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Brad, Agatha, and I walked through the corridors of the Institute for the Arcane Arts towards the High Witch’s office with a secret that could shake the magical world to its core. The air was heavy with the fragrance of ancient books and wax mingling with the faint tang of magic, the kind of smell that stuck to your clothes.
It was supposed to be a quick in-and-out deal: share what we knew about Archmage and bolt before anyone could say “spell cast.”
As we walked toward Ingrid’s office, my heart pounded with the knowledge of what we had recently uncovered—Archmage’s whereabouts and her leadership in the supernatural uprising movement.
Brad and Agatha flanked me, their expressions as tense as mine. The corridors echoed with our footsteps, the overhead light blinking on the stone walls. As we neared the Council meeting room, voices drifted towards us, growing louder with each step. My pulse accelerated, realizing we were about to overhear something we weren’t meant to.
This could be our chance to gather crucial intel, but the risk of getting caught made my palms sweat.
“Hold on,” I whispered, raising my hand.
With a swift incantation, I cast a hasty invisibility spell, the familiar tingle of magic washing over us. Brad and Agatha shimmered and vanished from sight, and I felt myself fade into the background.
The rush of power that came with casting always gave me a thrill, but this time it was tempered by the gravity of our situation. I couldn’t help but wonder if my parents would be proud of me now, using my magic for something so important. Or would they be worried sick about the danger I was putting myself in?
We edged closer to the door, careful not to make a sound. Through the slight crack, we could see Ingrid and Councilman Voss deep in conversation. The walls were dressed in tapestries and portraits. Behind a pillar, we found our hiding spot.
I felt like a kid again, playing hide-and-seek, except the stakes were infinitely higher. One wrong move, one misplaced breath, and we’d be busted.
Ingrid was all regal grace with her white hair flowing like a banner, standing apart with an aura that demanded respect. She didn’t just wear power, she embodied it like she was born to hold the world on her shoulders.
Councilman Voss, on the other hand, was cut from a different cloth. Blue eyes sharp as ice chips, dark hair streaked with silver and slicked back with precision. He was a picture of control, his tailored suit like modern armor. But it was his smile that got me—the kind that never reached his eyes, a perfect facade covering something much darker.
I’d always admired Ingrid’s strength, but seeing her now, I felt a twinge of something new. Was it fear? Disappointment? The woman I’d looked up to suddenly seemed like a stranger. And Voss? Well, he’d always given me the creeps, but now his every gesture seemed loaded with sinister intent.
The High Witch’s voice was hushed. “Your carelessness could have cost us everything, Voss.”
I leaned in closer, desperate not to miss a word.
“Please,” Councilman Voss replied, his tone steaming with condescension. “You worry too much. The plans are perfection.”
Were they talking about the uprising?
“Plans that seem to change with the wind or on Archmage’s sudden whims.” Ingrid grunted, her formality not quite masking her irritation.
Holly hellstorm. Did she just mention her sister? My mentor in league with...Archmage? Or was there too much wax build-up in my ears?
The shock hit me like a bucket of ice water. Ingrid, the High Witch, the woman I’d trusted and admired, was involved with Archmage. How long had this been going on? What did it mean for the magical community? For me?
“Change is the nature of our art, High Witch.” Councilman Voss tilted his head in mock reverence.
I glanced at where I knew Brad and Agatha were beside me, wishing I could see their reactions. Were they as floored as I was? As scared? Agatha hopped up onto my shoulder, her front paws resting on my collarbone.
That’s when I remembered the crystal ball nestled in my backpack, a tool to capture moments just like this. I eased the orb out, letting it hover before me, hidden by my cloaking magic. A few hushed words later, and the ball sparked to life, swirling with bluish energy, ready to record the venomous conversation before us.
