“Good.” Cassidy wiped her hands on her pants, then hesitated, as if realizing what she was doing, before shoving them deep into her pockets instead.
“Grey magic isn’t any different than Light, or Fire, or Life, or any other magic,” Emmaline said carefully as she slid the chain over her head and the solid weight of the pendant settled between her breasts.
“I know. I know it’s just superstition and prejudice.” Cassidy shifted, before she muttered, “The Dark just feels… I don’tknow… more wrong when mixed with Light.” She glanced at Emmaline, then winced. “Sorry. No offense.”
“And you wonder why I didn’t tell anyone.”
Dark magic was an unspoken necessity, taboo, but never truly shunned. People still sought it out, still used it when it suited them. But blending Dark with Light? That was another matter entirely. That was corruption. An act so reviled that anyone caught doing it wouldn’t live long. The Patrol would look the other way while a “concerned citizen” did what was expected of them.
Ever since the War, when the imps had nearly poisoned the very heart of the Vale with something worse than darkness—pure Emptiness—there had been no tolerance for what Emmaline could do. And yet, they needed it to bring Caelith down.
Emmaline pushed through the underbrush, stepping into the open air as the midday sun beat down on the abandoned courtyard. The statue loomed ahead.
“Come on.” Gravel crunched under her boots as she made her way toward it. “We need to see what he did before leaving.”
Cassidy rushed after her, twigs snapping and leaves rustling as she hurried to catch up. “I’m sorry, Ems. I know you’re not going to—”
“Suck the Vale into oblivion?” Emmaline rolled her eyes, squinting as she stepped fully into the sunlight.
“Exactly.” An awkward laugh slipped past her lips as she rubbed at the back of her neck. “The fanatics that believe that… they’re crazy.”
Emmaline turned, letting herself drape against the statue like a lazy cat, her weight sinking into the cool stone. Then, she bent forward, elbows braced on her knees, tilting her head just enough to let her hair slide over one shoulder.
A sly, lopsided grin tugged at her lips as she studied Cassidy, her voice rolling out sweet as honey. “And I’m definitely not crazy, right?”
Cassidy opened her mouth, paused, then pressed her lips together. She shifted from foot to foot, the corners of her mouth twitching like she wanted to answer, but also really didn’t want to.
The silence stretched.
Emmaline’s smirk went wider before a low chuckle escaped. “Relax, Cas.” She pushed off the statue and straightened, rolling her shoulders. “I’m only slightly unhinged.”
Cassidy coughed, then burst out laughing. “Oh—no. You’re definitely touched in the head, Emmaline.” She snapped her fingers, and a sharp sting nipped Emmaline’s backside from Cassidy’s magic.
“Hey!” Emmaline yelped. “Watch it, or I’ll smear the Grey all over you.”
“Ewww.” Her nose scrunched. “When you say it like that…” Cassidy exhaled, then set her hands on her hips, looking at Emmaline expectantly. “Well?”
Emmaline lifted a brow. “What? I’m useless unless it’s illusions. Aren’t you supposed to be some super awesome Corgi Rider? The Goddess’s right hand of justice? You should be able to perform basic investigative magic, no?”
Cassidy’s lips thinned. “I’m a healer.”
“And?”
“Fine! Yes, I have training to evaluate how magic was used, though it’s mostly for determining curses and, you know, healing people.” Cassidy waved around her. “Not covering up murder.”
“Well, congratulations.” Emmaline clapped her hands together. “Consider this continuing education in crime scene evaluation.” Shesettled back onto the statue. “Go on, then. Show me what a Corgi Rider can do.”
Cassidy’s hand hovered midair before slowly lowering.
Emmaline tilted her head. “Any day now. We still need to get to Margo’s today.”
“Alright! Sorry, I’ve just never done anything like this. What if I can’t tell what he did?”
“You will. Just start with what you know and go from there.” They needed to know what that… that monster did.
“Fine,” Cassidy groaned. She then raised her hands and closed her eyes.
Magic pulsed in the air as she reached out, searching. At first, nothing. Then—
