The tightness in his core released as energy flew from his chest, out down his limbs and finally through the air.

The air charged as lightning flew from the clouds above. It flooded his senses with light, forcing him to acknowledge the electricity roiling off his skin. His own magic joined with the bolt, snaking out to meet it, before finally slamming into the ground. Countless bolts fell from the sky around him, but still, he didn’t feel the earth rocking beneath him. His ears rang, and his fingers scorched from the amount of power and heat he’d just released. Again and again, he flooded the skies with lightning. It didn’t hurt. It felt like a weight lifted from his shoulders with every lightning bolt he released. Thunder rolled from his core as the shock waves from the lightning hit around him. Was he a dragon? He didn’t think so, but who could stand among a storm of his own creation?

His magic waned, and he stopped pulling on it. It was when he pulled it back inside that he fell a few feet to the ground. Had he been… flying?

He looked around himself, but found his eyes blinded from the lightning he had just released. Shit! Shit! What’s happening to me? His magic rushed to the tips of his fingers again, but he pushed it back down.

“Hireth?” he called. “Hireth?”

“I’m here.” She sounded far away, and then she touched his shoulder. It made him jump, but then he quickly felt for her hand. “What’s wrong? Illius, what’s wrong?”

“I can’t see.” His voice cracked, and tears rushed down his face. “I can’t see, Hireth!”

“Calm down, calm down,” she whispered, pulling him into her arms. “It’s going to be alright. Twig! Can you help, please?”

Soft healing life flowed into him, up toward his eyes. After a few minutes—he really couldn’t tell whether he had fallen asleep somewhere in the middle—he blinked and started seeing shapes again.

“Easy does it,” the druid’s soft voice said. “Keep them closed until I’m done.”

“What happened?” he asked.

Hireth spoke next. “Well, that was one hell of a lightning storm. You shattered my first three shields.”

“What?” Illius jerked upright.

“It’s fine, I had five.”

“Where’s my shirt?” he asked, reaching around his body. Okay, he had pants on, that was something.

“It’s here.” Hireth tugged at some fabric attached to his shoulder. “It’s just… seen better days.”

“Hireth?” Twig’s voice was taught. “What happened?”

“Looks like a patrol found us,” she said. “There were five.”

Illius sat in the cold, shivering. What were they going to do now?

“Alright.” Twig’s magic pulled away from Illius’ body. “Open your eyes slowly. Take your time.”

He rubbed his eyes first, feeling how dry and scratchy the lids felt. He blinked several times and then opened them, looking around. The world looked different. For one, he was used to seeing white snow; now, he was sitting on brown earth. Earth that felt warm. He looked around and saw the snow at a distance, above him. He was in a crater.

“Oh… did I do that?” He looked around, eyes settling on Hireth and Eric. They were both alright, right?

“Yeah.” Eric stared at him, bright blue eyes seeing him in a new light. “You made a fucking crater, man.”

“Holy shit.” His hands started to shake as he arose.

“No.” Hireth grabbed his hands. “It’s okay. This is raw power. It’s okay. It isn’t going to look like this every time you use magic. Deep breaths, okay?”

He nodded, trying to suck in air even as his lungs seemed to fail him.

“Hey.” Eric shifted from one foot to the other, as if debating something in his mind. “Can I give you a hug?”

Something about the words made Illius’ composure fall away. He took two stumbling steps and fell into Eric’s embrace. He didn’t care anymore. Not about the way it looked or what it meant. Everything fell away in the warmth of Eric’s arms. Tears rushed down his cheeks. So much terror and panic, and yet here he was, despite everything, alive. Illius loved that Eric was just a little bit taller than him, so he could easily hide from the world in the crook of his neck. He loved that he was warm, but most of all, he just loved that he was here, with his arms around him.

“Your horns are showing, Sparky,” Eric whispered. “Do you want my jacket?”

Illius nodded, and Eric swung it around his shoulders.

“Hireth.” Twig glanced at her. “I’m going to have Lucy activate the portal. Keep an eye out for anyone else. If they communicated before they attacked…”

“I know.” The witch nodded. “I know.”

“Kaz had a plan if something like this happened,” the druid told her. “I’ll be back soon.” They found a nearby tree and morphed themself into it, and Hireth sucked in a sharp breath.

“What happens now?” Eric asked, not letting go of Illius’ hand.

“We get to the library.”

“And then?”

“Whatever Kaz tells us.” Her expression tightened. “It’ll be okay though. We’ll get through this. Are you both alright?”

