16. Ignatius

16

IGNATIUS

A jolt of desire shoots through me at Addy's words. An orgy. Why am I not surprised? "Well," I say, trying to keep my voice light, "that's certainly an interesting twist."

Zephyr chuckles. "Yeah. Though I can't say I'm entirely surprised. Ancient rituals often involve carnal elements."

"But is it safe?" Corvus asks. "With Crimson Shadow in Addy's head, watching, feeling everything..."

Addy shudders slightly. "I don't know. But I don't think we have much choice. If this ritual can contain her power, keep her from taking over completely..."

"Then we have to try," Zaiah finishes for her.

"Besides, it's not like we weren't ever going to end up there anyway," I point out.

"Yeah, but not in the middle of a fucking forest where anyone could see us, not to mention her lusting after you all and enjoying it," Addy hisses.

"Hey," I say, taking her hand from Corvus and giving it a squeeze. "You can't let her stop you from doing this."

"She is going to stop me. I know it."

"How?"

"She is in my head. She knows stuff."

"Stuff like what?"

"Like everything. She will find a way to stop this if this is the way to stop her ."

"We won't let her." My reassurance falls on deaf ears. Adelaide has worked herself up into a state which I'm sure has nothing to do with the act but that this Crimson bitch will be watching. "Look. Forget all that right now. As interesting as this revelation is, we should probably concentrate on finding our way back to the surface. We've been down here for hours, and someone's bound to notice we're missing soon."

The others nod in agreement, though I can see the worry still etched on Addy's face. Her eyes are distant, and I can see the gears turning in her head as she processes everything we've learned. I give her a reassuring smile, hoping to lighten the mood. "Don't worry, Addy. We'll figure it all out. But first, let's get out of this musty old library, yeah?"

Zephyr consults the map again, "Trouble is, how do we get out of here?"

"This way," Addy murmurs and turns from us to lead us deep into the cavernous library.

As we make our way through the towering shelves of the hidden library, I feel a sense of awe. The sheer amount of knowledge contained here is staggering. Ancient tomes line the shelves, their spines adorned with scripts I can't even begin to decipher.

We reach what appears to be a dead end. "Here?" I ask.

Addy just shrugs.

"If Crimson lead you here, should we even trust this?" I mutter.

Zephyr runs his hands along the wall, muttering under his breath. His fingers trace invisible patterns, and I can feel the subtle shift in the magickal energy around us. Suddenly, there's a click, and a section of the wall swings inward, revealing a narrow passageway.

"Either way, it's out of the library," he states and walks through.

"Well done," Zaiah murmurs. The djinn's form shimmers slightly, as if he's not quite fully in our reality.

"You okay?" I murmur as he passes.

"Feeling a little out of sorts. Need to get out of here."

"Agreed."

We file into the passage, with me bringing up the rear. I summon a small flame to my palm, providing light. The tunnel is cramped and damp.

Then, the flame in my hand flickers and dims, struggling against some unseen force. I frown, focusing on maintaining the fire, but it continues to sputter.

"Wait," I call out, my voice echoing off the stone walls. "Something's not right."

The others pause, turning to look at me. Concern is etched on their faces, illuminated by the wavering light of my flame. "What is it?" Addy asks.

"The air is changing. Getting thinner, I think." I focus, trying to intensify my flame, but it remains weak and sputtering. As a fire elemental, I'm acutely aware of the air around me, and right now, all my instincts are screaming that something's wrong.

Zaiah's eyes narrow, his gaze becoming unfocused as he taps into his djinn senses. "He's right. I can feel it, too. It's like the oxygen is being drained from the tunnel."

Panic starts to set in as we realise the implications. We're underground, in a sealed passage, and we're running out of air. I can see the fear creeping into Addy's eyes, and even Corvus looks uneasy. I'm not entirely sure if he needs to breathe, but the rest of us fucking do, probably even Adelaide.

"We need to move," Corvus says urgently, his vampiric instincts kicking in.

We pick up our pace, moving as quickly as we can in the narrow confines of the tunnel. I can feel my lungs starting to burn, each breath becoming more laboured. The others are showing signs of distress, too, their movements becoming sluggish. Zephyr's shadows seem to be thinning, less substantial than usual.

That's when I spot a faint shimmer in the air ahead of us. It's barely visible, but my fire-attuned senses pick up on the subtle distortion. It's like a heat haze, but colder, sucking the warmth and life from the air around it.

"There!" I gasp, pointing. "Some kind of barrier. I think it's what's draining the air."

