Avery POV
The slam of the doors sent a sharp pulse through my chest.
Aidan was already at the handle, testing it with firm precision. The moment his fingers made contact, a sickening hum echoed through the room, and a surge of energy blasted him backward. He twisted midair, landing with a controlled crouch, but the way his muscles tensed told me all I needed to know.
Dark magic.
I took a slow, careful breath. The walls of the study had shifted, the once-spacious room now suffocatingly tight, the air dense with something ancient and malevolent.
“Well, that’s just fantastic,” I muttered, forcing down the knot of unease curling in my gut. “You think they were expecting us?”
Aidan shot me a dry look as he rose to his feet. “No, I think they just randomly trap intruders in their study.”
