Page 145 of Magical Mayhem

The molten lava surged higher, licking the air in columns that wove into my vines, turning them into living whips of flame. I flung my arms wide, and the courtyard exploded in light. Shadows shrieked, burning away into smoke, and for the first time since he stepped through, Malore stumbled.

But the heat didn’t just burn him; it singed me, too.

Memories flared unbidden, hot as the flames surging through my veins.

Celeste’s first steps on the porch in Stonewick.

Keegan’s crooked smile when he first told me he trusted me.

Grandma Elira’s voice in the mirrors, steady even when she was trapped.

My father, in bulldog form, curling up at my feet when he thought I wouldn’t notice.

Every ember was a memory. Every blaze was a vow.

And if I wasn’t careful, the fire would eat them all.

Stay with me,I begged myself, my chest tight.Don’t let it take everything. Don’t let it take you.

Malore howled, his claws sweeping through the air, shadows clashing against my fire. Sparks flew in all directions, searing the courtyard. His shadow-form smoked where the flames licked, the fur curling and blackening, his outline flickering.

“You think fire makes you strong?” he snarled, his voice rattling the stones. “It is hunger. It consumes without thought. And it will consume you.”

“I won’t let it,” I forced out, even as the fire clawed deeper, tempting me to surrender. To give in to the blaze and let it burn everything, even myself.

His claws crashed against my wall of flame, the impact reverberating through my ribs. I held, teeth clenched, every inch of me screaming. And slowly, impossibly, he gave ground. His massive form hissed and smoked, his fur singeing, his eyes narrowing against the brightness.

I’m winning,I thought, my heart slamming.We can do this.

But I felt it, an opening in my defenses.

A weakness.

My eyes flicked for a heartbeat toward the Academy steps.

Keegan.

He was there, gripping the railing with one hand, his other arm wrapped around his stomach. His eyes blazed, but his face was pale, his body shaking from the curse and the magic he’d already poured out. Still, he stood, still he watched me, and the sight sent both strength and terror through me.

Malore saw it too.

His laugh came back, cruel and jagged. “So that is your anchor. That is the thread I must sever.”

“No!” I shouted, throwing up more fire, but he was already turning, already lunging.

The world slowed to a scream.

Keegan braced himself, too weak to dodge, too stubborn to fall back. The curse darkened his veins, but his fists sparked faintly blue as he raised them. He was ready to fight, but he couldn’t, not against this.

My heart slammed against my ribs, fire ripping out of me in a wave as I hurled it after Malore.

But it wouldn’t reach him in time.

And then…

Silver fur flashed.

A wolf leapt between them, her form luminous, her teeth bared, and eyes blazing. She struck Malore mid-lunge, her weight slamming into his shadowed chest. The courtyard rang with the impact as the storm split above us.