Page 6 of Oath of Blood and Joy

“That can’t be all there is to it,” I murmured, glancing at the thin slice of shadow cast by the book on my lap.

I took a deep breath and tried to center myself the way I always did before dance recitals or difficult exams—finding that bright core of optimism that friends always teased me about. Except this time, instead of pushing light outward, I focused on pulling the darkness toward me.

The shadow quivered. My heart leaped into my throat.

“Okay, stay calm,” I whispered to myself with a nervous laugh. “Just try something small.”

I focused on the shadow beneath the door, picturing it stretching, reaching, extending into the hallway like spilled ink. To my amazement, the darkness obeyed, slipping under the door like a curious snake.

From the other side came a startled curse. “What the—” The guard’s boots scuffed against the stone floor and the lock jiggled, each metallic click sending spikes of panic through my chest.

I gasped, my concentration shattering like glass. The shadow snapped back like a rubber band, but the damage was done. My heart thundered against my ribs as adrenaline flooded my system.

The door swung open and suddenly—miraculously—the shadows leaped to me, wrapping around my trembling form like a protective embrace. A strange, cool sensation washed over my skin, both terrifying and exhilarating.

“Where are you?” Frank yelled, his voice echoing off the walls. His eyes swept right through me, confusion and anger twisting his features. He was looking at me but couldn’t see me.

A wild, desperate hope burst through my terror. I’m invisible! The realization was dizzying, a hysterical laugh bubbling up in my throat that I barely managed to swallow down. I clutched Anton’s book tighter to my chest, feeling its leather cover press against my racing heart as I carefully edged toward the door.

I held my breath as I slipped past Frank, close enough to smell his aftershave, fear and elation warring within me. Each step toward freedom sent sparks of nervous energy down my spine. My mind raced with thoughts of the other captives waiting in the darkness, all counting on me even if they didn’t know it yet.

For the first time since Marsha had cast her spell, gratitude mingled with my fear. Maybe this power—this curse—could become something more. Something useful. Something good.

I fled down the corridor, shadows still clinging to me like loyal friends, my spirit soaring with a fierce determination I barely recognized in myself. I would free them all. Whatever it took.

I ran to Zoe’s door first, my bare feet silent against the cold stone floor, each slap sending jolts up my legs. The shadows streamed behind me like a cape in the wind, responding to my urgency. My fingers, trembling with adrenaline and hope, reached for the lock.

“Come on, come on,” I whispered as I jiggled the handle. The metal was ice cold against my sweaty palm, unyielding and cruel. My heart hammered against my ribs so hard I thought Zoe might hear it through the thick door.

The lock wouldn’t budge. Panic clawed up my throat, threatening to choke me.

I closed my eyes, drawing in a shaky breath that tasted of dust and fear. “Please,” I begged, not sure if I was talking to the shadows or some higher power. The darkness responded, circling the lock like curious fingers, but nothing happened. My stomach dropped with disappointment.

I focused harder, my determination sharpening with concentration, visualizing the shadows condensing into a key, just like I’d learned in Anton’s book. Sweat beaded on my forehead and trickled down my temple. The shadows swirled around the knob like an ominous cloud, smoky tendrils probing the keyhole but finding no purchase.

“Zoe,” I hissed through the door, pressing my forehead against the rough wood, feeling splinters dig into my skin. “Can you hear me? I’m trying to?—”

“Lumbraxis!” The word cracked through the air like a whip, each syllable sharp with magical intent.

The shadows around me shrieked—not with sound but with feeling—as they were forcibly ripped away. It felt like losing a protective blanket in a freezing storm, leaving me exposed and vulnerable. The darkness fled, dissolving into nothing as harsh light flooded the hallway.

I turned to see Marsha standing there, her palm glowing with unnatural brightness, her face a mask of cold triumph. Anton’s book suddenly felt heavy in my arms, its secrets useless against her direct attack.

“Did you really think,” she said, twirling a lock of my hair around her finger, “that I wouldn’t sense you playing with powers you don’t understand?”

I stood trembling in the merciless light, my newfound power stripped away, with the taste of failure bitter on my tongue.

Frank grabbed my arm, his fingers digging into my flesh like a bear trap. My nerves screamed in protest as he twisted slightly, making me gasp.

“Don’t ever try that again, Joy,” he growled, his breath hot against my ear, smelling of coffee and something sour.

I tried to jerk away, but his grip only tightened, sending sharp needles of pain through my arm. The shadows that had been my allies moments ago now seemed to mock me from the corners of the hallway, just out of reach.

“Bring her to Maximo. He needs to know that she escaped from her room.” Her eyes, cold and calculating, never left mine as she ripped Anton’s book out of my trembling arms. The leather spine dragged across my forearm, burning against my skin.

“Nooo,” I wailed, the sound torn from somewhere deep in my chest. The book—my only hope, my only key to understanding these powers—clutched in her manicured hands. Despair clawed at my soul, a physical ache that made me want to double over.

The crack of her hand against my face came without warning. Pain exploded across my lip, bright and hot. I tasted copper as blood welled up where my teeth had cut into the soft inner flesh. My eyes watered involuntarily, vision blurring as my head snapped to the side.

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