Makaela couldn't string a single thought together. Her nerves were on fire, her pain receptors threatening to explode like an overheated generator.

Thorian showed no signs of dropping his hex. Its effects only worsened with each passing moment. She cried out again, her muscles tightening as her back arched against the hardwood floor. The man remained knelt beside her, his dark magic swirled around his hands.

"Give me the ring," he demanded. A vein bulged against his temple.

Even though the agony plaguing her entire being was unbearable, she wouldn't give up the Illumio. She couldn't even if she wanted to. She didn't know where it was.

Behind her, two sets of footsteps thundered down the stairs. Her breath hitched. Remy. Xander. They both yelled her name as they came down. Struggling to turn her head, she spotted Remy and Xander arriving at the bottom of the staircase. Her cousin trembled in the wake of the Shades. Xander stood in front of him, his glasses hanging on his nose. A stern look covered the old man's leathery face.

Thorian dropped his hands. His hex vanished, taking the pain with it. Beneath him, Makaela gasped for air. Black spots dotted her vision.

Equipping his mask, he turned to his magicians. "Kill them. Find the ring."

They nodded before rushing at their targets.

While Makaela recovered—her skin still feeling like it was being punctured by a million tiny knives—she watched Xander conjure a golden shield charm. As spells bounced and dissipated off his defense, he pushed Remy away.

"Go now!" he croaked, straining under the attacks.

Remy nodded vehemently and bolted for the hallway, nearly tripping over himself in the process. Rabbit Face bolted after him. Vulture and Owl continued pelting Xander with various attacks, ranging from battlemagic to shadoweaving. They weren't pulling their punches either. Deep cracks riddled the old man's shield charm. It would break within seconds if they didn't let up.

Makaela crawled forward. She still couldn't stand. Her body was just starting to regain her motor skills. Cursing, she glanced behind her at her uncle. He still laid in a heap near the door. Wincing, she forced herself to her feet. Her knees wobbled like a newborn doe's.

Xander had been pushed into the dining room, the two Shades hot on his tail. Their attacks ricocheted off his shield charm, leaving smoldering patches in the white furniture as they collided.

With the Shades gone, Makaela rushed over to her uncle.

Thorian remained in the center of the room. He remained still, unmoving like a statue. She didn't care what he was doing at the moment. Her uncle needed help. Pressing her fingers to his throat, she searched for a pulse.

Come on...come on...

A few gut-twisting moments of silence later, she found it. She exhaled in relief. Performing a quick healing charm with her lightweaving, she pressed her hand to his back to close the wound that opened. Once all that was left was the blood soaking through his sweater, she pressed her lips to the top of his head.

"I'll come back for you. I promise."

Lifting her head, she assessed the battle occurring in the dining room. Without a second thought, she sprinted past Thorian and jumped into battle.

Before Vulture and Owl could take notice of her, her spell had already left her hands. A blast of blinding light left her palms and slammed into the nearest Shade. Vulture cried out before crashing through a wall. A portrait dropped from its hook and collapsed onto his head.

Owl continued attacking Xander. The man dodged his attacks, but it was clear he was tiring. He wouldn't be able to keep it up.

As she rushed over to help, Thorian materialized in front of her. He snatched her wrist, freezing her in place.

"Insolent child." His words were soaked in venom.

Darkness seeped from the man, particularly from his abyss-deep left eye. It grabbed hold of her, suffocating her thoughts and instilling fear in her mind. She wanted to attack, but she couldn't. She was frozen.

"I gave you the chance to make the right decision," he told her. "Now, you must pay the price— "

"How about you fight someone on your level."

Makaela was caught between being offended and being grateful. Seeing as the intervention likely saved her life, she settled on the latter.

Thorian looked toward the speaker.

It was Xander. He stood over Owl Face's body. Part of his satin bathrobe had been singed and his grey hair was disheveled. One of his fuzzy slippers was also missing. Had they not been fighting for their lives, Makaela would've laughed.

"You will regret this," Thorian told him.

"Maybe."

Thorian released Makaela. The two men circled each other, preparing to duel.

Simultaneously, they shot a different spell at each other. Xander's sailed inches wide of Thorian's mask. However, the dark magician's attack found its mark. The bolt of black magic hit Xander's chest.

The old man grimaced, his hand pressed against his sternum.

Makaela stepped to help him, but he waved her off.

