Crowned (Santa Catalina University)

Chapter 35

The night air is colder than I expected, a sharp bite that cuts straight through the thin layers of clothing I’m wearing. It’s the kind of cold that sinks into your bones, making you feel alive, alert – aware. And we need to be aware. Every instinct tells me that this mission is going to be more dangerous than we’d initially planned.

I don’t trust Summer and even though it’s been four days since we returned to the human realm and tasked her with being a double agent, I don’t trust the intel she’s reported back to us through the communicator the guys left her with when we met.

The Keep of Ashen Falls stronghold stands before us like a behemoth, its ancient stone walls towering, dark, and impenetrable, its sheer presence almost suffocating. The building looks like something out of an old war-torn history book, a relic from another time – but what’s inside is far more historical.

The Shadow Legion plans to expand their control, and thanks to their secret dealings with the Shikari, we need to gather more intel on them.

Malia stands next to me, her posture tense, though she tries to disguise it. She’s not supposed to be here. The plan had always been for her to stay behind, hidden in one of the palace saferooms, protected and out of sight. She’s a target.

We know it. The Shikari know it. The Shadow Legion knows it. Hell, even the Council of Elders knows it. If they caught wind of her being here, it could blow the whole operation wide open.

But we couldn’t leave her behind. Not after everything that’s happened – not with what she is, what she’s capable of.

We’re all still learning how to handle the dangerous power brewing inside her, and as much as I want to say we could manage without her, the truth is, we need her close. If things go south, we’ll need every weapon at our disposal – and Malia’s magic might just be that final trump card.

“You sure you’re okay to stay hidden?” I murmur, keeping my voice low, my breath visible in the chilled air. “You know the drill. Keep your distance. Don’t get involved unless we?—”

“I’m fine,” she cuts me off quickly, her voice firm but tight. “I’ll be fine, Reef. Just focus on the mission.”

It’s the first time I’ve heard her speak like that in a while. There’s a determination there that wasn’t there before, and I can’t help but feel a twinge of concern. But I don’t have time to dwell on it. Malia’s stubbornness is nothing new, and right now, the mission is the priority.

I glance at her one last time before motioning to the others, signaling that it’s time. We all slip into the shadows, moving as one, almost as though we’ve rehearsed this a thousand times. The stillness around us is suffocating, and the soft echo of our footsteps seems to be too loud in the eerie silence. But we push forward. The sooner we’re inside, the sooner we can gather the intel and get out.

We approach the side entrance, a small, unassuming door hidden behind a large cluster of ivy. It’s our best chance of getting in unnoticed. We move quickly, efficiently, like we’ve done this a thousand times. The door creaks open, just enough for us to slip inside, and we take our first steps into the heart of the stronghold.

Inside, the atmosphere is heavy. The stone walls are damp, the air thick with the scent of moss and mildew. The torchlight along the corridors casts flickering shadows that stretch unnaturally across the stone floors. It’s a disorienting feeling, like being caught in a labyrinth, and I can’t shake the feeling that we’re being watched.

I catch Malia’s eye for a brief second, and for a moment, it feels like the world holds its breath. She’s keeping her distance as planned, staying at the back, hidden in the darkness. I know she’s trying to stay calm, but there’s a tension in the air that I can’t ignore. It’s in the way her shoulders are drawn tight, the way her gaze flicks nervously around the room, as though she’s already sensing something I can’t. But I don’t have time to think about it.

We continue down the narrow corridor, my hand on the communicator at my side, ready to signal the other teams that are helping us if something goes wrong. But as we press forward, something feels off. The silence is starting to feel unnatural, like the calm before the storm. The walls are closing in, and I can’t shake the feeling that we’re walking right into a trap.

We were meant to be here before the Shadow Legion attacked, but it’s starting to feel like we’ve arrived too late.

We make it to the central hall, a large room that seems to stretch endlessly in all directions. At the far end, there’s a set of heavy wooden doors. I give a subtle hand signal to the team, and we split up, taking positions at strategic points within the room.

“Anything?” I whisper into the communicator, my voice tight.

There’s a pause. Then, one of the other commanders responds. “Nothing yet. Keep moving.”

I nod, but the unease in my gut won’t settle. I’ve done enough of these missions to know when things aren’t right, and something’s definitely wrong tonight. But we press on, determined to finish the job.

Just as I’m about to give another signal to move forward, I hear it – the sound of footsteps, slow and measured, echoing from behind the doors. My heart lurches in my chest. This isn’t just a patrol. This is someone who knows we’re here.

Before I can react, the door bursts open, and a dozen soldiers in Shadow Legion uniforms spill into the room, weapons drawn, their eyes narrowing as they spot us.

Shit.

We’re compromised.

“Move!” I hiss, grabbing Malia’s arm and pulling her into the shadows. The others scatter, but there’s no avoiding the fight now. I hear the clink of weapons, the shuffle of boots, and the unmistakable sound of danger closing in.

“We need to get out,” I mutter, more to myself than anyone else. But just as I take a step forward, something in the air shifts. The magic I’ve felt tugging at the edges of my senses suddenly surges, sharp and undeniable.

I turn to look at Malia. Her eyes are glowing faintly, the familiar shimmer of her power just beginning to surface. She’s standing on the edge of the room, her expression tense but determined. She’s trying to hold herself back, I can see that much, but the pressure in the air is building.

“Malia,” I warn, my voice low, harsh. “Stay hidden. Don’t use it.”

But she doesn’t listen. The moment I take my eyes off her, her power snaps to life.

It’s impossible to describe – one moment, everything is still, and the next, the room is engulfed in a surge of bright blue magic so potent, it knocks me off my feet. The enemy soldiers are thrown back, their bodies slamming into the walls with bone-crushing force. A wave of pure energy pulses through the room, and I can feel it, the raw arcana coursing through Malia’s veins, her power exploding into the room like a bomb going off. Yet, it’s controlled. Sure, she knocked our side over too, but none of us were hurt by her blast.

“Go!” she shouts, her voice commanding, and for the first time, I hear something in her tone that I didn’t think was possible – authority. She’s not just the girl we’ve been protecting anymore. She’s someone else, someone capable of shaking the foundations of this place.

I don’t hesitate. I grab the nearest soldier’s weapon and toss it to one of the others, motioning for them to cover our retreat. We need to get out of here, fast, before more reinforcements arrive.

As the team moves, Malia stays behind, her hands raised, her magic still crackling in the air around us. I can feel the power she’s letting loose, and it’s terrifying. She’s not holding back anymore, not the way she used to.

“Everyone to the extraction point,” I shout, leading the way. We don’t have time to lose. But even as I push forward, I can’t shake the feeling that this was absolutely a set up. Luckily, the intel we had allowed us to move the important records ahead of time.

When we finally reach the safehouse, breathing heavily and covered in sweat, I turn back to Malia. Her face is flushed, her eyes still alight with the power she’s unleashed.

She’s not the girl we brought with us to the stronghold. Not anymore. And as much as I want to tell her that it’s okay, that we’ve survived, I can’t ignore the unease settling in my gut.

Malia’s power isn’t something we can control – not yet. Not fully anyway. But tonight, it saved us.

And for that, I’m thankful.

But I also know that this isn’t over. Not by a long shot.