Page 34 of Darkbirch Academy

“Is it working?” I ask, watching the interaction of light and shadow.

“Wait.” His concentration is absolute, the crystal held steady in his unwavering grip.

Slowly, the disk begins to move, sliding across the pedestal toward the edge of the fold. It hovers there momentarily, caught between dimensions, before suddenly shooting forward through the opening. Dayn catches it with his free hand as the dimensional fold collapses behind it, reality snapping back into place with an audible crack.

The chamber grows quiet, the blue glow fading from the walls, the floor settling back into its original pattern. Only thefallen debris and the fissure running through the center of the room remain as evidence of our intrusion.

Dayn examines the relic, turning it carefully in his hands. The disk is perhaps three inches in diameter, made of a material I don’t recognize—neither stone nor metal, but something that seems to absorb rather than reflect the dim light.

“The Relic of Severance,” he confirms, his voice hushed with something like reverence. “One of the original artifacts used to create binding runes.”

I stare at the unassuming object, surprised by its simple appearance given its significant power. “And this will break your connection to Mazrov? Disrupt Heathborne’s entire Emissary program?”

“With the proper ritual.” He carefully wraps the disk in a cloth before securing it in an inner pocket of his coat. “Which brings us to the next challenge.”

I glance toward the sealed entrance of the chamber. “Getting out of here?”

“That’s the least of our concerns.” He gestures to the walls around us. “The chamber’s activation will have triggered alarms in the main security system. We have perhaps fifteen minutes before security forces arrive.”

“Then we should move.” I turn toward where the entrance had been, studying the seamless stone. “Can you reopen the passage?”

Dayn’s eyes scan the room, and suddenly he moves to a different section of wall, where he presses his palm against a pattern in the inlay. The stone ripples beneath his touch, revealing a narrow opening barely visible in the dim light. “Looks like we have an emergency exit. Probably created forthe original builders, hopefully long forgotten by current security.”

I raise an eyebrow, genuinely impressed despite myself.

He slips through the opening, and I follow close behind, finding myself in an even narrower passage than the one we arrived through. This one feels older, the stone worn smooth by centuries of occasional use. It winds upward at a steeper angle, with no enchanted sconces to light our way.

Dayn produces a small orb of amber light that hovers above his palm, casting just enough illumination to guide our steps. The passage bends and twists, occasionally branching, but he navigates with unwavering confidence.

“The relic on that wall,” I say after we’ve walked for several minutes. “You didn’t know I could disarm it.”

“No.” His admission comes reluctantly. “That was... unexpected.”

“You were going to let me die in that chamber.”

He glances back at me, his expression unreadable in the amber glow. “I was calculating the odds of reaching the relic before the chamber collapsed. Your survival wasn’t my primary concern.”

“At least we’re honest about where we stand.” I match his pace, refusing to fall behind. “I’d do the same if our positions were reversed.”

“I know.” Something like respect colors his tone. “It’s why this alliance works. We both understand its limitations.”

We continue in silence after that, ascending through the forgotten veins of Heathborne Academy, each step bringing us closer to the next phase of our dangerous plan. The Relic of Severance is secured, but obtaining it was the easy part. Theunbinding ritual still lies ahead, and with it, the true test of our unlikely partnership.

19

The greenhouse looms before us, a massive cathedral of glass that captures the full moon’s light in its thousand panes. I flex my fingers, readying myself for what comes next. Breaking into Heathborne’s restricted botanical collection isn’t exactly sanctioned curriculum, but then again, Professor Dayn isn’t exactly a conventional teacher.

Of course, after we obtained the relic, Dayn reminded me that we have certain… ingredients to collect, in order to perform the actual ritual.

His amber eyes catch the moonlight as he turns to me. “The wards are strongest at the entrance,” he murmurs, his voice barely audible above the whisper of wind through the trees. “We’ll use the service door on the eastern side.”

I follow him along the perimeter, staying close to the shadows. My cover identity as a timid scholarship student feels impossibly thin right now. One wrong move, and I’ll be explaining to my coven why I got caught stealing botanicalcomponents with a dragon masquerading as a combat instructor.

“Moonfire essence is essential,” Dayn had explained earlier. “Without it, the binding spell won’t take hold.”

Now, as we reach the small door nestled among climbing ivy, I watch him place his palm against the lock. A muted red glow emanates from beneath his fingers, and I catch the acrid scent of melting metal.

“Crude,” I mutter.

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