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Jasper met my eyes, chest heaving, braced for the next assault. “There’s more where that came from,” he said between quick breaths. He flashed his open backpack laden with spectral magic bombs, their surfaces swirling with barely contained power.
Crow, Aleric, and I each grabbed one of the azure orbs. They hummed in our palms, ready to unleash their explosive force at our command. By silent accord, we strode forward together to finish this, now armed with Jasper’s deadly arsenal. The time had come for justice long overdue.
We slowly drove our foe back, pummeling her shields in tandem from all sides. Though vicious and cunning, Zahara could not repel our unified assault forever. Her defenses began crumbling under the relentless pressure. Crow and Aleric hurled their bombs in unison, breaching the barrier in a flash of blinding light. I seized the opening, flinging my missile straight at the witch’s unguarded flank.
She twisted and narrowly deflected it, but the detonation still sent her sprawling. For the first time, naked fear shone in her eyes. She was weakening under our strategic onslaught. If we could maintain the barrage, victory would soon be ours.
The air sizzled with competing magics as deadly volleys flew fast as arrows. We narrowly avoided being skewered by a spike of ice from Zahara before returning fire with twin jets of scorching flame.
Sweat dripped down my brow as I channeled everything I had into bolstering our attacks. Beside me, Rhys fought with righteous fury, his claws slashing arcs of light through the maelstrom. As long as we stood together, we would never submit.
But the witch was not so easily conquered. With a screech in an unknown tongue, Zahara sent my friends flying back like rag dolls, their bodies bound fast in glowing violet chains that appeared from nowhere. Within moments, only Rhys and I remained unbound.
Zahara cackled wildly at our dismayed cries. “Did you truly think your paltry tricks could overcome me?”
Beside me, Rhys mantled his wings and bared gleaming fangs, a deadly guardian against approaching darkness. But defiance rang hollow now. Zahara had seized the advantage once more, and her smug smile promised our hopes would soon lie in ruins at her feet.
A bone-deep weariness threatened to crush what fragile spirit remained as I gazed at our defeated allies. After all our bold promises, had we merely rushed headlong to our dooms? Perhaps only folly and pride had led us to this bitter end.
Sensing my faltering hope, Rhys pulled me fiercely into his sheltering embrace. “Take courage, my brave one,” he whispered against my hair. “The night is always darkest before dawn. Our light will rise again.”
I clung to his words and the unshakable conviction resonating beneath them. Rhys was right—defeatist thoughts served Zahara’s ends, not our own. We still breathed, still stood together. This fight was not finished.
Drawing back, I offered my love a tremulous but resolute smile. Then we turned as one to confront our smug tormentor, united in courage if not power. We would play the sacrificial pawns no more.
Zahara only laughed at our silent show of defiance. “Still you resist the inevitable? Your grave mistake.” She began summoning another blistering curse, aiming to finish us off as her chained captives watched helplessly.
My gut twisted at the sight, fury overcoming despair. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered, blinking back scalding tears. I had led them blindly into ruin. But no more. If this was our end, we would face it boldly, with honor untarnished by defeat.
Rhys’ hand slipped into mine, our fingers twining together as we braced for oblivion’s descent. “No regrets, my guiding star,” he murmured. “In life or death, I am forever yours.”
Zahara’s lethal sorcery crested, deadly radiance illuminating her savage smile. She reveled in our despair, a cat playing maliciously with trapped prey. With a shriek of effort, she released the curse straight at our unguarded hearts.
This was our end.
But the blistering impact never landed. With an earsplitting boom, the ceiling overhead exploded inward, distracting Zahara fatally. Her killing hex went wide, blasting a smoking crater in ancient stone behind us.
I gaped upward, tears blinding my eyes, struggling to believe what I beheld descending through swirling dust and magic—Headmistress Blackthorn flanked by Professor O’Connor and Raven. Cassius joined them too, their power coalescing to shield and strengthen us all. Zahara’s reign ended here tonight.
The witch’s icy composure cracked entirely at their sudden intervention. She trembled with barely contained fury, porcelain features mottled. “You meddlesome fools dare interfere in sacred rites?” Her shrill voice echoed with instability.
Professor O’Connor slashed his hand sharply, nullifying Zahara’s choking bonds instantly. My friends sagged in relief amidst ragged cheers as the professors strode forth to face our tormentor directly.
“Your petty malignant tricks are at an end, Zahara.” The Headmistress’ stern pronouncement tolled like a funeral bell. “Now you will answer for them.”
Sneering weakly, Zahara ignored the clear warning and summoned another blistering hex. But no magic answered her frantic call—the Headmistress had severed her access completely.
“It is done,” Raven intoned solemnly. A resonant golden chord punctuated her words. Before I fully grasped her meaning, Zahara screamed.
The sound was pure agony, spearing through my heart despite everything. When it finally faded, Zahara swayed on her feet, clawing at her chest and staring down with abject horror.
Following her stricken gaze, I glimpsed what had elicited that chilling cry—there, carved directly over her heart in fiery sigils, was an intricate rune of binding, sealing the wellspring of her power forevermore.
“The rune has sealed your magic beyond all hope of return,” Cassius said coolly. “You are no longer Shadesworn, Zahara, but merely a woman.”
She stared at her hands, flexing her fingers in sheer disbelief.
Rhys’ hand tightened on mine almost painfully at the sight. Similar desperate hope shone on his face.