Holy hell, this was it. The moment of truth. My heart pounded so hard I was sure Brad and Agatha could hear it. I’d dreamed of uncovering some big conspiracy, but now that I was here, eavesdropping on Ingrid and Councilman Voss, I wished I could just go back to my house and curl up with a good spell book. I knew I couldn’t. I had to do this for the magical community, for my parents’ memory. They’d always taught me to stand up for what was right, even when it was scary. And boy, was this scary.
The crystal ball hummed softly, capturing every word. I held my breath, straining to hear more.
Ingrid’s voice dripped with disdain. “Your arrogance will be our undoing, Voss. We must tread carefully.”
“Careful? Ha!” Councilman Voss scoffed. “We have the now have enough supporters eating out of our hands. Your sister’s plan is flawless.”
This was getting weirder by the second.
“Flawless?” Ingrid hissed. “Need I remind you of the Holland girl? She’s far too inquisitive for her own good.”
My stomach dropped. They were talking about me.
Brad’s hand found mine, squeezing gently. I could feel the tension radiating off him.
Poor Brad, he’d only come along to help me with speaking with the high witch. Now here we were, uncovering a huge magical conspiracy. I owed him big time after this. Maybe I’d enchant his drafting table to automatically sharpen his pencils or something.
Councilman Voss waved dismissively. “That little witch? Please. She’s barely out of the Academy. What threat could she possibly pose?”
Ouch. Talk about a blow to the ego. I might not be some centuries-old warlock, but I had skills. I thought about my magic, about the spells I’d created and the power I wielded.
“You underestimate her,” Ingrid growled. “She has a knack for sniffing out trouble. We need to keep her distracted.”
I bit my lip, fighting the urge to gasp. My own mentor, the woman I’d looked up to for years, was plotting against me. The betrayal stung like a slap to the face. All those late nights helping Ingrid with her paperwork, all the times I’d rushed across town to fetch her a specific magical ingredient, and this is how she repays me? Now I felt like an idiot for even trusting her.
“And how do you propose we do that?” Councilman Voss drawled.
Ingrid’s lips curled into a cruel smile. “We use her weakness. The boy.”
Brad stiffened beside me.
Oh no. No, no, no. They couldn’t mean Brad. My grip on his hand tightened.
“Ah, yes. The architect,” Councilman Voss mused. “What was his name again? Brad?”
“Bradley Adams,” Ingrid confirmed. “We’ll use him as leverage. Keep Sage in line. I tried to separate them by invoking The Covenant of Veiled Boundaries, a primeval law that strictly forbids any romantic entanglements between members of the Council’s inner circle, like Sage, and civilians, like Brad.”
My blood ran cold. I wanted to scream, to rush in and confront them, but Brad’s grip on my hand tightened, anchoring me in place.
So that’s why Ingrid had been so insistent on keeping Brad and me apart. It wasn’t about some ancient law or protecting the integrity of the magical community. It was all part of her scheme. The realization made me feel sick.
Agatha’s tail swished angrily. “I always knew that old bat was a bitch,” she hissed in my ear.
I had to stifle a snort. Leave it to Agatha to sum up the situation so eloquently. Her blunt honesty was exactly what I needed right now, keeping me from spiraling into panic.
Councilman Voss rocked on his heels, looking smug. “And what of your sister, Archmage? Is she prepared for the next phase?”
Ingrid’s face hardened. “Archmage is...unpredictable, but she’s committed to the cause. The supernatural uprising will proceed as planned.”
“Good.” Councilman Voss nodded. “And the Echoing Locket?”
“Safe,” Ingrid assured him. “Archmage has hidden where no one will think to look.”
My thoughts reeled. I had already guessed that the Echoing Locket, the mysterious amulet Archmage had created, was in her possession. But where she kept it, I had no clue.
Councilman Voss nodded. “Excellent. Soon, Emberwick Crossing will be ours. And after that—”
“Then the entire magical world,” Ingrid finished, a wicked gleam in her expression.
My stomach roiled, and I felt sick. This was worse than I could have imagined. Not only was Ingrid involved, but she was at the heart of it all. My mentor, my friend...
