Magicorum Box Set (Books 1-5)

30. Chapter Thirty-3

Let’s see what it does to Shadowvin.

“Quickly!” I call. “Let’s point our power toward the Shadowvin before the Colonel’s prison falls apart.”

“Got it,” says Knox.

“I’ll try,” cries Elle.

My heart leaps into my throat as we all strain to move our arms and redirect our magic. Meanwhile, the Colonel falls onto his side, barely conscious. The containment spell is still working, but for how much longer?

The Colonel’s body falls limp. The bars of the containment spell disappear. The Shadowvin float closer to Elle.

Tears roll down my cheeks. I’m not sure when I started crying, but I can’t seem to stop.

It’s over. I’ve failed.

One, two, three…All the Shadowvin fly into Elle’s body. She screams in pain as she fights back. The sound tears through my soul.

“No!” Knox lets out a massive howl of rage. He shifts his left arm, breaking the tie with my column of magic. At the same time, his right arm is still connected to the stored energy of the obelisk. Knox sends a column of golden energy right into Elle’s chest. The Shadowvin get torn from Elle’s body.

Elle moves next. The same as Knox, she breaks her tie with my column, pulls power from her obelisk, and then sends that energy right into the Shadowvin. Her power pins them to the ground.

Alec is last. He yanks his right arm free and points his power at the Shadowvin as well, the same way that Elle and Knox did. It’s enough to keep the Shadowvin from moving, but it’s not making them disappear.

If anything, they seem to be getting bigger.

Maybe this plan isn’t so great, after all.

Screw it. I’m already committed, and I’m seeing this through. With all my strength, I shift my arms so they no longer point at the sky. Little by little, I move my column of power. The Void shifts as well, helping me keep my focus. Every twitch of my muscles results a barrage of pain and effort, but I have to do it.

I must save my best friend.

Hell, I have to save all of us.

Finally, my magic connects with the Shadowvin. A surge of energy pumps through them until their gray bodies flash with color—red, gold, and silver. For a moment, the changing hues stop. The Shadowvin are shadow once ore.

Then, they burst into flame.

Once the fires die down, there’s no sign of them, save for a handful of dust and charcoal.

A grin rounds my lips. Good riddance.

I quickly scan Colonel Mallory. He’s passed out, but still breathing. Time to finish this. It’s another haul of effort, but I force my arms back toward the sky. Elle, Alec, and Knox retake their original positions as well. Once again, magic pours into the pyramids.

That sense of timelessness returns. My body feels weightless as more magic leaves me. All of a sudden, I notice that the flow of silver power is slowing. Now the column above me is mostly red and gold. I search my soul. Very little fae energy is left. A moment later, the flow of silver stops completely. Elle’s connection ends. She falls to the desert floor, panting for breath.

My inner wolf howls. “Help me!” she cries.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m disappearing,” she pants. “You will, too.”

The Colonel’s words echo through my mind. Calibur died giving up all his magic. Is that what’s happening to me now? Bands of panic tighten around my throat.

All the strands of red magic cease next. The connection to Alec ends. Like Elle, he falls to his knees, desperately trying to catch his breath.

That leaves gold as the only magic left within me. More golden strands fly up from my body and into the skies. I realize that for the first time, those glowing cords are taking a shape.

It’s my wolf. She’s leaving me. We’re dying.

I look over to Knox. He’s everything majestic and strong as he channels my power. Unlike the other wardens, he’s still focused on his task and unaware of how my magic is running out. How do I say goodbye?

I straighten my shoulders. The answer is simple: goodbye is not an option. For so long, I’ve hedged and waited. I’ve thought that maybe we could write our own fairy tale life template, but I didn’t believe that could happen.

I didn’t believe in us.

That changes now. I’m going after this with all my faith and heart. After all, love is the greatest magic there is. Knox is right. With love, we can create any story we want.

“Knox!” I cry. “Help me out!”

With another giant howl, Knox breaks free from the cords of golden magic around him. He races across the sands and pulls me out of the column of white mist from the Void. Our bodies land on the warm ground, side by side.

The column of power vanishes.

It really is over now.

With a great rumble, the pyramids lower back into the ground and then shift across the sands to retake their former spots on the Giza plateau. The Void returns to his humanoid form and strides over to me. “Please rise.”

Somehow, I manage to stand up on my wobbly legs. I glance at Knox behind me, he’s deathly pale and thinner than ever, but alive.

“You did well,” says the Void.

“Thank you.”

The Void bows. “Until you are reborn.” With that, he vanishes. I’m surprised to feel a pang of loss at his departure, like losing an old friend. Still, it’s for the best.

With the Void is gone, the bubble of magic that surrounded us starts to constrict. As the shimmering sphere speeds back toward us, it leaves behind modern Egypt in its wake. Tourists return to the darkened sands. Tents reappear. The noises of nighttime voices and dance music fill the air. From the corner of my eye, I see Ty once more. She’s leaning over Knox’s body. I round on her, ready to confront her at last.

At that moment, the bubble disappears entirely. A burst of blindingly bright light surrounds us all.

The next thing I know, we’re all sitting in the back of the Escalade once more.

All of us, that is, except Knox.

My inner wolf growls with rage. “Ty took him,” she howls. “Can we bite her face off now?”

“No, you can’t. But I love you for wanting to.” What can I say? Almost losing my wolf has made me learn to appreciate her, even when she does want to bite someone’s face off.

Alec is the first to speak. “Where the hell is Knox?”

“Ty took him,” I explain.

“That witch?” asks Elle. “I’ll kill her.”

“No, there’s been enough killing,” I say. “Greed and anger was what caused all this in the first place.”

The Colonel presses his palms against his eyes. For a guy who was just passed out, he’s recovering pretty quickly. “Bryar Rose is right.” He lowers his hands and blinks hard. “If you give me a moment, I can transport you to Knox.”

“No,” says Alec. “I can do it.” He reaches into his pocket. “Fortunately, I keep some emergency rubies for cases like these.”

“Thanks,” I say. And I mean it.

I need to see Knox ASAP. And then after that? I need to have a few choice words with Ty. Things must get settled between us, once and for all.