“Tell me how they got through the wards,” I shouted, already trying to cast new ones, indicating Kordelia’s statue.

My aunt moved her hands and spoke in what sounded like gibberish but in my head came through as, “Obliterate them.” Nothing happened, as I had figured would be the case. She wasn’t real, exactly, so her spells wouldn’t work. She had apparently forgotten that little fact.

“What worries me more is that this happened after the house absorbed the fallen witch,” Fatiha said, charging over to the hatch to head down. “Meaning something strong is out there, and we’d better get into hiding.”

I took a step to follow, but Ebrill’s eyes showed fright and worry as they darted between the way down and Kordelia’s statue. Clearly, she was torn about leaving it unprotected. This was, after all, a woman she greatly cared about, even if she was now made of stone. Here I was trying to earn her trust, so the last thing I could do was run and leave the statue—and therefore the woman she could in theory become—to be destroyed by whatever monsters were sending magic at us.

“Jericho, you’re not strong enough,” Fatiha said.

My aunt flittered to the edge of the roof and gasped. “They have a Drow.”

“A what?” I asked, racking my brain for what that meant. It hit, then, from some old game my friend had played. “A dark elf?”

“Those who were left behind,” she replied, nodding, a fireball passing through her to hit Kordelia again. “When the world changed, when magic left our lands—they went to live below the surface, uprooting evil and unleashing demons that had slept for millennia before their arrival. To think that they’re involved…” Her eyes went to Ebrill. “You’d better hope we wake Kordelia soon, or there won’t be a Kordelia to wake.”

“We can’t let that happen,” Ebrill said, moving toward the ledge, hand held up with a glowing light coming from it.

“You’d take them all on yourself?” My aunt appeared directly in her path. “We can’t lose you, and with what they likely have down there… I don’t think you’d make it.”

Ebrill bared her teeth, growling.

Another fireball was incoming, the worry from Ebrill palpable. If I could do anything for her, I would, and that included stopping this onslaught on her friend.

Digging deep, I was pretty sure I had found a way. I didn’t want to say anything and get their hopes up, plus, there was no time to spare. Eyes closed, going to that spot within where all of the crazy magic had come from over the years, I focused on the outside force, then on us and protecting Kordelia.

A shifting of stone caused me to open my eyes, but I didn’t break focus. Good thing, too, because as I watched, my transmutation magic was moving the building, changing it. Stones were gathering up in a defensive wall, moving like tiles clicking into place even as the rooftop lowered. Everyone turned to me, but I kept my attention on what was happening. A moment later, even the metal of the garden gates and vines were forming barriers around Kordelia, as best as they could.

“You’re destroying my house,” my aunt said, but it was in awe, not anger.

“And protecting Kordelia,” Ebrill added, running to my side. She kissed my cheek and wrapped her arms around me. The effect was an instant surge in power, so that the stone and bricks and metal started merging together while attacks began to hit in rapid succession from below.

“Don’t let go,” I said, and closed my eyes again, feeling the heat of her body against me, embracing the power as it flowed through my limbs and out into the building.

There was more, too—it was like I could see through the walls of the building, sense vibrations and even breaths. A group of witches was attempting to break through at the rear of the house, led by one of those dark elves. With a deep breath, I made the earth come alive, turning dirt and stone into golems that rose above our enemy and assaulted them. I tripped them with vines and brought tree limbs down upon them. They tried to send attacks at the trees and golems but had nothing that could stop my attack.

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Two witches broke for it, running for the rear entrance of the house and casting spells as they ran, buffers that gave them defense and protective shields. Not enough, though, because as soon as they smashed through the door, I opened up the ground and swallowed them into it before closing it on them.

Screams became muffled whimpers that vibrated through my skull, then were gone.

“How are you doing this?” my aunt asked, and I sensed her moving about the house, watching through the windows as the fight continued.

