Chapter 29

  PIECES OF A CHAOTIC MACHINE

  Gabriel walked silently through the village, sipping a chocolate milkshake. At first glance he seemed calm; one might even say he was in a good mood. But beneath that fa?ade churned a deep fear, an icy knot brought on by the chaos beginning to seep into the mortal realm.

  He entered the Great Tree.

  Inside, the witches’ council was gathered. Some leafed through ancient grimoires; others debated possible hiding places for Sabine in low voices while studying a map projected over a large table of living wood at the center of the chamber. Gabriel took a seat nearby, remaining silent, merely observing.

  —We’ve detected corrupted magic… here, here, and here —Emmeline reported.

  She pointed at the map, and at the touch of her finger, red dots bloomed across the glowing surface.

  —Fires. Earthquakes —she continued—. That’s how the humans classified them. But every single one was steeped in this sick magic. Our detectors… literally stopped working. It’s growing more and more powerful.

  —As if it weren’t enough to have a deranged witch on the loose —Raían growled, sweeping the dots with a weary gaze.

  Madame Liona took a slow sip of her tea before speaking.

  —Sabine feeds on the chaos Jazmín creates. And the more she uses the staff, the more she loses her mind… and the more the city is torn apart.

  A heavy silence settled over the room.

  —?No one wants to say it, right? —Max interjected, looking at everyone with evident fear—.

  How can we be sure… that it’s only Jazmín?

  The murmur of the village outside seemed to intensify, as if it too feared the answer.

  Madame Liona took a deep breath before speaking.

  —Max is right… there could be more Damnatus.

  The nervousness in her voice was unmistakable, something unusual for a woman of iron resolve.

  —And let’s not forget Jazmín’s device —Tatiana added—. It blocked Max’s and Cristina’s magic.

  If I understood correctly, Max is exceptionally powerful, which means that artifact is as well.

  She placed her hands on the map, and as she did, a holographic projection emerged: the bracelet Jazmín wore on her wrist.

  —I’ve tried to identify it —Tatiana continued—. Alloys, artifacts registered in our system… nothing matches. I can’t believe humans, who for centuries didn’t even understand the magical world, created something like this. I’ve seen blocking crystals, but none can be used this way.

  She let out a breath heavy with frustration.

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  —Because this wasn’t made by humans… —said a soft voice.

  Melody stepped closer to the projection, studying the bracelet intently.

  —I’m completely sure —she added—. It’s alchemical steel.

  —Impossible —Madame Liona murmured, moving closer.

  Then she saw it: a subtle golden glimmer, shaped like a crescent moon, engraved in the metal.

  —By Hecate and the higher deities… she’s right.

  —What is that? —Tatiana asked, unable to perceive what the others were seeing.

  Max spoke up.

  —Quantum magic is the mother of alchemy. Alchemical steel is a material created from fragments of every substance in the universe. It’s pure magic, condensed. It allows a witch to shape it at will… and it’s nearly indestructible.

  —Did Sabine make them? —Cristina asked, anger vibrating in her voice.

  —No —Madame Liona replied after a few seconds—. Even if she possesses arcane magic, very few quantum witches are capable of forging it. The gift of creating alchemical steel is as rare… as finding an albino among millions.

  She fell silent, weighing the possibilities.

  The danger had just changed shape.

  —The Lady of Bodies… —Gabriel said, standing up—. That’s what she herself said they called her.

  The silence grew taut.

  —Let’s think —he continued—. She created necromancy, the art of restoring movement to the dead. I’ve thought about this a great deal: ?if she can possess corpses for a limited time… what would stop her from using them as puppets without possessing them at all?

  He moved quickly to the enormous bookshelves lining the hall and pulled out an ancient book bound in dark leather.

  —The Retinue of Osiris. A cult of Becos witches who claimed that death whispered secrets to them to transcend limits. According to the texts, they could revive humans, witches, and even demons for brief periods. The bodies returned as puppets… with full access to their abilities.

  He flipped through the pages urgently.

  —Let’s assume Sabine knows how to do this. She would only need the corpse of a witch with the gift of alchemical steel. But there’s something that doesn’t add up… —he frowned—. The spell requires a stabilizer. The texts mention it, but they don’t explain what it is.

  —I do —Isabella interjected, studying the book’s illustrations—. They’re referring to the Shield of Yumat. It’s a spell that protects the flesh from constant decay. But it can only be performed by Priestesses… and it requires a purified soul.

  She looked up, grave.

  —Sabine’s soul does not meet that requirement. Necromancy leaves spiritual stains that can never be erased.

  —Tory… —Melody’s voice broke as she said the name—. It’s her soul.

  Her eyes darkened.

  —She’s using Tory’s soul to deceive the spell —she growled—.

  That bitch!

  A chair was hurled across the hall, smashing into the wall, propelled by her telekinesis.

  —It all fits as a possibility —Teresa said, breaking the silence—. But there’s still the problem of the blocking. Alchemical steel doesn’t nullify magic like that.

  —What if it’s not the steel itself? —Melody’s eyes lit up—.

  What if it’s just the casing for something else?

  Everyone looked at her.

  —When I was a child —she continued—, the hunters who murdered my parents had the same ability… though more limited. Any spell that touched them fell apart.

  But I remember something else.

  She took a deep breath.

  —An object. It looked like a brooch. It flickered with red lights every time they got close to my mother… or to me.

  The air in the hall grew heavy.

  The past had just caught up with the present.

  —Melody… I didn’t know —Max said, looking at her with genuine sorrow.

  —Do you remember anything else about the device? —Teresa asked, watching her closely.

  —No… that night is blurry for me.

  —I could help you —Teresa offered, extending her hand.

  Melody stepped back at once.

  —Hey! No mind magic —Max exclaimed, stepping in front of her protectively.

  Teresa stopped.

  —All right. I’m sorry… we’ll investigate with what we have.

  She picked up the book Gabriel had left on the table and withdrew, followed by several witches and half-blood demons.

  Melody lowered her gaze, fixing it on the floor as if her memories were buried there.

  —Are you okay? —Max asked, trying to bring her back to the present.

  —Uh… yeah. Just… —she didn’t finish the sentence.

  She walked away, leaving a palpable unease behind her.

  Gabriel approached Max, following Melody’s retreating figure with his eyes.

  —I didn’t know she’d been through something like that —he murmured, heavy with guilt.

  —She doesn’t like talking about that night… or about her parents —Cristina explained—. She was just a child. She saw them die.

  It’s normal that her mind turned it into a hazy memory.

  The silence that followed was heavy.

  As if everyone understood that some wounds never heal… they only learn how to hide.