My heart clenched as I processed the enormity of their plan. I glanced at Brad, his jaw set in a hard line, anger radiating off him in waves. Agatha, resting on my shoulder, rubbed her furry cheek against mine.
Ingrid cleared her throat. “Speaking of leverage, I’ve been meaning to ask. How did you manage to dispose of Sage’s parents so cleanly? Wasn’t it you who orchestrated that little... accident?”
I froze, every muscle in my body tensing. Unbelievable!. My breath caught in my throat, and a cold dread washed over me. This couldn’t be happening. I’d always suspected foul play, but hearing it confirmed so casually was like another punch to the gut.
Brad’s grip on my hand tightened to the point of pain, but I barely noticed.
The pain in my hand was nothing compared to the ache in my chest. My parents, gone because of these monsters. I wanted to scream, to unleash every ounce of magic I possessed and tear this room apart. But I couldn’t. Not yet. We needed more information, and losing control now would only put us in danger. I bit my lip hard, tasting blood, using the sharp pain to ground myself.
Councilman Voss chuckled, a sound that sent ice through me. “Oh, yes, it was. One of my finer moments, I must say. Those pesky Hollands were getting far too close to uncovering our plans. It was a simple matter to tamper with their car’s brakes. A shame, really. They were quite talented. But your sister ordered their demise, and who am I to argue?”
The world tilted on its axis. I stumbled, and Brad caught me, steadying me with an arm around my waist. My blood boiled at Voss’ casual cruelty. This man, this murderer, had been walking free all this time. How many Council meetings had I attended, unknowingly sharing space with my parents’ killer? The urge to vomit was overwhelming. I swallowed hard, forcing back the bile rising in my throat.
But oh, how I longed to wipe that smug smile off Voss’ face with a well-placed hex.
“You bastard,” I whispered, the words lost in the invisibility spell.
Agatha hissed, her fur standing on end. “I’ll claw his eyes out,” she snarled softly.
No insult could encompass the depth of my hatred for this man. I wanted to scream. Revenge would come, but not at the cost of exposing ourselves prematurely.
Ingrid’s lips curled in distaste. “Must you be so crass about it, Voss? It was a necessary evil, nothing more.”
My jaw clenched so hard I thought my teeth might crack. There was nothing necessary about murdering my parents. They were good people, kind people. And I hated these power-hungry sociopaths. The injustice of it all threatened to overwhelm me.
Councilman Voss smirked. “Come now, Ingrid. We’re all friends here. No need for false modesty. You were the one who suggested we target them in the first place.”
I swayed. Even Agatha and Brad’s comforting presence couldn’t quell the storm of emotions raging inside me. Grief, rage, and a bone-deep weariness warred for dominance.
Each new revelation was like a dagger to my heart. How could I have been so blind? I’d trusted her, respected her. Now, I wanted nothing more than to see her fall from her lofty perch.
The High Witch’s face hardened. “On Archmage’s orders. Let’s not forget who truly pulls the strings here.”
The pieces clicked into place with sickening clarity. Archmage. The true mastermind behind it all. The one who had sentenced my parents to death. The scope of her evil was staggering. How many other families had she torn apart in her quest for power?
Brad whispered, “Sage, we need to get out of here.”
He was right, of course. Yet I shook my head minutely. We couldn’t leave. Not yet. Not when we were finally getting answers. Knowledge was power, after all. And we’d need every scrap of power we could get if we hoped to bring down Archmage and her twisted cabal.
Councilman Voss waved a hand dismissively. “Yes, yes, all hail the great Archmage. But let’s not sell ourselves short, High Witch. We’re hardly powerless pawns in this battle for supremacy.”
Ingrid’s nostrils flared. “Watch yourself, Voss. Archmage doesn’t suffer fools or traitors lightly.” The High Witch’s face flushed with anger. “I serve Archmage faithfully. Unlike some, I know my place in the hierarchy.”