“It’s all that makes sense,” I replied, and caused a ripple effect in the earth, attempting to swallow one of the dark elves as well, but she turned, leaped, and was gone.

At her retreat, others began to flee as well, so that in a matter of less than a minute, the assault was completely thwarted.

I fell out of the spell and would have collapsed to my knees if not for Ebrill catching me and helping me to stand.

She took me by the chin, stared into my eyes, and said, “Thank you.” Then her lips were on mine, tongue testing the waters, and her kiss filled me with energy. Not enough to fully stand, but at least enough to kiss her back.

“That was… something,” my aunt said as she returned to our side, ignoring the kiss.

“Do you plan on restoring it?” Fatiha asked, glancing around.

I looked now, too, and saw that the roof, once flat with the garden and rails, was now curved, leading to the main defensive spot around Kordelia’s statue. It basically put her into a sort of a tomb, accessible from our side.

“This might be best,” I said. “At least, until we know they don’t plan on attacking again any time soon.” Next, I cast new protective wards, figuring it couldn’t hurt, and nodded to the way down.

“Seriously, though…” My aunt motioned to our surroundings. “This was impressive. If they bring a stronger force, we might need to do it again, but… with more.”

“Like a magic version of Home Alone?” I asked.

She cocked her head, then laughed. “Yes, I suppose you could say that.”

“I’ll have to nod and smile while pretending like I know what you are talking about,” Ebrill said, doing just that.

“I’ll catch you up when this is over,” I promised. “Or before, if there’s time.”

“Might be hard, since I don’t own any televisions,” my aunt said.

I guffawed, then thought of something. “But… since you left money and the house to us, that’s something we can fix, right?”

She smiled, then nodded. “If you feel it’s necessary.”

“Maybe not right away. But… yes.” I turned back to Kordelia, raising a hand. “For now, let’s see if there’s any way I can wake her. I’m feeling the power burning bright, so…” But no, nothing. “So…” I scrunched my nose into a glare, turned from it, and kept walking.

“We’re going to need her,” Ebrill said. “I… feel it.”

“What if…” I analyzed Ebrill, wondering if she knew where the Liahona was.

“Say it.”

“Well, maybe we need the Liahona to awaken her.”

Ebrill pursed her lips, then shook her head. “Not something I can accept right now. We’ll find a way.”

Seeing that pushing the subject wasn’t the smart move, I nodded. “Whatever you think is best, I’ll be here at your side.”

“That so?”

“I promise.”

She gave me a sidelong glance, then allowed a hint of a smile. “Maybe you should get some rest.”

“I can keep going.”

“I’m sure you can.” She ran her tongue along her upper lip, turning her head so Fatiha wouldn’t see. “But some sleep might help you, and who knows when the next attack might come.”

“We’ll wake you, if the explosions don’t,” Fatiha offered. “Go on, do as she says.”

“Sure.” I nodded, then started for the stairs. “Oh, Ebrill, maybe you can tag along. I wanted to tell you more about that dream.”

“Of course.”

She came with me, earning a suspicious but humored glance from Fatiha, and soon the two of us were back in my room. Ebrill squeezed my hand as she gestured to the bed.

“Go on.”

“Oh?” I glanced at the bed, then her, and started to undress. First my shirt, then I glanced her way as I started to undo my pants.

“You’re… going to sleep nude?”

I froze. “Wait, I thought… isn’t that why you winked? Why you wanted to come up here with me?”

Her eyes went wide, and she cocked her head. “Honestly, I was thinking you could sleep again, find out about seeing me again, like before. But… would that help you sleep?”

Choosing my words carefully, here, I said, “I’m just… overwhelmed.”

“Come, let’s get some sleep.” She led me over to the bed, then lay down next to me, one leg draped over my mid-section, arm over my side exactly as we had been the night before.

“There, I hope that helps you sleep.”

At first I thought it would do the opposite, but when my eyelids grew heavy two seconds later, I knew how truly exhausted I was.