Page 136 of The Holy Academy of Witches

“This is an example of what I have spent the last few years doing in the little spare time I have.”

“And that is what, exactly?”

“For the past few years I have been communicating with several scientists, physicians and academically acclaimed professors with the sole purpose of collaboratively working on a cure.”

“A cure for what?”

“Originally, Cancer. I became a bit of an expert on it in my spare time, crafted a new identity and reached out to some open-minded scientists to start collaborating. We were starting to make some headway with my “trial medicine,” which was really just magic’s effect on the disease. A couple of years ago some of my colleagues reached out to me about some patients that were exhibiting cancer-like symptoms without cellular mutation. They were curses Sage, dark and light that grew invisible to the mundane eye. With my Father in the position he’s in, I had already been aware of the formation of the light and dark terrorist groups for years. This isn’t something that has begun to happen out of nowhere. It has been brewing for decades but is only recently beginning to bubble over and become noticeable by mortals and the magic alike. In all the attacks there have been signature curses and hexes used. Curses which are becoming increasingly difficult to counter or heal. I have been using every tool at my disposal and every power I possess to fight them.” She opened document after document of treatment plans, details of symptoms starting, all of it leading back to being present at one of the many terrorist attacks scattered across Europe.

“So this is your proof you’re not behind what happened at the boy’s school?” I spoke slowly, trying to allow my brain to absorb the information in front of me. There were in fact, years of it, time stamped emails and labs. She was innocent, at least of the attacks.

“Yes, and I promise I’ll address anything else I’ve missed, but I can’t wait any longer. What on earth happened to the Boys Academy? Is Cillian okay? Your… your brother?” The last one fell weakly as if she knew she should ask but didn’t really want to.

“They’re both fine, although I haven’t actually seen Cillian for myself. But the school is gone, a larger explosion than the clinic by far. Maybe the largest yet.” Adeline pushed off the couch and hobbled to my room, stopping at the visible smoke stack through my window. I walked toward the en-suite bathroom door.

“Can we talk more after I clean up? I want to sit down but I can’t bear the feeling of this on my skin, not to mention I’ll stain anything I touch right now.” I gestured to the drying muck covering most of my body. She looked at me through glazed eyes, nodding slowly before looking back to the smoke stack.

Placing my thoughts on hold, I stepped under the steam. Focused solely on purging my skin of filth, I stewed. When the water ran clear, I tentatively opened myself up to the new information. She’d been poisoned, she had years worth of proof of trying to stop the agenda of the people most likely behind the attack, she’d had a sister. I replayed our conversation over and over as steam filled the room until I was certain of what I wanted to do.

Seventy-Two

Adeline

With Sage in the shower I held my phone to my ear, my eyes frozen in place watching the black smoke still billowing from the treetops.

“Hello?”

“Cillian!” I held my hand to my racing heart as he answered the phone.

“I’m okay. It’s okay, everything is alright,” He replied.

“Everything is most certainly not alright!” I snapped, hobbling back to the sofa to rest my aching ankle.

“No one was badly hurt. They targeted the Academy but barely anyone was inside, and the ones who were managed to get out unscathed, thankfully,” He placated.

“Where are you? I need to see you. Sage came storming into the dormitory like a banshee. Caked in filth, hair like she’d been dragged through a bush and I’m fairly certain she smelt like a swamp.”

“Is she okay?”

“Besides accusing me of being a terrorist, she’s fine.”

“W-what?!” Cillian spluttered like he’d choked on a beverage.

“Yes… her head was filled with all sorts of paranoia about me, my intentions. I think she’s seen sense now.” I looked back to the window, ash floating past on a breeze. “These are unnerving times we are living in.”

Cillian was quiet as he pondered today’s events though wherever he was sounded chaotic, as I waited for him to speak.

“Where are you?” I asked again. He sighed deeply, the sound of his stubble scraping through the phone. I could picture him rubbing his hands over his tired face.

“All the Veneficus students are currently crammed in your dining hall… They’ve given us food and drinks and the staff are trying to be reassuring but… Everyone’s concerned what this means going forward.” He paused as though choosing his words carefully. “My school was destroyed, Adeline. In front of my eyes. I got into some petty race with Theodore and we were neck and neck and he kept firing jinxes at my feet and I threw a sightless draught at him which, fortunately, missed because as we rounded the edge of the forest through a clearing there was the huge explosion, the force of it knocked us both off our feet and I fell into one of the traps laid out for The Run.”

“What was it?” I asked, sitting straighter.

“A pit with quicksand at the bottom and an anti-spell barrier inside.”

“Gods… how did you get out?”

“Theo. If I’d temporarily blinded him as I intended, even in jest I’d have been screwed. He weaved a rope from vines of ivy, strengthened it, threw it down to me, pulled me up to safety and then just clapped me on the back and said that he was winning.” Cillian barked a laugh, “I think I could like him.”

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