. The world around her seemed to have slowed. Rakkley pointed a bony finger at her as Feeders continued to creep closer, their long fingers stretching toward her.

Aidric threw spells at the Feeders mid-run.

Mira tried to connect with her powers. First, she attempted to wield Dark Magic. In the panic in her mind, she couldn’t focus enough to grasp the strands of her two signifiers. Her hands shook violently. She went for her White Magic, which obeyed, and a shield sparkled to life around her just as Aidric reached her. He stood in front of her, his hand pointed at Rakkley.

“It’s time to come home now, Aidric,” the former poison master coaxed. “You no longer have to be the council’s lapdog.”

Around them, party guests fought off the Feeders. Screams mixed with the zapping of spells flying through the air.

“I am right where I need to be,” Aidric responded in a voice so calm it was terrifying.

She kept attempting to connect with her Dark Magic, but she found nothing in her mind, swimming through a sea of milky water.

The way Aidric stood—feet planted wide, back rigid, shoulders back, and his right hand pointed so decidedly—it was clear he didn’t underestimate Rakkley.

“You said she had something of yours.” His voice was even. Cold. “What is it?”

“You’re a Dawson,” Rakkley reminded him, ignoring his question. “Not some errand boy for the council.”

Aidric didn’t waver. The hand with the Shadowflame was pointed at Rakkley with promise: He would kill him, given the chance.

From across the garden, Oliver ran toward them. His shield around him glowed in defiant light. Feeders crashed against it in vain, but he didn’t slow down. Oliver threw a shackling spell at Rakkley, and in the moment he took to block it, Aidric didn’t hesitate. Right as the shadows of Aidric’s spell were about to hit Rakkley, he disappeared into thin air. Without their master, the Feeders stopped the attack and retreated.

Aidric turned to her immediately. “Are you all right?” His eyes scanned her head to toe. “Are you hurt?”

“Mira?” Oliver was out of breath, his hair stuck to his forehead. “Did he hurt you?”

This time it hadn’t been a nightmare. She wasn’t going insane. Rakkley had been standing in front of her.

Tents were ripped. Glasses and plates broken. The strings of lights tangled on the ground. People crying. Tending to the wounded.

“Mira?” Aidric asked with concern.

“No, I’m not hurt.”

Oliver nodded with relief. “I need to get back to Ella.”

“Is she okay?” Mira asked.

“She’s fine. Just hurt her leg in the chaos.”