Page 38 of Faeheart (Widdershins Supernatural Academy #2)

Wild

“ T he servant really had no idea what kind of artifact the Purity Front was bringing?” I asked, flipping through yet another book full of magical enchantments that could be a huge pain in the ass to deal with. “Any clues at all?”

Elias shook his head. “They didn’t know.

Only that it was powerful and it shouldn’t be in the Veil.

” He gestured at the mansion surrounding us.

“Then again, none of this should be in the Veil either. This is a realm only for the dead. For all we know, they could be bringing another house with them.”

I paused in my reading, considering that possibility.

The idea of the Purity Front bringing their own sanctuary into the Veil was both brilliant and terrifying.

“That actually wouldn’t be the worst idea,” I said, closing the book with a frustrated sigh.

“If they brought their own fortress, they could lay siege against us and just wait us out. They’d win eventually if they could block us from getting help. ”

“Lovely,” Atlas muttered from where he was examining weapons that had materialized from the mansion’s armory. “A magical fortress versus magical fortress battle. That’s not ominous at all. It’s like a bad Godzilla movie.”

Caden looked up from his own research, amber magic flickering around his fingers as he traced protective ward diagrams in the air.

“The real question is how they’re powering whatever they’re bringing.

I doubt it's a house, but moving something that powerful into the Veil would require massive amounts of energy. Not to mention powering it up once they got here.”

“Blood magic,” Elias said quietly, his eyes dimming with distaste. “It’s the only way they could generate that kind of power quickly. And we saw what they did last time. They’re not above sacrificing their own to take us out.”

The thought made my stomach turn. How many innocents had they sacrificed to fuel their assault on us? Through our bond, I felt the others’ similar revulsion, our shared anger at the Purity Front’s willingness to murder for their cause.

“Well, wherever the hell my mother’s guards are, they’re taking their sweet time getting here,” I said, standing to stretch my back. We’d been researching for hours, and the floating breakfast platters had long since been replaced by an elaborate lunch spread that none of us had touched.

“Maybe they’re not coming,” Atlas suggested, not looking up from the enchanted blade he was testing. “Maybe your mother decided you’re not worth the political risk.”

I laughed, though there was no humor in it. “It’s been three days, Atlas. I realized after day one that she’s not sending them to rescue me. She’s sending them to clean up the mess. Dead sons tell no tales, and all that.”

The casual way I spoke about my mother’s likely betrayal made Elias flinch through our bond. His parents might be part of the Purity Front, but at least they’d once loved him. Maybe they still did. But mine had always seen me as a political asset at best, a liability at worst.

“Then we prepare for the worst,” Caden said, his gentle voice carrying steel underneath. “No rescue, no backup, just us against whatever they’re bringing.”

“Good thing we’re fucking amazing together,” I grinned, waggling my eyebrows at him.

Despite everything, Caden blushed, his dryad magic sparking with remembered pleasure from the night before. Through our tetrad bond, I felt Atlas’s approval and Elias’s fond exasperation at my inability to be serious for more than five minutes at a time.

“Speaking of which,” Atlas said, finally setting down the weapon he’d been examining, “we should probably discuss tactics. If they’re bringing something powerful enough to concern the mansion as a whole, we need to be ready for anything.”

“Dispelling magic?” Elias offered. “That feels like a good place to start.”

“Maybe we should learn some blood magic too,” I countered.

Everyone in the entire room turned to look at me at once, fear on their faces.

I held up my hands. “I’m not saying we sacrifice one another or anything like that.

I’m just saying maybe we should learn how blood magic works so we can disrupt their rituals. ”

“That’s... actually not a bad idea,” Elias admitted reluctantly, his mind already calculating possibilities. “If we understand the mechanics of their rituals, we might be able to create targeted counter-spells.”

Atlas growled low in his throat, his golden eyes flashing with displeasure. “Blood magic isn’t something to mess with, Wild. Even researching it carries risks. Some things are hard to let go of once you know them. And some… are far too tempting.”

