Sweat dripped off Eli as he left Master Soren’s training room. The gray-haired master might be in his sixties, but Eli still had trouble keeping up with him. He’d pushed Eli hard, but he still managed to hit every target Master Soren had conjured. Eli grinned, stepped out onto the landing, and shut the door behind him. He’d pass the final test next time for sure.

Eli barely managed to clear the doorway when he had to move aside for a grim-faced headmaster leading three teachers up the steps. They stalked past without so much as a nod of greeting. What had happened to put the normally happy old man in such a mood? Curious, Eli followed along behind.

He didn’t have far to go. On the next floor the group exchanged nods and went into the library. Eli slipped in behind them and touched the headmaster on the shoulder. He paused while the other teachers continued deeper into the library.

“Is everything all right, Master?”

The wrinkles on the headmaster’s forehead deepened. “You shouldn’t be here, boy. Run along, now.”

“Please, Master, I’d like to help.”

The three masters had moved over to the central desk and were speaking with the librarian. Her eyes darted from one face to the next, her fingers drumming on the countertop.

The headmaster grabbed Eli’s arm and spun him around. “There are four more students scattered around the library. If you want to be of use, find them and get them out. Quick now.”

Eli nodded. “Yes, Master.”

Curiosity burned in Eli, but he didn’t dare push the old man any further. Whatever was happening, it must be serious. He slipped through the stacks, eyes and ears straining along with his sorcerous senses as he searched for the students. He rounded a bookcase and found one of the first-year girls reading a book on basic shaping.

She looked up when Eli approached. “Yes?”

“We need to clear the library, headmaster’s orders.”

“What’s going on?”

An explosion shook the room. Books rained down to the floor and the girl squealed. Eli knew just how she felt. “Head to the door. I have to find the others.”

She clutched his arm. “Don’t leave me alone. I’ll come with you.”

He didn’t have time to argue with her. “Stay close.”

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She nodded, her eyes as big as tea cups.

Eli led her by the hand deeper into the library. Through a gap in the bookcases he caught glimpses of black flames mingled with gold lightning. They were fighting a battle, but with who?

The girl’s hand trembled in his grasp. “I’m scared.”

Join the club. “Don’t worry, the headmaster’s here. Whatever the problem is, he’ll handle it.”

They found the next student, a second-year boy, cowering under a table. Eli crouched down. “We need to go.”

“I’m not going anywhere. It’s a war out there.”

“All the more reason to go. We don’t want to get caught up in it. Come on, headmaster’s orders.”

Eli sensed the power a moment before it struck. He threw himself on top of the girl and conjured a desperate shield. Black flames roared over them. Bookcases and their contents disintegrated in an instant. Even with the shield the corruption twisted his guts. It took everything he had not to throw up on the weeping girl.

When the flames subsided Eli sat up. The boy was breathing, but his body was red and blistered. An alley had been burned through the library. At the end of it the librarian hurled handfuls of black flames at the teachers and headmaster.

Her normally tightly bound hair danced like a nest of serpents and every few blasts she cackled like a madwoman.

He pulled the girl up. “You have to help me. I need you to get this young man out of here. Can you do that?”

She sniffed. “His name is Chad. He helped me with my constructs.”

The girl concentrated and a golden disk appeared under Chad and lifted him off the floor. “I can do it.”

“Good girl. Hurry.”

Eli watched until the girl slipped out the library door. He sighed and moved on, glad he’d managed to get at least two people out in one piece. Another blast shook the room raining books down on Eli’s head. He clenched his jaw and kept going.

A blast had blown apart three bookcases, leaving a hill of books and jagged wood in his way. After a moment’s hesitation he slipped around the left side, keeping the pile between him and the battle. Halfway around he tripped and staggered a couple of steps.

He spun and found an arm jutting partway out of the pile. “Heaven’s mercy.”

No soul force stirred under the debris. Whoever he tripped over was dead. Eli thought he should dig the unfortunate student out, but feared drawing attention. He touched the dead boy’s hand. “I’m sorry.”

Feeling like a coward, Eli left the body where it lay and went to find the last student. Please let them be alive.

He hadn’t taken more than a few steps when the library went dead silent. He peeked around a bookcase. No flames or lightning filled the air. The headmaster stood with his head bowed beside one of the teachers.

Eli tiptoed their way. Three bodies lay on the ground, blackened and twisted. The only way he could distinguish the librarian was by her glasses. They’d partly melted and fused to her face.

Eli stared at the corpses. He didn’t want to, but he couldn’t stop looking. He’d seen a dead body once, at his grandfather’s funeral, but he’d only looked asleep. This was beyond anything Eli ever imagined. And the smell, like rotten meat, was worse than the sight.

The headmaster moved into Eli’s line of sight. “It’s unfortunate you had to witness this. Let’s get you out of here.”

Eli was rooted to the spot. “What happened?”

“Nothing you need to worry about.” The headmaster tugged his arm. “It’s over now. Come on.”

Eli followed him toward the door. “I found one of the others. He’s buried under a pile of books. I didn’t even dig him out.”

“You saved two of them. I need you to take them and yourself to the healers. I can rely on you do that, can’t I?”

“Yes, Master.” Eli grasped the task the headmaster gave him like a starving man thrown a loaf of bread. “I’ll take care of it.