Illius honestly doubted he would ever be ‘alright’ at this point, but he nodded. 

“Let’s go.” Hireth led the way back to the library.

If Illius thought he was tired before, this exhaustion gave new meaning to the word. His feet didn’t want to move, and his whole body seemed to lock down the second they made it to the library. Hireth rushed down the stairs, telling them to let her know when the portal activated. The world became a blur—things moved slow, but not slow enough. He could feel Eric tuck his arms around him. Normally, that would have embarrassed him or made his magic hum faster, but everything had muted.

The portal stirred to life, and the researcher who’d activated the portal before, along with Kaz and Twig, stepped through. Illius barely acknowledged them.

Hireth handed the others a few packs, and they talked together quickly. Kaz asked about Illius—whether he was okay or whatever. Hireth quickly said something about soul fatigue, whatever that was.

“Illius.” Eric’s voice broke through his haze a bit. “Can you stand?”

He nodded and let Eric pull him to his feet. Kaz was suddenly right in front of him, looking carefully at his eyes.

“Alright, we have to go,” the Seratian said. “I’ll keep them safe.”

Hireth gave Illius a hug. “I promise I’ll come back.”

Wait. Is she leaving? Don’t leave me! Please! Hireth, no!

“I got you.” Eric squeezed his hand. “We’re going to be fine.”

Illius let himself be pulled through the portal. Kaz quickly took charge, leading them through a second portal in the same research… basement… thing. Illius didn’t have the brain power for this. He barely had the strength to stay on his feet. If Eric hadn’t steadied him and helped him along, he would have simply curled up on the floor and stayed there. They left a building at some point, and then they wound through these cute little curvy roads that Illius paid way too much attention to. He couldn’t figure out how they’d laid the bricks in all those circular patterns.

“Here we are.” He focused for just a moment on Kaz as the man led them up a set of marble steps to a place Illius, with his foggy brain, assumed must be a church. After all, what kind of building besides a church had all those spires, intricate facades, and vaulted ceilings? Hmm, maybe a mausoleum on second thought, considering the absurdly gothic spikes every few feet. Kaz helped them inside, past heavy red drapes covering the windows and lit candelabras casting a spooky glow. The corridors were endless, and voices reverberated through the passageways, but Kaz always led them the opposite direction.  

Illius sagged against Eric, trusting him to think for the both of them. Eric clasped his hand tightly as Kaz rushed them into an office.

“Where’s Hireth going?” Eric asked.

“She’s going to be okay.” Kaz held out his hands peacefully. “I promise. Hireth is really, really hard to kill.”

“She got punted into a tree and almost died before!” Eric shouted. It was too loud, echoing off the walls. Illius subconsciously clenched his fist.

“Ouch.” Eric let go of his hand for a second. Illius’ magic flared as he panicked at the loss of contact.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry. I can’t control it. I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m sorry. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“It’s alright,” Eric told him gently, taking his hand again. “You just squeezed my hand too hard. I was just surprised—that’s all. It’s okay. I promise. Believe me?”

Illius nodded after a second.

A bell tinkled above them, and Kaz glanced at it. “Shit! Shit. Shit.”

“What?” Eric’s head snapped up.

“You have to trust me.” Kaz grabbed both of them and shoved them into a corner of the room. “I can’t move you—there isn’t time. There’re going to be five men coming through that door in about two minutes. You have to promise, no matter what happens, no matter what you see or hear—you do not move or make a sound. Whatever happens to me—they arrest me, they kill me—you do not move, alright? If you are found here, they will burn this place to the ground, and if they burn this place to the ground or anything happens to you—that sweet little aunt of yours is going to torch this city, you got that?”

“I don’t doubt it,” Eric said.

“Oh, you have no fucking clue how fast she can flip the crazy switch. Sit down. Get comfortable. Do not move,” Kaz instructed them.

Illius crammed himself into the corner, trying to make himself invisible. Eric slotted himself between Illius and one of the walls, his arms around Illius’ shoulders. With a deep breath, Kaz closed his eyes. He started to speak in a different language—the words poignant and clear. Illius could see orange magic flowing through his breath, and it enveloped him and Eric.

“No one but I can see you, okay?” Kaz left them there and sat at his desk, taking up a pen and starting to write.

The door burst open, and it took everything in Illius not to scream. The Awakened strode into Kaz’s office, glancing around the room, his pale blue uniform as well-pressed as ever.