“I know that,” I said, trying to keep the frustration out of my voice. “But we’re already at a disadvantage. They know what they’re bringing and we’re just guessing . If we can at least recognize their ritual patterns, we might have a fighting chance. But right now, we’re sitting ducks.”

Caden set down his book and came to stand beside me, his nature magic reaching through our bond with calming energy. “There are some texts in the library that mention blood magic without actually teaching the practice itself. Maybe we could start there?”

Elias nodded, already moving toward one of the towering bookshelves. “I remember seeing something in the higher sections when we first arrived. A grimoire bound in white leather with silver clasps.”

“The one that hummed when you got near it?” I asked, following him through the stacks.

“That’s the one. It’s a defensive treatise on magical disruption. If I remember correctly, there’s an entire chapter on recognizing and countering sacrificial rituals.”

“How do you know that?” I asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Elias’s cheeks turned pink. “I… I might’ve snuck up here and thumbed through it in the middle of the night.”

“When?!”

“When we first got here,” he said, giving me a wink. “You’re a heavy sleeper.”

I shook my head in disbelief, following him as we wound our way through the labyrinth of bookshelves.

I couldn’t help but marvel at his determination and how quickly we’d fallen into sync with each other.

Even something as simple as navigating the library felt effortless, our movements coordinated through the tetrad bond without conscious thought.

And Elias was always prepared, whether I knew it or not.

I had to admire his hunger for knowledge and the skill it took to sneak around without a fae knowing. That was no small feat.

“Here,” Elias said, stopping before a locked glass case at the top floor. Inside sat a pristine white tome, its silver clasps gleaming despite the dust on the case itself. “The Grimoire of Countermeasures.”

“Fancy name,” I quipped, reaching for the case, only to jerk my hand back when it shocked me. “Ouch! Rude.”

“Let me,” Caden said, his dryad magic flowing like gentle water over the case. The lock clicked open without resistance. “The mansion recognizes my nature magic as non-threatening.”

“Are you saying I’m threatening?” I asked, mock-offended.

“Your fae magic is chaotic by nature,” Elias explained, carefully lifting the book from its resting place. “The grimoire is designed to maintain magical balance. It probably sensed your disruptive energy.”

“I’m not disruptive ,” I protested, even as Atlas snorted behind me.

“Wild, you’re the definition of disruptive,” the werewolf said, his voice carrying a hint of fondness that softened the words.

The book opened easily in Elias’s hands, its pages rustling with an almost eager sound.

The text was written in elegant script that seemed to shift and flow across the parchment, adapting to each reader’s comprehension level.

I leaned closer, breathing in the scent of old magic and preserved knowledge.

“Chapter Seven,” Elias murmured, flipping through the pages. “Identification and Disruption of Sacrificial Magics.” He paused, his brown eyes scanning the text. “This is... comprehensive. Almost too comprehensive.”

Through our bond, I felt his unease as he read. The grimoire wasn’t just describing how to counter blood magic, it was explaining the fundamental principles behind it, the reasons it was so powerful, so seductive to those who sought quick results.

“What does it say?” Atlas asked, moving closer despite his earlier reservations.

“Blood magic draws its power from life force,” Elias read aloud. “The willing sacrifice of one’s own blood creates a minor enhancement, but the unwilling sacrifice of another’s life force...” He trailed off, his face pale.

“Creates exponential power,” I finished, remembering fragments from my fae education. “That’s why it’s forbidden in most realms. The temptation to escalate becomes overwhelming. With blood magic, almost anything is possible.”

Caden’s magic flickered with distress. “How many people do you think they’ve killed to power whatever they’re bringing?”

The question hung heavy in the air between us. Through our tetrad bond, I felt each of their reactions. Elias was filled with horror as he calculated possibilities, Atlas’s mind filled with a protective rage, and Caden’s was filled with gentle grief for the unknown victims.

“Enough,” Atlas said finally, his voice rough with controlled anger. “They’ve killed enough that we need to stop them permanently.”