"Go," he told her. "Find the Illumio. Get Remy and your uncle and get out of here!"

"But—"

"Go now!"

She wouldn't leave him. Not after everything he had done for her and her family.

Ignoring his orders, she ran for Thorian.

Without even looking at her, he flung a knockback spell in her direction. It sent her crashing into a nearby bookcase. The base of her skull hit a wall as her body rocked. Books tumbled on top of her. Her entire body ached as she laid on the ground, her eyes fluttering as she struggled to latch onto her consciousness.

In front of her, she heard Xander and Thorian continue their duel.

The fight didn't last for much longer.

As she lifted her head, she watched a spell rocket out from Thorian's palm. She reached out toward him, a feeble attempt to stop him. The sharp ache swelling in her head prevented her from calling upon the vitalae in her veins. Her eyes watered. There was nothing she could do.

Xander dropped to the ground.

His blue eyes stared up at the ceiling. Traces of the dark magician's sinister magic rose from his chest. His broken glasses clattered to the ground. The sound echoed around Makaela's head as she watched on in horror.

He never stood a chance.

Yet, he still took Thorian on. He did it to save her. Just like her parents had. Just like everyone else in her house had.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she resisted the urge to sob. She tried to stand, but her legs had other plans. A sticky substance leaked from the base of her head, seeping into her thick curls. The metallic smell of her blood reached her nose.

Thorian stood over Xander's still body.

"I told you," he hissed. "You would regret that."

Tears sprung in her eyes. Her knees buckled when she tried to stand. A sticky liquid seemed to be seeping through her thick hair. The metallic smell reached her nose.

She had to leave. But she couldn't yet. There were some things she still had to do. Xander's words sounded in her head.

"Find the Illumio. Get Remy and your uncle and get out of here!"

As much as she hated that ring, she had to find it before Thorian did. She also had to save Remy and her uncle. Blowing her wet hair out of her face, she nodded. Groaning, she stood up amongst the wreckage around her.

Thorian directed his dark gaze at her. "His blood is on your hands, Makaela."

The words felt like a punch to the stomach. She swallowed hard and shook her head.

But a voice deep inside her head wondered if he was right. Had she cooperated, would Xander still be alive? Would Olivier have still gotten hurt?

"I expected better from you. I thought you would have learned from the mistakes of your parents." He held his palm up. She could see the red hue beginning to shine through the violet brand. "Alas, I was wrong."

She dove out the way of the spell racing toward her. Scuttling behind the dining table, she flipped it over and used it as a barrier. As Thorian pelted her cover with magic, she prepared to run for Olivier's study.

The ring was surely there. She just had to get there.

She counted to three in her head.

One.

"You can't hide forever!" Thorian shouted. Wood chips flew into the air around her.

Two.

"Face your destiny!"

Three.

Rolling out from behind the table, she conjured a glowing dagger fashioned out of light and chucked it at Thorian. His eyes widened as he sidestepped the blade. It pierced the wall millimeters away from his head.

Taking advantage of his surprise, Makaela darted out of the dining room and broke for Olivier's study at the other end of the hall. She didn't bother looking back to see where he was as she ran.

She burst into the room and slammed the door short behind her.

Her frantic eyes scanned the room for the box Olivier kept the Illumio in. Upon not seeing it on his desk, she checked the closet where Xander retrieved it from. She nearly cried tears of joy. Grabbing the box from the shelf, she turned and prepared to leave the room.

The door swung open.

Thorian glowered at her.

"Hand it over."

She hid it behind her back.

"Not a chance."

Thorian rolled his shoulders. Raising his palms, he prepared another spell. As she watched his mark pulsate in his hand, she pressed her back into the wall.

There was no way out of the study. He was blocking the only exit and there weren't any windows. Her hands were too busy holding the Illumio's case to perform any complex spells.

Her heart sank.

"Give your parents my regards," Thorian told her.

But before he could unleash his attack, a chilling gust of air passed between them. Shadows pooled in the center of the floor between them. A young man, nearly Thorian's height, with black hair emerged from the darkness. Unlike the Shades, he was dressed in a plain t-shirt and jeans. A black ring rested on his middle finger.

Makaela's eyes widened.

The Obscurio.

Thorian glared at the boy, his fists clenched.

Letting out a breath, her savior raised his hand at Thorian.