Chapter 39
THIRTY-NINE
T he main ward stone’s golden light flickered like a dying firefly, its protective runes dulling beneath waves of encroaching darkness. Vail pressed her palm against the ancient stone, channeling her fire magic into its core. Each pulse of corrupted energy sent phantom pain through her chest where the taint had burned her before, but she gritted her teeth and pushed harder.
“Come on,” she murmured to the failing protection. “Stay with me.” Her magic flared in response, briefly brightening the stone’s glow before it dimmed again. Small flames danced around her fingers, trying to burn away the creeping corruption.
A deep bear’s roar thundered from somewhere below, the sound vibrating through stone beneath her feet. Vail’s heart skipped—Kaine must be fighting something in the lower levels. She forced herself to focus on maintaining the protective barrier despite her worry. If the academy’s ancient defenses failed completely, they’d all be in danger.
“That’s it,” she encouraged as the corruption’s spread slowed slightly. “Just hold?—“
The door burst open behind her. “Oh sweet merciful magic,” Sabine gasped, half-shifted into her tigress form. Her fur bristled with magical awareness, tail lashing as she took in the corruption’s spread. “Please tell me that’s not what I think it is.”
“Depends.” Vail managed a tight smile despite the strain. “If you think it’s ancient dark magic eating through our defenses like acid through paper, then I have bad news.”
Sabine shifted fully human, her movements liquid-smooth as she crossed to examine the corruption’s advance. Her fingers traced the air above its leading edge, following its path with narrowed eyes. “There’s a pattern here. See how it’s following these specific lines?” She gestured for Vail to look closer. “Like water finding the path of least resistance, except...”
“Except water doesn’t usually glow and try to destroy magical barriers?” Vail suggested, earning a snort from her friend.
“Not usually, no.” Sabine’s expression turned serious. “But look—it’s following the old ley lines beneath the academy. This isn’t random corruption. It’s strategic.”
Before Vail could respond, magic crackled through the air as Madame Zephyrine and Neve arrived. The twin witches moved in perfect synchronization, their matching silver hair streaming behind them as they took up defensive positions.
“Well,” Madame Zephyrine observed dryly, “this brings back memories of that unfortunate incident with the cursed weather vane in ’86.”
Neve shot her sister a look. “I hardly think now’s the time for reminiscing about magical mishaps, dear.”
“On the contrary.” Zephyrine’s hands glowed with power as she began weaving protective barriers. “If we survived that disaster, we can certainly handle this one. Though I must say, the corruption’s particular shade is far less aesthetically pleasing.”
Thunder cracked overhead as Romi burst in, her storm magic already gathering in dark clouds visible through the windows. “Sorry, I’m late! Had to dodge three different groups of panicked students on the way up. Also, did anyone order animated gargoyles? Because we’ve got about two dozen of them looking particularly cranky out there.”
“What?” Vail tried to turn toward the window, but maintaining the magical barrier required her full attention. “The guardian statues shouldn’t activate unless?—“
“Unless the academy itself senses a major threat,” Clover finished, hurrying in with leaves still clinging to her hair. She dropped immediately to one knee, pressing her palm against the floor. Green energy rippled outward from her touch. “The corruption’s spreading through the foundations too. I feel it in the earth.”
“Oh good,” Romi quipped, directing a precise lightning strike through the window that lit up the courtyard. “For a moment there, I worried this might be too easy.”
Vail watched their allies fall into a natural rhythm around her—Sabine’s containment runes glowing bright, Romi’s storm magic crackling overhead, Clover’s earth power stabilizing weakening stone. The twin elders wove layers of protection spells with centuries of practiced ease. But even their combined power barely slowed the corruption’s advance.
A bone-deep resonance suddenly shook the academy walls. Through the windows, Vail caught glimpses of stone wings spreading wide as the gargoyles tore free from their perches. But instead of moving to defend the school, their eyes filled with sickly light. They turned as one, methodically targeting specific magical anchors with frightening precision.
“Okay, that’s new,” Romi muttered, gathering more storm energy. “Since when do our gargoyles go rogue?”
“Since something started corrupting the very magic that animates them,” Neve answered grimly. She spared a glance at her sister. “Reminds me of that incident with the enchanted statuary in ’92.”
“Must you bring up every magical disaster we’ve survived?” Zephyrine asked, though her lips twitched slightly.
“Only the relevant ones, dear.”
Another bear roar echoed through the stone, closer this time, followed by the sound of shattering rock. Vail’s hands trembled slightly as she maintained the protective barrier. She wanted desperately to check on Kaine and Daisy, but she couldn’t abandon her post. She had to trust that he could handle whatever was happening below.
“Vail.” Sabine’s voice pulled her attention back to the immediate crisis. “The corruption’s changing its pattern. Look.”
The dark tendrils had started moving with new purpose, forming geometric patterns that pulsed in sync with each other. Vail’s recently healed burns twinged.
“Those formations...” She squinted at the intricate designs taking shape. “They match the restoration patterns in Daisy’s diary.”
A crash from the courtyard punctuated her words as one of the corrupted gargoyles smashed through an anchor stone. Stone fragments scattered across the ground, each piece trailing violet light.
“Romi.” Vail gestured toward the window without taking her hands off the protective barrier. “Can you?—“
“Already on it.” Lightning arced from Romi’s fingertips, striking the gargoyle mid-stride. The creature stumbled, its movements becoming jerky and uncoordinated. “They don’t like direct hits, but there’s too many of them. We need?—“
Another explosion rocked the foundations. Clover gasped, her earth magic flaring bright green. “Something’s happening in the lower levels. The corruption’s gathering power, like it’s preparing for...”
The floor beneath them shuddered. Cracks spread through the stone, dark energy seeping up like blood from a wound. The main ward stone’s protective glow flickered wildly under Vail’s hands.
“No, no, no.” She poured more fire magic into the failing defenses. Sweat beaded on her forehead from the effort. “Don’t you dare give up on me now.”
“Vail.” Madame Zephyrine’s voice carried centuries of warning. “The magical network’s destabilizing. If we don’t?—“