Page 76 of Blood Currents
“We prepare,” I said finally.“We learn everything we can about this master and his plans.We find the other corrupted wellsprings and heal them one by one.”
“Together,” Cyrus said, his flames burning steady and blue.
“All of us,” Elio agreed, reaching for my hand.When our fingers intertwined, I felt the warmth of complete trust—no more lies, no more masks, just truth between us.
“Until magic is free,” Keane said.
The academy’s wellspring pulsed with gentle approval, its consciousness touching ours briefly in farewell and blessing.We’d given it back its voice.Now it was time to do the same for the others.
Together, we climbed the stairs toward whatever came next.Behind us, the wellspring sang with pure, natural light—one point of hope in a network still largely poisoned but a beginning nonetheless.
34
Keane
Lord Raynoff stood at thecenter, his authority no longer just one voice among three but singular and absolute—the last council member standing.He looked older somehow, the weight of what had happened etched into the lines around his eyes.
“Captain Morrison,” he called, his voice carrying through the still-chaotic space.“Secure Lord Alstone and prepare him for formal containment.I want a minimum of four guards with anti-corruption training at all times.”
Morrison nodded sharply, gesturing to his most trusted Shroud Guard members.I watched them lead my uncle away, his shoulders slumped in defeat but his eyes still burning with that inhuman darkness.Something in me wanted to follow, to see him locked away, to be certain he could never hurt anyone again.
But that wasn’t my responsibility anymore.I’d faced him.I’d helped stop him.My healing wasn’t tied to his punishment.
“General Hayes,” Raynoff continued, turning to a stoic woman with close-cropped gray hair.“The academy perimeter needs to be reinforced immediately.Whatever breached our wards might try again.”
“Already in progress, sir,” she replied.“I’ve called in the reserve guard units from the eastern quadrant.”
“Good.”Raynoff turned to the remaining witnesses—high-ranking witches, faculty representatives, magical officials who had gathered to witness the confrontation.“What happened here tonight changes everything.The council as we knew it is gone.”
Murmurs spread through the crowd.This was unprecedented.The three-member council had governed magical society for centuries.Now there was only Raynoff.
“Until a permanent solution can be established,” he continued, “I’m forming an emergency governing body.Lady Hartwell, Commander Voss, Professor Irving—would you step forward?”
I felt Marigold tense beside me.Her hand found mine in the shadows between us, her fingers cool against my palm.
“A temporary council,” she whispered.“Smart.”
“Loyal to him,” I whispered back.“But not puppets.”
The three named individuals moved to stand beside Raynoff, their expressions grave but determined.I knew them by reputation—Hartwell, the renowned magical historian; Voss, who had once exposed corruption within his own Shroud Guard division; Irving, a professor whose research on ethical applications of influence magic had challenged orthodox thinking.
Not radicals, but not traditionalists either.People who might actually listen.
“Together,” Raynoff announced, “we will oversee the immediate investigation into Project Cornerstone and begin the process of identifying all compromised wellsprings.This is not a permanent arrangement but a necessary measure until proper elections can be held.”
Elections.Not appointments.Not bloodline succession.The word rippled through the crowd like a shock wave.
“He’s really doing it,” Cyrus murmured, surprise evident in his voice.“Dismantling the system.”
“Or rebuilding it differently,” Elio corrected, his illusions flickering subtly with what might have been hope.
Raynoff’s gaze swept over the room, landing finally on our small group.The heirs, the rebels, the ones who had exposed everything.For a moment, I thought he might call us forward too, might include us in whatever was forming.
Instead, he simply nodded once—acknowledgment, respect, perhaps even gratitude—before turning back to his emerging council.
“Lady Hartwell will oversee the historical documentation of these events.Commander Voss will coordinate security and the pursuit of the Lightfords.Professor Irving will begin assessment of all academy wellsprings and educational protocols.”His voice carried the weight of someone assuming responsibility rather than seizing power.“I will coordinate with international magical authorities and oversee the temporary governance structure.”
He stepped down from the platform, moving through the crowd toward us.Conversations erupted in his wake—shock, speculation, fear, relief—all mingling in the charged atmosphere.
