Page 75 of Blood Currents
“Together?”I asked.
Three nods.Three hands reaching toward mine.
“Together,” they answered.
As our magic began to harmonize, Alstone’s expression shifted from confidence to something that might have been fear.
“What are you doing?”he demanded.
“Showing you what magic is really supposed to look like,” I said.
And together, we reached for the wellspring’s consciousness, ready to fight for its soul.Our magic harmonized like a song I’d been waiting my whole life to hear.
Cyrus’s protective fire blazed blue-white around us, no longer fighting for control but flowing freely in defense of what mattered.Elio’s illusions didn’t hide the truth anymore.They revealed it, showing the wellspring as it was meant to be, pure and conscious and alive.Keane’s portals opened not just between spaces but between possibilities, connecting what was broken to what could be healed.And my necromancy reached toward the wellspring’s consciousness with nothing but love.
The corruption recoiled from our touch like it was being burned.Alstone’s artificial channels, carved with years of systematic torture, began to dissolve under the pressure of natural magical flow.
“Impossible,” Alstone snarled, his black eyes reflecting nothing human.“You cannot undo years of careful preparation—”
“Watch us,” I said.
Our combined power flowed into the wellspring like water into a desert.The dark veins that had poisoned the silver pool for so long unraveled like smoke, revealing clean, bright energy that pulsed with its own consciousness.
Thank you,the wellspring whispered directly into my mind.Finally, someone who listens instead of commands.
Through the magical link, I felt its gratitude—not just relief at being freed from corruption but recognition.It had been waiting for this moment, for heirs who understood that magic was meant to be partnership instead of domination.
“You’re done,” Keane said quietly, his voice carrying all the pain of months of torture.His portals opened around his uncle, creating a dimensional maze that trapped Alstone in spatial loops.“Done hurting people.Done corrupting magic.”
Alstone fought against the portal constraints, his corruption magic lashing out wildly.But our harmony held strong, our combined power flowing into the wellspring faster than he could poison it.
The academy’s wellspring blazed with clean silver light, no longer the sickly, flickering glow we’d grown accustomed to seeing.This was magic as it was supposed to be—alive, aware, and working in partnership with those who approached it with respect instead of dominance.
“Look at it,” Elio said, his voice filled with wonder.
He was right.The chamber itself seemed more alive now—stones humming with residual harmony, air crackling with cooperative magic instead of forced control.Even the ancient carvings on the walls seemed to glow faintly, as if responding to the return of natural magical flow.
“This changes nothing!”Alstone snarled from within Keane’s dimensional prison.“You’ve healed one wellspring while dozens remain corrupted.The master’s plans span centuries.Your small victory is meaningless!”
“Maybe,” I said, stepping closer to the trapped council member.“But it’s a start.”
The portal maze collapsed inward, depositing Alstone in magical restraints that would hold even a council member.But his now black eyes continued to burn with inhuman malice.
“This isn’t over,” he whispered.
“No,” I agreed, looking around at my friends—my family.“It’s just beginning.”
Footsteps echoed from above as Lord Raynoff and the other witnesses descended into the chamber.Their faces showed varying degrees of shock and awe as they took in the restored wellspring, the captured Alstone, and the four of us still glowing faintly with residual magical harmony.
“The corruption,” Lord Raynoff said, staring at the clean silver pool.“It’s gone.”
“From here,” I confirmed.“But there are other wellsprings.Other control points.Whatever this master is planning, we’ve only stopped part of it.”
“Then we continue the work,” Guard Captain Morrison said, stepping forward with grim determination.“We investigate every facility, every protocol that enabled this abuse.”
I looked around at the faces of the people who’d become my entire world.Cyrus with his protective fire and unwavering strength.Elio with his masks finally shattered, showing the genuine person underneath.Keane with his quiet courage and burning need for justice.
Together, we’d healed one wellspring.Together, we’d exposed the conspiracy.Together, we’d demonstrated that another way was possible.