Councilman Voss laughed, the sound grating on my nerves. “Oh, spare me the sanctimonious act. We both know you’re itching to step out of your sister’s shadow. Why else would you be so eager to keep that little protégé of yours under your thumb?”
Ingrid’s eyes narrowed. “Sage is none of your concern, Voss. I’ll handle her as I see fit.”
“Handle me?” I mouthed, indignation rising in my chest.
Brad squeezed my hand in warning, but I barely noticed. My heart and mind were distraught over everything I’d heard. My parents’ murderer, standing mere feet away. The conspiracy larger and more insidious than I’d ever imagined.
Holy hell, these two were like snakes in the grass, all hisses and hidden fangs. And Voss? His interest in my abilities was even more unsettling.
Councilman Voss stroked his chin thoughtfully. “You know, I’ve always wondered. Why did Archmage spare the girl? Surely it would have been simpler to eliminate the entire Holland family.”
Ingrid’s lip curled. “Archmage has her reasons. It’s not our place to question them.”
“Perhaps...” Voss shrugged. “Or perhaps she saw potential in young Sage. Unrestrained, untapped talent that could be molded to our purposes.”
Ingrid scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous. Sage is hardly some secret weapon. She’s a mediocre witch at best, useful only as a distraction and occasional errand girl.”
Her dismissive words stung more than I cared to admit. After everything I’d done to prove myself, to make her proud...
Brad’s arm tightened around me. Agatha pressed against my neck, her tail twitching in agitation.
Councilman Voss raised an eyebrow. “You underestimate her, Ingrid. I’ve seen her work. The girl has a skill for creative spellcasting that could prove quite useful in the right hands.”
Ingrid waved a hand dismissively. “Parlor tricks and frivolous charms. Hardly the stuff of legend.”
“But with proper guidance...well, let’s just say I see potential where you see only mediocrity.”
Ingrid’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Are you questioning my judgment, Voss?”
He held up his hands in a placating gesture. “Not at all. I’m merely suggesting that we keep our options open. After all, one can never have too many allies in a revolution, and you just seem overly fond of the girl.”
Ingrid’s lips thinned. “Sage’s loyalty is not in question. I’ve made certain of that.”
“Have you now?” Councilman Voss’ tone was sickeningly smug. “And how, pray tell, did you manage that?”
A cruel smile played at the corners of Ingrid’s mouth. “By giving her exactly what she wanted, of course. A chance to prove herself. To be part of something greater...and I’m like a mother figure to her now.”
My stomach churned. Were all those late nights, the extra assignments, the constant push to improve nothing more than manipulation?
Councilman Voss snickered. “Ah, yes. The old ‘carrot and stick’ approach. And I suppose young Bradley is the stick in this scenario?”
Ingrid’s smile widened. “Precisely. Sage is so desperate for approval, so eager to please. It’s almost too easy. Dangle the promise of advancement before her, threaten to take away the boy she loves...she’ll do anything I ask.”
Rage boiled within me, hot and fierce. How dare she! How dare she twist my feelings, my ambitions, into something so perverse!
Brad’s grip on my hand was almost painful now, but I welcomed the anchor. Without it, I might have done something foolish, like dropping the invisibility spell and confronting them then and there.
Councilman Voss clapped his hands together. “Well, well. It seems you have everything well in hand, Ingrid. I must say, I’m impressed. Perhaps Archmage was right to put her faith in you after all.”
Ingrid preened at the praise, but her eyes remained cold. “Your approval means little to me, Voss. I serve Archmage and the cause. Nothing more.”
I’d come here seeking help and I’d found only betrayal. My mentor, the woman I’d trusted and admired, revealed as a manipulative monster. And looming over it all, the shadowy figure of Archmage, the puppet master of this whole twisted plot.
