Page 75 of Zero Happily Ever Afters

It wasn’t only teachers but every staff member, from the custodians to the secretaries, who flew across campus to break through the pit of fiends and offer an escape path to theadministrators who shielded against fiends and guided everyone to safety. Everyone they could in this carnage.

Headmaster Dower unleashed lava, burning a tunnel for students to dive into, creating a wall of heat hotter than any Hell the demons had come from, and raining magma that lured hungry demonic energy to taste the droplets of primal magic in the air.

Everyone worked perfectly, precisely, passionately, and yet I remained frozen and overwhelmed as my telepathy latched onto the minds of those I cared most about.

Gael’s mind called to me above everyone else, concerned and determined to protect those endangered. Not his classmates, not anyone he knew. This desire to help was directed toward people who were trapped in the stands and unable to banish the fiends that surrounded them.

He hurled spikes coated in banishment from his arms, sending sharp projectiles into the demonic threats before banishing enough to clear a path.

“Follow me,” a copy of Jamius hovered by the open direction and guided the frightened guests to an exit.

It was a copy as Jamius himself stood beside Carter and Jennifer, allowing them to shield him from threats as he cast countless copies to defend, direct, attack, and everything else he could fathom in the instance of this surprise assault on Gemini Academy.

This attack didn’t rattle Jamius. It didn’t surprise Gael. Sure, neither expected it, but they were ready nonetheless.

Jennifer ate the encroaching dread that flooded from classmates as they fled the horrors. She remained steady, shoulders squared, and sensory at the ready.

Carter weaved his branch into key members of the audience, fueling those most in need while keeping Gael alert and strongenough to launch more spikes without overexerting his physical limitations.

In mere seconds, the four of them banded together and formulated a plan designed to protect everyone around them. They didn’t hesitate because the horrors of their first semester surfaced in their minds. Not in a panicking, traumatic way, but more as a strong reminder of what they’d survived, how they’d survived, and why they picked this career path.

It was mesmerizing. They worked together so succinctly, protecting and fighting and proving they each had what it took to survive in the harsh guild industry. Their casting was on par with the handful of industry witches here who faced off against demons in the deepest trenches of the auxiliary gym.

A flaming ball zipped past my head, nearly setting my hair on fire, and I turned to see Yaritza making her “oopsie” face. Grimacing momentarily before returning to exactly whatever she wanted, which in this case was completely forgivable since she launched countless comets of cosmic magic and infused them with her sensory root.

It was a brilliant use of her magic to pinpoint and strike down demonic threats. She’d turned it into a weird tennis match with Melanie, who controlled the fire around Yaritza’s star shower. As they whipped flaming rocks back and forth to tear through fiends or set wisps ablaze, Layla leapt in between the fiery destruction, sniffing out people who were too slow to evade, dodging demonic dangers, and slashing the air while channeling her banishment. The three made for a powerful close- and long-range combination of onslaught attacks.

Katherine soared around the facility, ripping out every page of her grimoire. The spine hung loose, its heavy front and back cover fluttered in a wobbly descent as it crashed onto the ground. Katherine held the spells, hundreds of them, each floating around her like she was swimming in a book.

Whether she used telekinesis to throw the perfect page to someone in need or recited a spell for her own use, Katherine managed to keep a careful eye on all her friends. Not only those in our homeroom but everyone at Gemini Academy that she’d grown to love so deeply. She wouldn’t allow anyone to suffer in this horrible attack, not if she could do something about it.

A spell fluttered toward me, and I read it, conjuring a barrier that stopped a fiend in its tracks. Once the barrier faded, I prepared to banish it, but a sharply pointed shadow stabbed the creature first, shattering it into a cluster of wisps I quickly finished.

Tara. She flew above everyone here, studying the environment and doing her part to help.

“I’m going to make sure Theo doesn’t hurt anyone. I refuse to let him take what I’ve built.”

I’d never felt such conviction and bravery in Tara’s thoughts, such eagerness to cast. But she wielded her magics with incredible talent, casting all five of her branches in tandem with her four root magics. She used them in seamless and intricate ways. Her shadows sprang out like spiked whips meant to banish demonic energy while her icicles stabbed wisps that clustered in large groups. Her Banshee’s Wail destroyed the fear and sadness that ate away at stunned bystanders, offering them a chance to flee unharmed. Without hesitation, Tara locked fiends in place with golden seals and transformed would-be victims into intangible forms where they could now swim through the crowd and escape.

“BAAAAWWWWWWK!”

Gael lunged; King Clucks kicked his feet behind as he telekinetically hurled his loudmouthed human at me.

The fuck?

Without any time to brace for impact, I flinched but found myself wrapped in a telekinetic grip and swiveled to a new spot.

“Got your back, Mr. Frosty.” Gael stuck out his tongue and winked. “Gotta protect my boy Evergreen’s partner. So, if you wanna mention that to him, you know, on why I’d be a boss intern. Just saying.”

“Cl-cluck.”

“Yeah, but like in a casual, cool way. Keep it chill, Mr. Frosty.”

Was he seriously using a life-or-death situation to barter internships?

Shaking away the surprise and confusion, I saw fiends tackle each other, snapping their teeth furiously at their missed quarry. Me. They’d landed where I stood mere seconds ago. Where I stood before Gael and King Clucks quickly acted.

They weren’t done either. King Clucks led the charge, crowing loudly and carrying waves of banishment in his loud voice.

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