Scholar of Magic (Art of the Adept #3) - Michael G. Manning Page 0,238

He became exquisitely aware of the feeling, the touch of turyn, the way it moved. He’d never controlled that much power before, not firsthand. It required a delicate touch and a sense of rhythm, like dancing. Fortunately, unlike dancing, he seemed to be a natural. Once you’ve felt it, you can never forget, said the stranger’s voice. It becomes part of you and everything changes. You are reborn, child; this is your baptism in magic.

“Who are you?” Will cried, but he didn’t receive an answer.

And then it was time. Seizing the currents, Will sent them crashing inward to fill a ritual construct that was finally large and strong enough to contain them. His head fell back, and his mouth opened as his voice screamed out with joy, though he had no idea what he might be yelling. It was like an orgasm—no, it was better.

Argent energy streamed outward in the shape of millions upon millions of brilliant silver spheres. They blinded him even through closed eyelids, and they kept coming, an endless flow emerging from the living womb of power he had built. Those around him fell to their knees, covering their eyes with hands and arms, trying to block out the searing light. But Will merely laughed. He had changed his eyes, dimming everything, and when the others could finally look at him again, they saw that where his eyes should be there were only unsettling black orbs.

The ritual power finally finished and passed beyond the cathedral walls, soaring into the night and dipping into the earth and sky. It rushed over the city like a wave, purifying everything, and wherever the vampires hid, they perished, burning away into piles of ash that the breeze soon scattered.

As the light died away, Will’s eyes returned to normal, but he couldn’t stop the giddy laughter from spilling from his lips. It had felt so good. He was nothing but smiles—until he saw the bodies of the students who had died.

Blood was splattered across the sanctuary floor and walls, some red, some black. Scorch marks covered everything, along with crumbled pieces of stone and splintered wood. But while the vampire bodies had disintegrated under the withering glare of the ritual’s magic, those of his fellow students had not.

He got himself under control, and then his ears began to decipher the sounds around him, a mixture of quiet sobbing and tearful goodbyes being said to friends who wouldn’t see the sun rise tomorrow. Looking toward the door, he was grateful to see that his friends and family all appeared safe and unharmed.

Two students, one male and one female, stood out to him, for they had died while holding onto each other. He didn’t know either of them, but their faces were vaguely familiar. Unlike most of the other victims, these two showed no signs of tooth or claw. They had died instantly, from the distinctive, fist-sized hole of a force-lance that had gone through both of them simultaneously.

Will’s mouth went dry, and he took a step back. Several other students were kneeling beside them, speaking quietly to one another, and when they looked up at him, he saw the knowledge burning in their eyes. They knew who had killed their friends. “It was an accident,” he said weakly, barely able to breathe. “I didn’t know.”

A fellow he did recognize, Phillip Wakefield, had just come closer, and he asked, “What happened to Lynsey and Simon?”

One of the nearby girls answered, “One of those things was running at Simon, and Lynsey tried to get in front of it, but then—” Her tear-stained face turned toward Will.

“—Will tried to save them,” declared Laina, her voice carrying loudly over the din of soft voices. “Just like he saved the rest of you. This time he missed.”

“But…”

Her eyes flashed angrily. “But nothing! If he hadn’t tried, they would have both died anyway. If he had tried and missed them, they would have died anyway. He tried and he failed, but ultimately it was the vampire’s fault. The monsters are the ones who are responsible for all of this. Save your blame for those who truly deserve it.”

No one said anything for a moment, then the voices slowly resumed. Through it all, Will