We couldn’t stay here much longer. We had to get out, to process what we’d learned, to figure out our next move. They thought me weak, easily manipulated. The supernatural uprising jerks had no idea of the strength within me, the power I’d kept hidden all these years. Well, they were about to learn. I would bring their whole corrupt system crashing down around their ears.
For my parents. For Brad. For myself.
Let them underestimate me. Let them think me a lovesick girl, desperate for approval. I would use their arrogance against them, turn their own tricks back on them. The betrayal stung, a gaping wound in my chest. Beneath the pain, a fire was kindling. Ingrid, my mentor, the woman I’d trusted, was working with Archmage and Voss to overthrow everything. And they were using Brad against me.
And now, armed with the truth and the evidence captured in my crystal ball, I was more dangerous than they could imagine. Once the dust settled, they would rue the day they ever crossed Sage Holland.
Agatha’s tail brushed against my leg, and I glanced down to see her looking up at me with fierce love.
Brad leaned close, his breath cool against my ear. “We need to get out of here now,” he whispered urgently.
I nodded, my heart hammering in my chest. But as I turned to leave, my elbow knocked against a nearby shelf. A small figurine toppled to the floor with a resounding crack.
Ingrid and Councilman Voss whirled around, their faces masks of suspicion.
“What was that?” Councilman Voss demanded, rising from his seat.
Ingrid’s hand glowed with black energy. “We’re not alone.”
Panic surged through me. I frantically reinforced the cloaking spell, praying it would hold.
“Show yourself!” Ingrid commanded, her voice booming with authority.
I held my breath, willing us to stay invisible, intangible, undetectable.
Councilman Voss stalked towards our hiding spot behind the pillar, his nostrils flaring. “I smell cat.”
Agatha bristled. “How dare he!” she hissed indignantly.
“Shh!” I pleaded silently, my hand clamped over her furry mouth.
Ingrid’s hard gaze swept the room. “Whoever you are, know this—your meddling ends now. The uprising cannot be stopped.”
Brad tugged on my arm, gesturing towards the door. I nodded, and we began to inch our way out, Agatha tucked safely in my arms.
Just as we reached the threshold, Councilman Voss’ hand shot out, inches from Brad’s face. “Wait,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “I sense magic. A spell.”
My heart nearly stopped. Had he detected us?
Ingrid joined him, her fingers tracing intricate patterns in the air. “Yes. Faint, but there. A cloaking spell, perhaps?”
I silently cursed myself. Of course, they’d be able to sense magic. How could I have been so careless?
“Reveal yourself,” Ingrid commanded. “Or face the consequences.”
I felt my cloaking spell begin to waver under the force of her will. Anxiety clawed at my throat.
Brad squeezed my hand. I knew what he was asking. Should we run?
But before I could decide, Agatha took matters into her own paws. With a yowl that would wake the dead, she leapt from my arms and darted between Ingrid and Councilman Voss’ legs.
“What in the name of—” Councilman Voss spluttered, stumbling backwards.
Ingrid’s concentration broke, her spell fizzling out. “That blasted cat!” she snarled.
In the chaos, Brad and I slipped out the door. We sprinted down the corridor, not daring to look back.
“Smart cat,” Brad said and panted.
I nodded, too breathless to speak. We ducked into an alcove, pressing ourselves against the wall as footsteps thundered past.
“Find that cat!” Ingrid’s voice echoed through the halls. “And search every inch of this building. Someone was listening, and I want to know who!”
When the coast was clear, Brad turned to me, his face pale. “Sage,” he whispered, “what are we going to do?”
I clutched the crystal ball to my chest, its surface still swirling with captured secrets. “We’re going to stop them,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “We have to.”
Brad nodded, his jaw set. “Then let’s get kick some ass”
I managed a weak smile. “That’s the plan.”
Agatha appeared, bolting past us, and we followed, running hard out of the castle and away from our enemies.
I wasn’t going down without a fight. And with my friends by my side, I felt invincible. Their reign of terror was about to meet its match in one seriously pissed-off interior designer with a prowess for creative spellcasting.