Page 140 of Magical Mayhem

This wasn’t wand-work. This wasn’t warlock spells.

This was Stonewick’s heart, beating through mine.

And I would not let him take it.

Chapter Forty-Two

The air still trembled with the aftershocks of Malore’s laughter. The shadows pressed like a tide, recoiling only when I forced the Academy to answer through me. My power held, pulsing with fire and Hedge magic, but I could feel them straining, each heartbeat a tug-of-war between my will and his endless hunger.

I drew in a ragged breath as the truth settled in me like a stone.

Even if we defeated Malore, no single victory would unravel the hunger he’d twisted to his will. The path would still exist, waiting, devouring, tempting.

We still needed the circle. My dad, Gideon, Keegan, and I needed to survive.

But none of that mattered if we didn’t stop him here, tonight.

If Malore broke through, if the shadows flooded Stonewick and bled the Academy dry, there would be no one left to fight tomorrow. No one left to stand in the circle.

We had to stop him. We had to buy ourselves the chance.

And for that… Gideon had to live.

I clenched my fists tighter, vines of electricity straining as another wave of shadows slammed against them. The sound rattled my teeth, but I refused to let go.

“Maeve.”

Keegan’s voice was rough and torn, but still steady enough to cut through the storm.

I glanced at him. His chest heaved, his skin pale, but his eyes were fastened on me. Fierce. Alive.

“You’re holding too much,” he rasped. “It’ll burn you out.”

“I don’t care,” I said, my throat raw. “We can’t let him through. Not now.”

“You think you can end him alone?”

I shook my head, jaw tight. “You’re right.”

If Keegan noticed my voice cracking, he didn’t show it. He just planted his feet beside me, his fists sparking faint blue again, and glared into the darkness like he could tear Malore down through sheer will.

I turned back toward the rip in the air, vines flaring, and let the thought burn clear and cold in me.

Defeating Malore wouldn’t end what he’d started. But it was our only chance to endhim. To stop this endless pursuit to divide Stonewick, to divide families, to break us until nothing remained.

And if Gideon stood with us, if my father, Keegan, Gideon, and I stood together, then maybe, just maybe, we could stop what Malore had begun so long ago.

But only if we survived tonight.

Another impact shook the barrier, harder than before. Sparks erupted where Malore’s shadow pressed his will against mine. My arms ached, my vision blurred, but I forced my body to stand.

Behind me, the students chanted again, this time louder.Together. Together. Together.

Their voices steadied me. This wasn’t about me alone. It never was.

I shouted back into the storm, my own voice breaking. “You won’t divide us, Malore!”

His laughter answered, low and taunting, echoing through the skies.