Zephyr squints. "I see it. But how do we get through?"

I step forward, my mind racing. Fire needs oxygen to burn. If I can create a concentrated burst of flame, maybe I can overload the barrier, force it to let us through. It's risky, but at this point, we don't have many options.

"Stand back," I warn the others, my voice hoarse from the thinning air. They press themselves against the tunnel walls, giving me as much space as possible in the cramped passage.

I take a deep breath, gathering what little oxygen is left in the air. My lungs protest, but I push through the discomfort. Then, focusing all my concentration, I unleash a jet of white-hot flame. The fire roars down the tunnel, so intense that the stone seems to waver in the heat. The light is blinding, and I hear the others gasp behind me.

For a moment, nothing happens. The barrier shimmers, resisting my assault. Sweat beads on my forehead as I pour more power into the flame. Then, with a sound like shattering glass, the invisible barrier breaks. Fresh air rushes in, and we all gasp gratefully, filling our lungs.

"Nice one, Ig," Corvus says, clapping me on the shoulder.

I grin. "All in a day's work." But inwardly, I'm relieved. That was closer than I'd like to admit.

We continue on, more cautious now, aware that other traps might lie ahead. The tunnel twists and turns, and it feels like we're being watched. The shadows seem to move at the edge of my vision, but when I turn to look, there's nothing there.

Sure enough, we haven't gone far when Addy, who's taken the lead, suddenly yelps and stumbles backwards. She collides with Zephyr, who steadies her with a hand on her waist.

"What is it?" Zaiah asks.

"The floor," she says. "It's disappearing!"

Zephyr catches her as he starts to drop and whisks her away in a cloud of shadows to the other side of the chasm, some way down the tunnel. "Hurry!" he yells.

I grab hold of Corvus and Zaiah and transport us by flame to the other side.

"Fuck!" Corvus yells when I rematerialise, and his arm is on fire.

"Sorry," I mutter. "Hazard of the job."

"Thanks for the save, but seriously, leave me to drop next time," Corvus growls as Zephyr's shadow smothers the flame. It's like the supernatural version of rock, paper, scissors.

"Noted," I snarl and push past him. "Ungrateful arsehole."

"Hey," Addy says, running up behind me and placing her hand on my back. "Tensions are high. Let's just find our way out, and we can all be friends again."

"Agreed."

With a decidedly frostier atmosphere simmering between us, we continue on, the tunnel gradually sloping upward. The air gets fresher, and a sense of relief washes over me. We're getting close to the surface. The thought of emerging from these dark tunnels, of feeling the night air on my skin again, spurs me on.

When we round a bend in the tunnel, we find ourselves face to face with a massive stone door. It looms before us, ancient and imposing. Runes are carved into its surface, glowing faintly with magickal energy. The air around the door feels charged, tingling against my skin.

"Well, shit," I mutter, running a hand through my flaming hair. "Anyone know how to read ancient runes?"

Zaiah steps forward, his white eyes scanning the inscriptions. His form shimmers slightly as he taps into his djinn knowledge. "It's a riddle," he says after a moment, his voice filled with wonder. "We need to solve it to open the door."

"What does it say?" Addy asks, peering at the glowing symbols. Her curiosity seems to momentarily override her fear.

Zaiah clears his throat. "It says: ‘I am not alive, but I grow; I don't have lungs, but I need air; I don't have a mouth, but water kills me. What am I?'"

We all fall silent, pondering the riddle, but it's obvious to me. "Fire," I say, a grin spreading across my face. "It's fire."

The others look at me, then back at the door. For a moment, nothing happens. Then the runes flare brightly, pulsing with energy. With a grinding sound that reverberates through the tunnel, the stone door swings open, revealing a staircase leading up.

"Ignatius, you beautiful genius," Corvus laughs.

We ascend the stairs, our spirits lifting with each step. The air grows fresher, and I can feel the magick of MistHallow growing stronger. Finally, we emerge into a gloomy corridor that I recognise as part of the east wing of the school.

"We made it," Addy breathes, relief evident in her voice. She looks exhausted.

"Let's get you back to your room," I say, taking her hand and leading her back to the tower.

When we get to the door at the bottom, I pause and turn her to face me. I bend down and give her a soft kiss. " We've got this, Addy. We won't let you be taken over by Crimson."

"Promise?" she murmurs, looking up at me with those dark, captivating eyes.

"Promise," I reply, meaning it with every cell in my body. I won't lose her. Not now, not ever.