Page 38 of Whispers of the Magical Forest

VIOLET

The Department's computer system hummed as Gadross pulled up another file on the Blackwood family. After our disastrous encounter at pack lands, we'd retreated to regroup and dig deeper. Being overwhelmed a second time had shaken all of us. It wasn't something we were used to encountering. Of course, we were down Aislinn and Fiona was crippled by her injury.

But the excursion hadn't all been for nothing. It sparked ideas and a place for us to look further. It was unlikely Marcus was keeping Aislinn close to the pack. Argies acknowledged her scent was likely secondary. It made sense that he would keep tight control over the ritual. It was evident that he didn't have complete control over the shifters. Their natures were too volatile.

"Here's something interesting," Gadross said. He tapped the screen for emphasis. "Before Richard Blackwood went off the rails, his family maintained a private cemetery. It predates the corruption by at least a century."

I leaned over his shoulder and scanned the historical records. "A family mausoleum? That's rather posh."

"I'll try not to take offense to that," Fiona replied from where she was propped up in a chair. She was still pale from her wound. "My family created ours out of necessity to secure the portal to Eidothea. But in the Blackwood's case, I'm betting on old money and magic. They'd want somewhere special to keep their secrets."

"And their bodies," Bas added as he studied the architectural plans Gadross had pulled up. "Look at these designs. There's an entire network of chambers underneath the mausoleum."

"The records mention they used it to store their magical artifacts," Gadross noted. "Things they wanted to keep away from prying eyes. And since it predates the corruption..."

"It might give us access to Aislinn through a less defended route," I finished. Hope stirred in my chest, making me giddy. "The corruption would have had to work around the consecration. That could mean weaker defenses."

"Or at least different ones," Thanos pointed out. "It's worth checking out either way. Has to be better than fighting our way through the pack again."

Argies, who had been silently brooding since our retreat, finally spoke up. "If there's any chance it leads us to Aislinn, I say we take it."

I nodded and grimaced as the purple light pulsed through Fiona's bandages. She was a liability as much as an asset right now. But we had to do something. We would have our asses handed to us if we charged back into pack territory for another round with those corrupted enforcers.

"Right then," I said, straightening up. "Let's go poke around some posh graves. Should be a laugh."

The trip to the cemetery was tense. We kept to the shadows and avoided the main roads where corrupted pack members might patrol. It made my stomach roil when I noted how wrong Hambledon felt. The corruption hadspread beyond since we arrived. It was seeping into the town like a slow poison.

We scaled the cemetery wall rather than risk the main gates. The old stones were slick with evening dew, which made for a treacherous climb. Fiona barely managed it. Her wound was clearly causing her more pain than she let on. Bas stayed close to her and was ready to catch her if she slipped. Gadross moved with surprising agility behind us, his eyes constantly scanning the shadows as he brought up the rear.

The Blackwood mausoleum rose before us. It was a Gothic monstrosity silhouetted against the darkening sky. My phoenix stirred beneath my skin. As we approached, my magical senses screamed warnings. The corrupted power flowing through the underground chambers felt like oil slicking across my skin. It made me want to shift and burn it all away. But that wouldn't help us find Aislinn.

"There's something down there," I whispered. I had to fight back nausea as another wave of dark magic rolled over us. "The corruption, bloody hell, it's worse than it was in the cellars."

"Can you get a fix on the layout?" Fiona asked. "Is it the same as the blueprints? Or has it been changed?" She was leaning heavily against Bas.

"I can't say for sure. It's like looking through dirty water. There's definitely a way down through here." I gestured to the mausoleum. I swear someone in the family had gotten overexcited with the gargoyles when they designed it. "The wards are keyed to the corrupted magic, so I can't determine if they're weak or not."

"Lovely," Fiona muttered. "This evil cult has embraced all the cliches. Having a secret underground lair accessed through a creepy tomb is the cherry on top. I don't suppose anyone brought a torch?" She sighed andcontinued, "I'm not sure I can maintain my witch fire that long. I want to save my energy."

"Definitely conserve all you can. I've got illumination covered," I promised as I conjured a fireball.

Thanos moved forward and lifted a hand in the air. He traced some sort of sigils that lit up for a few seconds. "The dark magic is warring with the original protections, which has created weak points. If we hit them right..."

"We can break through without setting off every alarm in Hambledon," I finished. "Bas, can you handle the Fae elements? There seemed to be a significant number of them, and Fiona should reserve herself."

"The magical signatures are unlike anything in the Department records," Gadross observed, studying the warring energies with a furrowed brow. "The corruption has twisted the original wards into something new."

Bas nodded grimly and stepped forward. His Fae magic shimmered in the air as he began dismantling layers of corrupted protections. I joined him and threw my phoenix fire to burn away components while he handled the Fae elements. The work was delicate. Like trying to unpick a jumper made of razor wire and malice.

"Bloody hell," I muttered as another trap revealed itself. This one was particularly nasty. It was a blend of shifter essence and corrupted Fae magic that would have turned any intruder into a rather artistic bloody stain. "They've really gone all out with the security, haven't they?"

"How are the wards getting stronger?" Bas asked as he carefully unwound another layer.

"These patterns," Gadross murmured, tracing the energy flows in the air. "They're actively adapting to our attempts to dismantle them."

Fiona shook her head. "My guess is they're gettingdesperate to protect their ritual and reinforcing all of their wards at once."

A sharp gasp from Fiona made us all turn. Fresh blood seeped through her bandages as animated shadows tried to force their way into the wound. They moved with purpose. They were testing her defenses. "I'm fine," she insisted through gritted teeth, though she was anything but. "Just focus on getting us in. These shadows are being arseholes, but I can handle them."

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