Page 162 of Court of Aether and Shadows

My wolf snarled at the implication of weakness, making my shadows writhe more aggressively. "I'm supposed to protect her!"

"We all are," Nyx shot back, her galaxy eyes flashing. "But getting yourself killed doing something stupid isn't protection – it's ego!"

Another surge of darkness crashed against our barriers, this one strong enough to make Cypress stumble slightly. "Whatever we're doing, we need to decide fast. My elements can't hold this pattern much longer."

I watched in growing frustration as more corrupted power poured from the fissure. Every instinct I possessed screamed at me to shift, to take on my more powerful form and deal with this threat directly. But Nyx's words nagged at me – there was something off about the energy, something that seemed to specifically target court magics.

"Two minutes!" Sparrow's voice carried a hint of genuine concern now. "And um, guys? That crack is getting bigger."

She was right. The fissure had spread, creating a web-like pattern across the crystalline floor. Dark energy seeped througheach new crack, forming shapes that seemed almost deliberate – like letters in some ancient, forbidden alphabet.

"Okay, new plan," Solaris said, his sun-bright power intensifying. "Nyx, you and I will create a containment field – light and void working in harmony should be able to hold it temporarily. Cypress, see if you can use your earth affinity to seal the smaller cracks. Liam?—"

"I'll clear us a path to class," I finished, not bothering to hide my bitterness at being regulated to escort duty.

"One minute!" Sparrow called. "And before anyone does anything stupid – remember I can see all of you from in here. Your powers are literally creating a window show."

Nyx snorted despite the strain of maintaining our barrier. "Don't worry, Star Girl. We're not about to let Lord Pretty Boy mark us all absent on day one."

"Focus!" I snapped again, watching another tendril of darkness take shape. This one seemed more solid than the others, more purposeful in its movement. "Something's coming through!"

The corrupted energy began to coalesce, forming into something that made my wolf recoil in primitive fear. It was like a shadow given terrible life, but wrong – all angles that shouldn't exist and depths that hurt to look at directly.

"Thirty seconds!" Sparrow's voice had taken on a slightly hysterical edge.

"Now!" Solaris commanded. "Nyx, on my mark!"

The void wolf's galaxy eyes blazed as she gathered her power. "Ready when you are, Sunshine."

"Cypress?"

"Earth is responding," the elemental wolf confirmed, his tattoos glowing brightly. "Just say when."

I watched them coordinate, feeling increasingly useless in my designated role of path-clearer. My wolf pushed harder againstmy control, insisting it could handle whatever corruption the energy carried.

"Fifteen seconds!"

"Liam," Nyx's voice carried a warning edge. "Don't even think about it. We can handle this if we work together."

"Like we handled that training session?" I shot back, unable to help myself. "Some of us actually know how to fight without relying on tricks."

"Ten seconds!"

"Are you seriously bringing that up now?" Nyx's void energy flickered with irritation. "For the last time, using all my power isn't cheating – it's being smart!"

"Five!"

The argument had distracted me – a rookie mistake I'd never have made in the Underground. I didn't notice the tendril of darkness that had separated from the main mass until it was too late. It shot toward me with impossible speed, carrying an energy signature that promised corruption and pain.

There wasn't time to dodge. My shadows tried to rise in defense, but the dark power seemed to cut through them like they weren't even there. I had just enough time to thinkwell, this is going to hurtbefore the attack reached me.

The last thing I heard was Sparrow screaming my name.

Then everything went black.

Spirit Sight

~SPARROW~

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