Page 44 of Unicorn Shifter Academy
He paced the length of the chamber, his gaze going out my window.
Even as a hologram, the connection was still magical, so in many ways, it was as if he was right here with me.
Luckily he wasn’tactuallyhere, or else the sheer power of his magical aura could have rendered me unconscious. The Elders resided in Starfall City, separated from the rest of our society for good reason. They’d absorbed too much magic over their millennia of years, making them walking conduits of power that could often cause more damage than good.
It was a lesson for us all that more power wasn’t always the answer.
Sometimes the answer rested on how to let power go.
“What has transpired?” he asked, pointing at the dark spot on campus.
I pretended to seem distraught that he’d noticed when in reality, he was falling right into my plan.
“A minor breach.”
He whirled on me, his dark eyes sparking with a surge of power. A hum of energy escaped the hologram, making me grab my chest as the pain hit me like a spear.
“Only one thing could cause a breach,” he growled. He approached me, making every hair along my arms stand on end and the sensation of fire run up my spine. “Are you telling me that you’ve failed to contain the Corruption released by Khimaira’s escape?”
He didn’t care about the Guardians or students we would lose—nor the ones we’d already lost. That was the dark secret about some of the Elders that I had to keep, or it would destroy morale.
Fortunately, not all Elders were like Belial—but how such an impure creature could be the embodiment of Purity magic fascinated me.
Because magic required balance.
And in order for Unicorns to be Pure, a few among us had to be impure.
Which meant his rage stemmed from selfish reasoning. He had other treasures hiding underneath the Academy’s protection that he cared about.
I took my time answering him. Belial knew that I carefully considered my responses, which was something he liked about me.
He also knew I liked my theories and plots, which was exactly why I had to give him this distraction so he wouldn’t pick up on the other little secret currently safely tucked away in the Guest Wing.
“We are charging new Containment Crystals to manage the situation as we speak,” I told him as my throat constricted.
His nostrils flared until his invasive magic finally retreated. “See that you do, Master Nox, or I will convince the others that it’s time to force Raze into your position whether he wants it or not.”
Assuming Raze survives the night,I mused, but luckily I had stringent control over my tongue, and the words didn’t slip out.
“Of course, Elder Belial.”
Satisfied, he dismissed the connection and his image dimmed. The room grew dark as the crystal platform shut down, leaving me with a view of the Sun House Training Grounds that were still dark.
Don’t let me down, brother.
I’m counting on you more than you know.
BONNY
Something was wrong.
A part of me wanted to check on Eli, although I wasn’t exactly sure where he was.
Somewhere close,I decided,and distressed.
Probably because he hates me.
I groaned as pain lanced through me, shoving out any concerns for Eli’s opinion of me.
