We gathered at one point of the barrier, forming a small triangle. Horrace positioned himself in the center, his tentacles extended to touch each of us, creating a physical connection.
"On three," Milo instructed, his expression unusually focused. "Direct all your energy through Horrace. He'll act as a conduit."
I closed my eyes, concentrating on the blue markings that had become such an integral part of me. I could feel them responding, power building beneath my skin like electricity before a storm.
"One... two... three!"
I released the energy, feeling it flow through me and into Horrace. The sensation was both exhilarating and terrifying. Through our connection, I felt Milo's necromantic power joiningmine, dark and vibrant, followed by Zane's fae magic, wild and ancient.
For a moment, it seemed to be working. The barrier flickered, weakening at the point of our combined assault. Hope surged through me as I pushed harder, drawing on reserves I hadn't known I possessed.
Then something went wrong.
Because why wouldn't it?
The energies collided rather than merged, creating a magical feedback loop that exploded outward. The force threw us backward, scattering us across the chamber. I hit the wall hard, the breath knocked from my lungs.
Ow.
When my vision cleared, I saw Milo sprawled nearby, dazed but conscious. Zane had managed to land on his feet, though blood trickled from his nose where the magical backlash had hit him.
"Everyone okay?" He wiped the blood away with the back of his hand.
"Define 'okay,'" I groaned, pushing myself up. My head was spinning, and the blue markings on my skin were pulsing erratically. "That didn't work."
"It almost did," Milo sat up, his curls wild from the magical discharge. "We just need a better conductor than Horrace. No offense, buddy."
Horrace made a sound that clearly conveyed "none taken" as he picked himself up from where he'd been thrown.
"I think we've got bigger problems," Zane nodded toward the sigil on the floor, which was now rotating faster, the grinding of stone against stone growing louder. "That explosion accelerated the compression sequence."
The ward pulsed again, contracting noticeably. The chamber was now several feet smaller on all sides, the walls pressing inward with force.
"So we've got what, an hour?" I tried to keep the panic from my voice. "Maybe less?"
"Maybe," Zane didn't sugarcoat it. "We need another approach."
Milo was staring at the ground, unusually quiet. When he looked up, his expression was thoughtful. "What if we try something else? Maybe you two should kiss to break the tension."
I blinked, certain I'd misheard. "What?"
"You know, to break the magical tension," Milo clarified, though his cheeks were pink again. "Winter is the only one I've kissed before, but she's fantastic at it. Maybe if you two tried, the emotional energy could disrupt the ward's pattern."
There was a moment of absolute silence as Zane and I stared at Milo. Then Zane's eyes narrowed.
"Wait.No oneelse?" His voice held a note of disbelief. "You've never kissed anyone but Winter?"
Milo's blush deepened as he looked away. "I've been kind of busy with the dead."
I expected Zane to laugh, to make a joke at Milo's expense. Instead, his expression softened, becoming almost tender.
"You deserve to be kissed so well you forget how to raise the dead," his voice low and sincere.
I felt my own cheeks heating at the intensity in his tone. The air between them seemed to crackle with something that had nothing to do with our magical predicament.
"Um, guys?" I cleared my throat. "Impending doom, remember? Walls closing in?"
They both looked at me, then back at each other. The moment stretched, charged with unspoken possibilities.