“Look at this,” Elias said, pointing to a diagram in the grimoire. “A ritual circle designed to channel life force into an object. The more lives sacrificed, the more power the object can contain and channel.”

I studied the intricate pattern, my fae nature recognizing the twisted elegance of the design. “That’s not just any ritual circle. Those symbols around the perimeter, they’re containment runes. Whatever this empowers, the casters want to make sure it doesn’t explode in their faces.”

“Smart,” Caden observed, though his tone suggested he found the intelligence behind the ritual design unfortunate rather than admirable.

“Here,” Elias continued, turning the page. “Disruption techniques. If we can break the ritual circle at specific points...” He traced his finger along the text. “The contained energy will backfire on the casters.”

Atlas’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “Turn their own weapon against them. That’ll throw a wrench into their plans.”

“It’s not that simple,” I warned, reading over Elias’s shoulder. “We’d have to get close enough to the ritual site to physically break the circle. And if they’re smart, they’ll have it heavily guarded.”

“Plus,” Elias added, his voice troubled, “If they’ve already completed the ritual and powered up the item, which it’s likely they have, there won’t be anything to disrupt.

The item would need to be destroyed, and I don’t know how we’re ever going to get that close.

Once we’re outside the wards, we’ll have nothing to protect us. ”

“What if we could trick them?” I suggested, a sudden idea flaring to life in my mind. “We made them think the mansion’s wards were failing when they’re actually stronger than ever. What if we took them down and just… let them in?”

Three sets of eyes turned to face me, a look of shock and horror painted over their faces.

“Are you completely fucking insane?” Atlas growled, his golden eyes flashing with alarm. “You want to drop our only protection and invite them inside to kill us? We’d be sitting ducks!”

“Hear me out,” I said quickly, raising my hands before he could launch into a full lecture.

“The mansion’s defenses aren’t just the outer wards.

Remember what that servant told Elias this morning?

The house itself is stronger now because of our bond.

What if the real trap isn’t keeping them out, but letting them in where we control the environment? ”

Through our tetrad connection, I felt Elias begin to analyze the possibility, his academic mind working through the logistics despite his initial horror. Caden’s thoughts pulsed with nervous energy, while Atlas radiated pure protective fury.

“The mansion has been a sanctuary for decades,” Elias said slowly, his voice thoughtful. “Every spell, every ward, every defensive enchantment has been building up in layers. If we could turn all of that inward...”

“We’d be trapped in here with them,” Caden pointed out, his blue eyes wide with concern. “If something goes wrong, there’d be no escape.”

“There’s no escape anyway,” I countered, gesturing toward the windows that showed the endless illusory seascape full of sunshine and clear waters. “We’re already trapped here until someone opens a portal out. At least this way, we’d be fighting on our terms, in a place that responds to our magic.”

Atlas began pacing, his werewolf instincts clearly agitated by the suggestion. “It’s too dangerous. Too many variables. What if their artifact is powerful enough to corrupt the mansion itself?”

“Then we make sure it never gets the chance,” I said, my fae nature thriving on the audacity of the plan. “We let them think they’ve won, let them get comfortable, and then we spring every trap this place has at once. There’s gotta be something we can do.”

Elias looked up from the grimoire, his brown eyes bright with sudden understanding. “The mansion’s defensive systems aren’t just protective, they’re adaptive. If we could magically program them to recognize the Purity Front as a threat once they’re inside...”

“The house would turn against them,” Caden finished, his mind buzzing with excitement. “Every door, every hallway, every room could become a weapon.”

Through our bond, I felt Atlas’s reluctant consideration of the plan. His tactical mind was recognizing the strategic advantages even as his protective instincts rebelled against the risk. “It would have to be perfectly timed,” he said finally. “One mistake and we’d all be dead.”

“We’re probably all dead anyway if we try to face them in open combat,” I pointed out. “They won’t arrive with anything less than their best. At least this way, we’d have a chance.”

Elias closed the grimoire with a soft thud, his decision crystallizing through our soul bond. “Well,” he said with a sigh. “We better get to work.”