Page 54 of A Storm of Fire and Ice

“Brace yourselves!”Brontes shouted.

We flared our powers in our hands, ready to fight back. But instead of Obsidia, Headmaster Moira stepped through the shimmering portal.

“Good, you’re all here,” she said briskly. “Come to my office at once.”

We quickly rushed through the portal, a swirl of purple and green energy surrounded by a black outline. When we stepped through, my stomach churned and my skin tingled as we emerged on the other side.

“Headmaster, what’s happening?” Fannar asked once we were all in her office.

The administration building trembled violently under deafening rumbles caused by an unseen force. A few terrified screams drifted from outside.

Headmaster Moira glanced up at the ceiling urgently. “She’s here. My defensive shield won’t hold long against another Cosmic Enchanted. I cannot allow her to endanger the remaining students and the academy.”

“What do we do now?” Helena asked.

After considering it briefly, she gave us an enigmatic smile. “As they say, desperate times call for desperate measures.” Headmaster Moira rolled up the long sleeves of her deep purple dress above her elbows and extended her arms outward. “Pay attention, students. You’re about to witness something most never will.”

The building quaked again, even more violently, rattling me to my bones.

The time had come to take a stand.

Chapter Seventeen

Helena

Theofficetrembledviolentlyaround us, books and trinkets tumbling from shelves. I grabbed Fannar’s arm to steady myself as the floor bucked beneath our feet, my ears ringing from the thunderous crashes.

Brontes, however, sprinted for the window and gaped at whatever lay outside.

“Gwyneira, look at this!” he cried.

Gwyneira raced over to the window and gasped in shock at what she saw. She whirled around to face us. “We’re in space!”

“What?!” I exclaimed.

“There’s a binary star system swirling around us!” she replied, her eyes wide, unable to contain her excitement.

“Really?” Fannar gasped. He moved toward the window, and I followed, my curiosity overcoming my concern.

An endless expanse of inky blackness met my eyes, deeper and vaster than any night sky. It was a light-devouring abyss, pierced only by the fiery pinpricks of distant stars. Swirling nebula clouds glowed softly, billowing strands of violet, pink, and teal.

Headmaster Moira had indeed transported the administration building of the academy into space.

A blaze of scorching heat washed over my face, even through the glass. A blinding streak of light shot downward, leaving trailing afterimages in my vision. Moments later, a horizontal bar of blinding radiance seared my eyes right to left.

“What was that?” I asked breathlessly.

“A binary system with two orbiting stars,” Gwyneira responded with awe. “I’ve never seen one up close before!”

“More importantly, it’s protecting us,” Brontes added. “Look, Obsidia can’t get past it.”

I followed his pointing finger. In the distance, a hazy violet aura marked the location of the Cosmic Enchanted as she hovered amid the celestial fury.

“Students!” Headmaster Moira called sharply.

We’d nearly forgotten about her in the commotion and hurried back to where she stood, her features taut with strain. I’d never seen her looking so haggard. Perspiration beaded her brow, and her eyes were bloodshot. Even her hands trembled slightly.

“Listen closely,” she said, low and urgent. “Just as I anticipated, Obsidia followed us here in pursuit of all of you, but even Cosmic Enchanted can’t stay in space for very long. She’s using a tremendous amount of her energy just to survive right now. Hopefully, her magic will become weak enough for you to defeat her.” Headmaster Moira paused to take a ragged breath.

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