Page 32 of Darkness and Deceit (Obsidian Academy #2)

Twenty-Nine

LILITH

A wave of energy floods through me, electrifying every cell.

It’s exhilarating. Like stepping into the role I was always meant to play. The power settles in my bones like a long-lost friend finally returning home. It’s as though it has lingered in the depths of my being, waiting for the moment it could be unleashed.

And now that it has permission, it surges through every vein and nerve, flooding every inch of my essence.

This is what I was made for.

Something deep within the marrow of my bones was crafted for this purpose—to protect.

I am a Protector.

The Rogues seem to sense this change too; their frantic shoves and gnashing teeth give way to an uneasy caution as they slow their advance.

I stand taller, strength coursing through me as my fox lifts its head high and bares its fangs, letting out a fierce snarl that reverberates through the chamber like thunder.

But it’s not enough to stop them.

They charge forward with primal ferocity.

My fox meets them head-on—a whirlwind of violet fury and razor-sharp precision.

It moves gracefully, like it’s been waiting for this very moment.

Each leap and pounce is instinctual—calculated yet ruthless—as if we’re one entity flowing together in perfect harmony.

There’s no need for commands; I feel its movements resonate within me, as sure as my own breath.

One Rogue lunges at us from the left, but before I can even think about dodging, my fox rips it clean from the air with a vicious snap of its jaws.

Another Rogue dives past us, but I’m already moving in response. My magic reacts without hesitation. Energy erupts from my palm like a storm unleashed and slams into the Rogue’s chest with a bone-crushing impact that sends it hurtling backward against the stone wall with a satisfying crack.

Yet for every one that falls, three more emerge from the shadows beyond. Like an endless tide of snarling madness pouring in. The tunnel is now teeming with Rogues, their snarls a cacophony of hunger and desperation.

Behind me, Augustus holds his own with what remains of his golden light—but it’s fading fast—flickering like a candle blown by the wind.

Two Rogues streak toward him like arrows loosed from a bow. My fox leaps, fangs catching one by its arm before slamming it into the unforgiving ground. Its teeth are tearing out its throat in the next breath.

But the other Rogue barrels toward Augustus.

“No,” I breathe, lunging but I know I won’t make it in time.

Augustus grunts as golden light erupts from his palm, catching the Rogue square in the chest. His eyes meet mine. His face is tight, his movements sluggish, and he’s breathing just as hard as I am.

“Keep moving,” he shouts over chaos swirling around us. “Don’t stop!”

That single command spurs me on; I push forward, blasting apart clusters of Rogues blocking our path with waves of raw power erupting from my palm. Each surge comes easier than before, smoother, as if every last sliver of shame or doubt is burning away in flames fueled by purpose.

The Rogues are less organized now—more rabid, more desperate—but no less deadly. I lose count of how many we put down. The floor is slick beneath my boots. My arms ache. I’m fading fast, with no sign of the Rogues slowing down.

And then… a blast of violet light bursts from my chest as my deer makes its entrance into the battle. Its hooves slam into the ground, antlers swinging, herding the Rogues to make them easier to pick off. But one wrong move and they’ll slip past…

And one does. Of course.

It darts toward Augustus. I move on instinct, arm snapping out as raw power arcs from my fingertips. It collides with the Rogue mid-leap and blasts it against the wall. The shockwave sends dust raining down from above.

And that’s when the cave begins to shake.

The tremor rolls through the ground like a warning. Like something old and furious is stirring awake beneath our feet. Cracks split across the ceiling like spiderwebs, raining dust and rock down on us.

All I can think is: we need to get out . Now.

The passage behind us is still swarming as dozens more Rogues pour from the darkness. If we can just make it a few steps farther, we could collapse this part of the cave. Seal them in. Bury them in this cavern before they overrun us.

I spin toward the exit—toward the narrowing stretch of tunnel in front of us.

But before I can act, pain rips across my side.

A scream tears from my throat.

My fox falters with a pained yelp. A Rogue clips her side with its claws—jagged pain tearing across her flank, through her, through me. I stumble, breath gone, vision blurring.

I drop to one knee.

And then my deer charges, colliding with my fox mid-motion, their violet light flaring white-hot as their forms merge. A shockwave of power erupts from them—pure, blinding, and scorching. The nearest Rogues don’t even have time to scream before they’re reduced to ash.

The force slams outward. But it’s not enough. The passage is still open. More are coming.

I lift my arm—trembling, gasping—trying to summon one last burst of energy. Just enough to bring the ceiling down. Just enough to trap them inside.

Nothing comes.

I’m empty.

Then a hand wraps around mine.

Augustus.

His fingers thread through mine and then?—

Something golden surges into me.

Like sunlight. Like salvation.

Like fire in my veins.

It doesn’t just fill me. It fuses with me. Keeper energy isn’t supposed to mix. Not like this. But it’s happening. And it feels… right.

My breath catches. The pain recedes—not fully, but enough that I can stand again. Augustus’ glow pulses in time with mine, brighter than I’ve ever seen it, as if our magic has found some shared rhythm. Balance.

For a single heartbeat, the entire chamber is aglow with us. With our bond.

We don’t speak. We don’t need to.

Together, we lift our joined hands, and the magic explodes outward.

A wall of light—violet and gold—floods the tunnel, sweeping through the chamber like a tidal wave.

It crashes against the Rogues with blinding force.

Their screeches are swallowed by the roar of collapsing stone.

The ceiling gives way. Huge slabs of rock plunge downward, sealing the path behind us, swallowing the chaos in dust and silence.

We’re left coughing, doubled over, clinging to each other as the final shockwaves settle. The only sounds now are the crackle of settling rubble and the frantic pounding of my heart.

But we’re alive.

Barely.

I sway. Augustus catches me, easing us both down against the wall as I slump into him, every bone in my body screaming. My hand still clings to his.

“Are you hurt?” he asks, his voice low and rough against my hair.

“I’m okay,” I manage, though my side still burns. I’ve never felt so wrung out, so hollowed—and yet, that warmth from him keeps tethering me. Keeps knitting me back together. “You?”

“I will survive.” He exhales through his nose. “Assuming this cave does not collapse in on us again.”

I laugh, hoarsely. “You’re terrible at pep talks.”

“Noted,” he says dryly, but there’s the barest trace of a smile.

A long beat passes before I realize we’re still touching. He hasn’t let go. And I haven’t tried to pull away.

I shift enough to glance up at him. “You’re not supposed to do this. You said yourself—Keepers can’t afford to form connections like this. It disrupts your access to the Balance.”

“I know.” He doesn’t flinch. “But it saved us. You saved us.”

“But at what cost?”

He looks at me then—really looks—and something in his gaze softens. “Maybe the cost is worth it.”

I don’t know how to respond to that. I don’t know what any of this means—only that something has changed between us. And it can’t be undone.

We sit there for another moment, catching our breath, letting the dust settle. But the fear doesn't settle with it. If anything, it sharpens. Because that horde wasn’t random. That wasn’t an accident.

Something sent them.

And if this was just the beginning…

My breath hitches. “We have to warn the academy. The Keepers. All of them.”

He nods grimly. “Agreed. But first…”

He rises, helping me gently to my feet. His touch lingers.

“…we need to find our way out.”