A knot hardens in my gut, a seed of belief forming.For far too long I’ve played the victim.Resigned myself to Ignatius’ control.To the deal that was my fate.
Time is up and I am still.Fucking.Here.
Between my clenched fingers, magic hums.Thicker, stronger.Demonic.
How could she force me to reap her knowing I’d have to live with myself after doing that?Fuck Lucy.
I’ve beaten my fate once, if Ignatius comes for me again, I’ll find a way to beat it again.
A solitary spark ignites somewhere deep in my gut.It flares and fires and brims with the energy of newborn star, or maybe it’s a newborn demon.
This isn’t over.
I’m knocked sideways by Ignatius grappling a wraith.I clutch a fistful of his jacket and heave us out of the way.
“GO,” I shout and shove him forwards as the wraith rounds on us.He startles as if surprised I finally came to.
“Move…” I push again and point towards the garden of death knowing we can take temporary shelter in there.But two steps in, we’re halted.A Societas member stalks across the campus towards us, “THE END OF FATE IS HERE,” she screams.
Next to her is a wraith, behind them an ashspawn and beyond that creatures that haunt nightmares.The underworld creatures aren’t attacking her.My money is on Interitus controlling them.
“I told you to move.We waited too long,” Ignatius snarls.
I draw my scythe, the only weapon I have on me and stalk forward.
The courtyard teems with sinuous coiling skeletons and more than a dozen Societas members, all wearing angelic robes made of a shadowy fabric, shorn off at the elbow displaying their Societas tattoo emblems.
All enemies.
A handful of friendly faces peel into the area—Alistair Ironheart and Riven amongst other professors—and a couple of clearly suicidal students walk beside them.
I spot familiar red hair and double take.Aurelia?She’s the last person I expected to actually risk her life and take a stand.
In the distance, I spot Lex and Bastien fighting side by side.At their feet, Mortem is about three times as fluffy as normal, his hackles all bristling as he hisses and spits at everything that moves.
Everyone else has run.
Above us, Architecti launches herself at Interitus.They careen together in an explosion of feathers and wings and tower bricks showering down on us.
A wraith lumbers its way over the rubble.Ignatius grips my elbow as he yanks me out of the way.
“Can you access campus magic?”Ignatius barks.
I respond by pulling a dozen ribbons of magic from the walls in rapid succession.Ignatius shuffles back a step.I’ll be honest, I’m surprised at the ease too.It must be the demon magic lingering in my veins from Lucy that’s making me more powerful overall.
But they’re unwieldy and I lose control of several strands.
Ignatius shakes his head and then lurches, barrelling into me.
We’re a clusterfuck of limbs and torsos.A wraith’s claws swipe at my throat, making the wind kiss my skin.It misses and slices through his hip instead.He howls and swings a rope of blood red magic at the creature which promptly garrottes it.
A sick pleasure gleams in his expression, then he yanks the loop and the creature’s head pops off.
Black globs of liquid billow out of its decapitated throat.
Acid licks bitter and tart on my tongue as I stare at the body crashing to the cobbles.
A thunderous clash slices through the campus.The resonance makes my chest vibrate and the ground tremble.In the distance, there are so.Many.Screams.