the buildings teetered on the edge of the chasm that stretched fifty feet down the road.
Was it growing?
Magic crackled around my comms charm, and Aeri’s voice came out. “Mari? What’s wrong?”
“P-problem,” I stuttered. “Have a problem.”
“Where are you?”
“West side of town.” I scanned the street. “What’s left of it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I destroyed it.” Holy fates, my magic had gone so out of control that I’d blasted the town apart.
Dark magic billowed up from the chasm at my feet. Had I opened a portal to the underworld?
I stepped back.
Maybe Tarron had been right to be disgusted by me.
I’d known I wouldn’t do anything terrible intentionally.
I hadn’t planned on this.
“I’m coming there now,” Aeri said.
“No.”
“No?”
“We have to go to the Council. We can’t fix this.”
“Shit, Mari.”
“I know.” The Council wouldn’t be pleased I’d screwed up like this. They hated cleaning up messes. I’d made a few in my day—particularly when I’d been young and learning the ropes as a Demon Slayer—but nothing compared to this. “We don’t have a choice.”
As if to echo my statement, the earth beneath my feet rumbled, and the crack in the earth opened a little bit wider at each end. Magic’s Bend was tearing apart at the seams. For now, it broke apart the street. But soon, the crack would reach the end of the road where more buildings were situated.
When it did, they’d tumble into the earth.
How much more could this thing grow?
I was afraid I knew the answer, and that if I didn’t fix this, Magic’s Bend could disappear entirely.
“Meet me in the workshop,” I said. “We have to report this.”
They were the only ones with the resources to help.
“Be there in two.”
I gave the great chasm one last look, then used my transport magic to appear back at my house. The old Victorian street in Darklane was just now quieting down for the night. Unlike the west side of town, this neighborhood was hopping through most of the night. The grimy facades of the ornate buildings stared down at me, their blackened windows like eyes. I swore I felt their judgment.
I deserved it.
Quickly, I climbed the stairs to my front door, the Oliver Twistian street lamps shedding a golden glow on the stairs. I let myself into the foyer and hurried back to our workshop.
Normally, the space would calm me. Herbs hung from the ceiling, scenting the air with a spicy, floral aroma, and the shelves were packed full of potion-making tools and books. The hearth lay dark at this hour, barren and cold.
Nothing in the world could calm me now. Normally, when I was stressed, I’d shove a butterscotch candy into my mouth.
Now was not the time. This was bigger than butterscotch.
Aeri raced into the room behind me, her white bathrobe fluttering around her slender form. Pale blond hair streamed over her shoulders, and her panicked eyes met mine. Whereas I kept mostly nocturnal hours, she’d probably been asleep when she sensed that shit had hit the fan for me.
“How bad is it?” she asked.
“Bad.” I stepped toward the table and hovered my hand over one corner.
She mimicked my gesture at the other end of the table, her own magic glowing around her palm. It felt like a cool breeze over my skin and sounded like birdsong. The table lifted itself into the air and drifted to the side wall, then set itself down gently.
Aeri and I approached the trapdoor and sliced our fingertips, each of us letting a drop of blood fall to the stone floor below—black blood for me and white for her. The ground disappeared, a much smaller and more controlled version of what had happened earlier tonight. Still, I couldn’t help but shudder as I stepped onto the stone stairs that led deep into the earth.
I led the way, sprinting down the spiral staircase and pausing only to let the protective enchantments make sure that my intentions were pure. When the metal spikes shot out of the wall, I let them take a bit of blood and determine that I wasn’t here to do harm. Instead of stabbing me through the sides, they let me pass. On the next level down, the enchanted fog filled my lungs, eventually approving of my intentions. My breath was heaving as I ran into the chamber deep below our house.
The Well of Power glowed blue and bright in the middle of the cavern. It looked like a shallow lake, but it connected us to the Council of Demon Slayers. I yanked off