Page 34 of Whispers of the Magical Forest

"We always aim to impress," I quipped and then checked on Gadross. He worked his artificing magic on the crowd. The copper disc spun faster and patterns of light wove through the air like spider silk. Glazed expressions spread through the onlookers as their memories were gently altered. Within minutes, they were wandering away and probably wondering why they'd stopped to stare at an empty street.

"The corruption is spreading," Bas murmured. His fingers traced the edges of my wound. Each touch sent warmth through my veins and temporarily pushed back the shadow magic's chill. At least it was something. "We need to find Aislinn before they can complete whatever ritual they're planning. And before this gets worse."

"I’m going to try again. Maybe with the guys here we will get somewhere," Violet said. She drew a tracking circle in the snow. She threw a ball of phoenix fire at them, making them glow. Golden light pushed back against the purple corruption that seemed to be seeping into everything now. "Bloodyhell. I still can't get a clear fix on her location. It's like trying to track someone through fog made of static."

"Let’s try combining our powers," Thanos said as he stepped into place beside her. Divine light sparked around his hands. It was dark grey because he was from the Underworld, but it was pure and good and made the corrupted snow hiss where it touched.

I grimaced and shook my head. “Do you think it will blow anything up? I am willing to do anything to get Aislinn back, but we’ve never done anything like that.”

Bas’s hand covered my wound entirely as he tugged me into his side. “Thanks to the connection you forged with Aislinn and Violet, it won’t go sideways.”

Thanos nodded in agreement. "Each of us adds our strength to the tracking. The different types of magic should let us see through whatever's blocking us."

We stood in a circle around Violet’s spell and clasped hands. I immediately pushed my power out of me, and the others followed suit. It was like watching a magical symphony come together. Thanos's divine energy wove through Violet's phoenix fire to create patterns of light that made my magical senses sing. Bas’s ancient Fae magic joined with mine. Autumn leaves and starlight danced through the air. Violet and Thanos’s power threaded through Bas and mine. Hope surged to fill me. This might work. I added my nicotisa power next. I’d held it back not wanting to overload the magic. Argies's dragon essence completed the circle. It was raw, furious, and desperate, but melded with ours without issue.

The tracking spell exploded outward like a blast wave. It illuminated magical energies throughout the region. What we saw made my stomach turn. Purple corruption threaded through the land like infected veins. It wascentered on the wine cellars but spread far beyond. The cult had created a network of power collectors. They’d used the natural properties of the cellars to store and enhance their twisted magic.

"Looking a bit Evil Overlord chic, isn't it?" I commented. I was masking my horror with humor. "I have to say, purple's an interesting choice for corruption. You'd think they'd go with classic black."

"This is wrong," Bas said. His aristocratic features were tight with disgust. His grip on my waist tightened. I felt recognition through our mate bond. Some of the magical signatures must be familiar. "They've corrupted ancient Fae workings. Those cellars were meant to preserve and enhance natural magic, not... this. These were sacred places once."

"The corruption extends well past their traditional territory," Gadross observed as he consulted another of his artifacts. This one looked like a compass made of copper and starlight. Its needle was spinning wildly as it tried to track the spread of shadow magic. "They've been expanding for years, right under our noses. I should have caught this." His guilt soured the atmosphere.

"It’s not your fault," I told him. "They've been clever about it. Using existing magical structures to hide their corruption. They’re parasites in the system."

"Not just expanding," I continued, studying the patterns. The corruption in my wound let me sense things the others might miss. "Look,” I pointed at a tangle of lines. “There are collection points all through the southern forest. And these signature traces are from different types of magic users. The cult's been hunting supernaturals. Gathering power from various sources."

Argies growled. The sound was more dragon than human. Heat rolled off him in waves. It made the air shimmer. "They have my mate."

"And we'll get her back," Violet assured him. Phoenix firestill danced around her hands. "But we need to be smart about this. The corruption is stronger than anything we've dealt with before. We go in half-cocked, and we could make things worse. They’ve been stalking us, so we have to assume they know more than we want them to."

"I found something," Thanos called from where he'd been examining an area. Divine light sparked between his fingers as he traced patterns in the air. "These energy signatures are repeating. They're being recycled through the network. But some of them are decades old."

We moved to join him, and Bas’s Fae magic probed the patterns. "He's right. These traces match disappearances going back at least fifty years. They’ve been collecting power all this time and storing it in the corrupted cellars."

"They made an evil wine cellar," I mused. "Aging stolen magic instead of grapes. Their vintage selection leaves something to be desired."

"They’ve been building up to this," Fiona added. "But what-"

Her words cut off as shadows detached themselves from nearby buildings. They flowed like liquid darkness before solidifying into forms that made my magical senses scream in warning. Pack members who were twisted and corrupted by shadow magic into horrible hybrids of wolves and darkness.

"Company," I announced. I gathered my power despite the way it made my wound burn. The corruption tried to reach for the shadow magic in our attackers. It created feedback that made my head spin. "And they're definitely not here for the wine tasting. Their timing is impressive. Very dramatic."

"Less commentary, more fighting," Bas suggested, moving to cover my weak side. His Fae magic gathered around us like a storm about to break.

The first creature lunged. It moved fasterthan anything that size should be able to. Its form flickered between wolf and shadow. Thanos met it with a blast of magic that lit up the street like daylight. The thing screamed a sound that belonged in nightmares. Thanos’s power was burning away its corrupted flesh. Score one for the demigod.

Two more attacked from opposite directions. Their movements were synchronized in a way that spoke of shared consciousness. Bas's Fae magic caught one and wrapped it in a wind tunnel that tightened until shadow essence burst from it like smoke. The other met a face full of dragon fire as Argies let loose some of his pent-up fury. The smell of burning fur and rotten flesh filled the air. My stomach roiled heavily.

There was no time to worry about throwing up. I had to duck under the dirtiest claws I’d ever seen. I retaliated with a magical bomb. The life magic should have been anathema to these shadow-twisted beings. The corruption in my wound tried to bridge the gap. The resulting feedback nearly brought me to my knees.

"Anyone else getting really tired of these guys?" I managed through gritted teeth. "I mean, points for persistence, but they're really ruining what was supposed to be a nice weekend away."

"It’s rather rude," Violet called back. She was magnificent in battle. Her witchcraft and phoenix fire burned everything it touched. The assholes recoiled from her. It gave us a brief advantage. Brilliant flames danced around her like a living aura. I added my magic to hers, and each burst of our power made the corrupted creatures shriek.

A particularly nasty specimen tried to flank us. Its movements were jerky. It was a puppet with tangled strings. Bas moved like liquid grace beside me. His Fae magic manifested as deadly shards of ice that pinned the creature in place. Hispower had gained razor edges and sliced through flesh and bone with surgical precision.

“One of them is different,” he observed. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the battlefield. "The one at the back. Its corruption isn't complete. The shadow magic hasn't fully taken hold yet."

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