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I trailed my finger over the shelf until a book with a plain burgundy cover caught my eye. I pulled it out and began to flip through the pages.A Shadowed Path, as its title declared, detailed how dark magic differed from the other types. Not only did it demand more energetic input, but its effects lasted far longer than any other spell. If used frequently enough, the author suggested it began to change the witch or warlock casting the spells, slowly eroding them from the inside out.
“This is the most insidious facet of this particular type of magic. It is not terrifying or painful, as perhaps our coven mothers would tell us. It is not the thing that goes bump in the night. It feels like a challenge to be conquered. The thrill of the chase is exhilarating, and once you experience it, you are looking for the next high. A witch may continue to chase this, only to realize months or years later that her quest has consumed her. She may not even recognize herself anymore.”
I frowned, licking my lips as I turned the page.That isn’t ominous at all.I wondered if Sabine had started using dark magic while knowing the potential outcome. Did she understand the risks she was taking, or did she not care?
I guess that doesn’t really matter, does it? She went and did it, and she’s certainly powerful now, but at the cost of her humanity.And if I understood the text correctly, it would take more and more to feed her magic—and her youth—the longer she used it.
I wonder if I could just use a bit, though. Not feeding on anyone, but if I could use dark magic to learn faster, that would help Fenris. And if it helps him, that’s good for all shifters, right?
I set downA Shadowed Pathand returned to the shelf, leafing through a few more books. At last, I found one that looked a little more promising; it had an entire section dedicated to transportation magic. Saving Fenris and me from bouncing back and forth would mean more time to prepare. If I could master that type of magic, I could win us extra days. Perhaps even a whole week or two.
I read the chapters twice before I set the book on the side table next to the chair I’d settled in. I had no idea what time it was, only that it was still dark outside. I didn’t really care; I’d just sleep in again. I only needed the moon whispering down to me as I slowed my breath, closed my eyes, and reflected on what I’d just read.
First things first. I’ll be safe about this.
The warnings inA Shadowed Pathweren’t veiled, and I took a moment to cast a preservation spell over myself. As a spell falling within the healing class, it prevented minor injuries, or at least warded off more severe ones. Hopefully, it would shield me from any rushes, too. But that was a mental issue, and if I could preserve my state of mind, I wouldn’t be tempted to chase the “thrill” of dark magic, as the authors described it.
I took another breath and held out my hand.I want an apple, I thought. I had to be firm in my desire, or it would never manifest.
To my great surprise, I suddenly felt a weight in my palm. When I opened my eyes, the skin of a shiny red apple glinted in a moonbeam. I grinned wildly.
I thought this was supposed to be hard! This is way simpler than healing magic, or even elemental!
I set the apple next to my book and held out my palm again. It felt like the moon’s rays were shining through me, like we were one, and I just knew I could do anything in this moment.
I want a peach, I thought, my confidence bolstered. I blinked, and a fuzzy peach, sun-kissed and tender, was in my hand.
A delighted giggle bubbled past my lips, and I set the peach down.I want more than just fruit! I want a new pair of shoes—Ineeda new pair of shoes. Gorgeous blue heels, just like the ones my mother used to wear.
A pair of navy-blue heels tottered in my hand, an exact replica of what my mother had worn on my parents’ wedding anniversary the year before her death. Strangely, seeing them didn’t make me miss her. Instead, I felt elated, like I’d just unlocked the keys to the universe. If I could do this with so much ease, I could surely transport myself anywhere.I don’t know what Fenris was so worried about.
I took a breath to settle my pounding heart. The adrenaline was coursing through my veins. I could feel a buzzing in the back of my head, not unlike the same sixth sense I’d gotten when Abi had grabbed me and Sabine had “jumped ship,” so to speak.
Is that a side-effect of dark magic? I shouldn’t overdo it. I don’t want to take myself down with a migraine.
That thought was sobering enough that I took a few more breaths, taking the time to center myself before recalling the text again. I would try this once, and that was it—it didn’t matter if I was successful or not. I’d try one short transportation spell back to the library, and then I’d go to bed.
Grabbing the nameless text from the little side table, I hurried out of the library. I decided the kitchen was the perfect distance, and once I was there, I took a deep breath. I thought of the book in my hands, of where it belonged.
The library. This belongs in the library. I want this to return to the library, and I must go with it.
I repeated that mantra several times as I felt the air go still around me. The temperature suddenly plunged, and for a moment, I feared I’d accidentally sent myself to the Southern Sky Research Station, but when I opened my eyes, I was in the library. All feeling returned to me at once, and I barely bit back a scream as I crumpled to the floor. It felt like someone had hit me square in the temple with a hammer.
Dropping the book on one of the rugs, I gripped my head as I lurched forward, clenching my eyes shut as pain ran up and down my spine like white-hot lightning. Behind my eyes, I saw something—
Abi. Liana. Fenris! Oh, hell, who’s screaming? Why are they screaming?!
It was bloodcurdling and awful. The voices seemed to be getting louder and more pained. I saw blood, but I didn’t know who it belonged to. My heart pounded in my ears.They’re being tortured! Sabine?! The Solar Sovereign?!
But the figures in front of me were people I knew. Walter and Val were there, too. Even Cody, wrapped up in silver chains as he moaned and screamed, and Piers with a stake through his heart. I wanted to scream or yell or cry, but I could only look on.
I needed to stop this, but I didn’t know who—
Oh my god. It’sme.I’m the one—
I wrenched my eyes open and lurched forward, retching. I barely managed to avoid throwing up on the carpet as the horror sank deep into my guts. It wasn’t Sabine torturing my friends—it wasme. I was dragging forth their fear to—
My stomach churned again, and I pushed myself into an upright position. “I have to get out of here.”
