Page 20

FIONA

The vast chamber echoed with the thunderous clash as we faced off against Marcus. Violet and I threw magic at him and he countered with spells of his own. Marcus’s form rippled with the stolen power of countless victims. Black snakes writhed beneath his skin. He’d been completely warped and corrupted by his insatiable hunger for power.

"You think you can stop me?" he roared. His voice was layered with the alien undertones of the First Ones. "I have been shown the path to true power."

Violet and I paused in our assault to erect a protective barrier that deflected Marcus's barrage of corrupted energy. "Your so-called unity is nothing more than a veil for your own ambitions, Marcus. The First Ones care only for remaking our world in their twisted image. They will use you, and then discard you. Just as they've done with so many others."

Gadross's copper artifact began humming. "The ley lines are in flux. Marcus is disrupting their natural flow. He’s trying to spread his corruption. "

Fiona's eyes narrowed. "Then let's shut that down." She and I surged forward. Our magic wove in intricate patterns that lashed out at the corruption heading for the ley lines we’d already cleansed. Funny thing, my wound was healing very well ever since we’d cleared the tunnel system of his corruption and destroyed his dark relic. It hardly hurt anymore.

Marcus let out a guttural snarl. Shadows lashed out to block our assault. "Fools! Can't you see? This is the future. A world where magic knows no boundaries or limitations! The First Ones have shown me the way to true power!"

Thanos growled as he took a step forward. "The First Ones care nothing for your ambitions, Marcus. They seek only to remake our world in their own warped image. A 'unity' forged through the destruction of all that makes magic beautiful is not going to benefit you at all."

Gadross's artifice pointed toward the pulsing epicenter of the corruption he was sending to the ley line network. "There! If we can disrupt his primary nexus, it should sever Marcus's link to the vessel network."

Fiona and I worked in seamless harmony. Our magic joined without hesitation and surged toward the corruption. It sizzled and hissed when it hit the evil magic. The spell we cast scoured the threads he built during his ritual. It was slow going and took all of our focus. Thankfully, Thanos and the others kept Marcus distracted. Argies and Bas darted in with attacks. Argies blew a burst of dragon fire at Marcus. Bas followed that up with a hit from his Fae-forged weapon before retreating.

We poured our magic into preventing the corruption from spreading. Our combined power lanced out towards the pulsing epicenter of Marcus's ritual. We created a purifying pattern that sought to sever his connection to the vessel network. As our magic reached the twisted ritual circle, the reaction was immediate and catastrophic. The corrupted energy recoiled violently. Cracks spiderwebbed across the floor and the power writhed and collapsed inward.

A shockwave of explosive energy radiated outward. The corrupted power exploded in a cacophony of agonized screams. "No! This cannot be! The First Ones promised me power beyond imagining!" he cried. The stolen magics tore themselves free from his disintegrating essence. He exploded on a final howl of anguish.

The barriers between realms shuddered and rippled. Fiona and I surged forward, our magic combined automatically in a brilliant display of power. Our efforts coalesced into a dazzling torrent that slammed into the rift. It sealed it shut with a thunderous implosion. The First Ones' alien presence was forcefully pushed back as the natural order reasserted itself.

Gadross's artifacts spun and flickered. His eyebrows knitted together as his mind worked through the problem. "Do you lot do this every day? Because I have to say, this is both terrifying and bloody exhausting."

I let out a sharp bark of laughter. "Every day? Hardly. Though I suppose you could say we've gotten a bit of practice over the last couple years."

Gadross let out a weary chuckle. "Practice? That's one way to put it. I haven't had much work over the last couple of years. You lot have spoiled me by taking all of the difficult cases."

Violet shot Gadross a wry grin. "Well, we do aim to keep things interesting. Though, I would like to dial it back to only occasional world-ending crises. If you're feeling nostalgic for the good old days of handling cases, we can send them your way."

Aislinn rolled her eyes as a faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "As if you'd last a week without some new supernatural mystery to solve."

Gadross chuckled. "Thank the gods for that. I don’t handle these nearly as well as you guys. I couldn’t have stopped Marcus with all of the Department’s other officers fighting at my side. I’m just going to say thank you and hope you never retire."

Fiona clapped him on the shoulder as her grin turned sly. "That's the spirit, Gadross! Trust me, you're going to look back on this and realize it was the best career move you ever made. And remember, there's nothing quite like a little apocalypse-prevention to spice up the daily grind."

As we made our way back to the surface, I couldn't help but feel a renewed sense of purpose. The darkness had been driven back, but the battle was far from over. Now, it was time to rebuild. To restore the natural harmony of magic that had been so gravely threatened.

The next night, we were soaking in the mineral-rich waters of an exclusive Fae spa in the heart of Hambledon when Violet's mobile buzzed on the edge of the pool. She reached for it with a frown and put it on speaker. "Mum," Ben's voice carried clear tension even through the connection. "We've got a bit of a situation at university."

"Define 'situation'," Violet said as she straightened. I could see her maternal instincts kicking in.

"Three students have been found dead in the library," Bailey cut in. "They’re supernaturals. They were missing some part of their brain I heard. The police are blaming a serial murderer."

"The campus wards are acting strange, too," Bailey added. "Like something's interfering with them."

I let out a heavy sigh, already reaching for my robe. "Sounds like our sort of problem. At least it's not going to be another wine-tasting gone wrong."

"We'll be there straightaway," Violet promised her children, mother-bear protectiveness clear in her voice. "Don't do anything until we arrive. And stay away from that library."

"Yes, Mum," the twins chorused, though I could tell by their tone they were already investigating.

"So much for our relaxing spa weekend," Aislinn muttered as we climbed out of the pool. "Though I suppose mysterious magical murders at university are a step up from preventing the apocalypse."

I shot her a wry grin. "It'll be a nice change of pace. No more bloody wine cellars or tunnels collapsing around our ears. Maybe we'll even get to sleep in a proper bed for once."

Violet rolled her eyes as she gathered our things. "Let's just focus on making sure my kids are safe, shall we? You two can bicker about the accommodations later."