The Curse ✔️

Chapter 26: Practical Application of Protection Spells

"Impossible." Thar spoke like he'd just found his ability to voice his opinion, like he grabbed onto something real and fundamental. "Scholars have been trying to do that for centuries to no avail."

"Well, avail arrived, apparently." Leon shrugged.

Thar was out of the seat in a second, "You're telling me that the Headmasters wielded artificial black magic without our knowledge and they've been forming protective fields around the school with it?"

"I'm telling you that's what I think." Leon corrected. "They were pretty vague about it, but scientists love bragging about their discoveries."

"What does that mean?" Amma interrupted, her voice high-pitched. "What does it mean?!"

She looked terrified. Her azure eyes stared straight at Thar, demanding answers from an authority figure, but the authority figure looked equally flabbergasted.

"Black magic is strong, but it's not meant to be used for everything." Thar spoke, voice mechanic. "The protection spells around the school have been up for centuries, fed and fed with magic that transcended its residents, its brick and stone, fucking time and space."

I've rarely heard Thar curse.

"If they replaced those shields with black magic..." His voice died out, but I figured out the rest of the sentence.

"The shields are weaker." I nodded. "Not just weaker, but completely destroyed if the magic user dies."

"I'm telling you." Leon said. "The Headmasters are dead and Vice Mage Montgomery is keeping us within a school that doesn't have proper protection around it."

Amma began to cry.

"Amma, not now." Morta hissed, but her face was just as pale.

I wasn't sad. No, I was angry. Magic sparked at the tips of my fingers, and I wanted to slam it into someone or something. Destroy. Burn down.

"We need to go to the Arch Mage." I said through my teeth, blood rushing through my limbs. "To the Chosen. To- to someone."

"No." Thar shook his head. "No. You're not going to do anything."

"Thar-"

"No." He met my gaze; there was no emotion in the darkness of his eyes. "All you're going to do is listen to me and stay put."

"But-"

"Jade." The strength of his voice made me shut my mouth. "We have no idea who's in on this or what they want. You're not going to tell anyone. You're not going to do anything. Do you understand?"

"No, no, no." I let out a laugh, my blood screaming to move, to shout, to share. "We're easy pickings, Thar! If something attacks us, we- we-"

"Jade." He repeated my name. "Please, leave it to me. Let me talk to Professor Lorenia and figure out what happened to the Headmasters-"

"Professor Adara." Morta cut in, her hand around Amma's shoulder. "With all due respect, I think Jade is right. There must be something we can do. Something that'll help you, at least."

Thar took in a sharp breath, his eyes leaving me. I briefly glanced at Morta, thanking her.

"Here's what you can do." Thar spoke. "I want you to meet me here after class every day. Bring whomever you want. I'll teach you how to create protective fields around your rooms."

Not enough, I wanted to scream.

"It'll take us months before we learn that!" I shouted. "We have days, weeks, at best!"