AIDAN
As disorienting as the power of Maya was, more so was the shock when the power cut off.
Aidan’s heart froze as the world solidified once more. Tenn jerked to attention, his arm over Aidan’s shoulders as Aidan awkwardly tried to help him to stand.
“No,” Aidan whispered. They were too late.
“What was—”
The door exploded from its hinges, sucked back into the hall with unearthly force. Violet light and smoke poured through, and Aidan knew they were screwed. The Dark Lady stepped through. She clutched the shard in one hand, purple light dripping from it like molasses, shadows curled between her pale fingertips. She wasn’t open to Maya, not that Aidan could see, but she wore victory on her smile like a crown.
She raised her hand and cocked a finger toward the hallway.
Fog parted, and the Violet Sage floated in.
Even knowing what to expect, even knowing he had been okay helping bring it about, the sight of her made Aidan blanch.
The girl floated, but she looked held up by strings, her arms and head bent at odd angles—suspended, rather than flying. Her eyes were pale, vacant, staring off into shadows unknown, and her skin had bleached itself almost silver, the barest shimmer of her old color traced on her arms and face.
“Behold, perfection,” the Dark Lady said. Her smile widened. She lowered her hand.
And, as if on cue, the Violet Sage opened to all four Spheres, the lights burning like St. Elmo’s Fire in the gloom.
“And before you get any ideas,” the Dark Lady continued. She opened to Fire, a ball of flame curling to life in her hand. It burned white and hot, enough to make sweat break out on Aidan’s skin.
With a flick of her wrist, she launched the fireball toward the Violet Sage. It sputtered apart only inches from her skin, breaking into sparks that flurried and faded to dust.
Aidan swallowed. He knew it wasn’t just Fire the girl was immune to, but all magic. She was a Wight. The one monster that should not be.
And she was under the Dark Lady’s command.
“Kill them.” Her eyes narrowed on Aidan. “Both of them.”
Aidan didn’t think.
He wrapped the runes around himself and Tenn, and fled.