UnendingMage’s Academy III
Finley Morrow
Copyright © 2020 by Finley Morrow
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
1. The Harbinger
2. The Witch's Cottage
3. A Place of Power
4. The Gates of the Liminal
5. The Shrine of Moonlight
6. Ancient Protections
7. Light of the Torches
8. The Nightside Inn
9. Journey through the Liminal
10. The Infinite Sea
11. City of Smokeless Fire
12. The Lightbringer
13. The Blade’s Destiny
14. The City of the Dead
15. The Lost Shrine
16. The Dagger of Moonlight
17. Mistaken Identity
18. The Lord of the Morningstar
19. The Final Harbinger
The Journey is Not Over
Where to Find Finley Morrow
Also by Finley Morrow
1
The Harbinger
Focus Esther. I turned my attention toward the task at hand. The wailing cries were echoing with a hollow thud through the woods of the liminal plane. The ever-growing gloom of this place was obscuring everything except the outlines of the spindly trees. Stalking through the forest, I tried to pinpoint the location of the sound. It was either a banshee or another dark spirit. I tried to remember the differences. The sparse pines did nothing to hide me from view. I had to hope that the fog would keep me covered until I came upon my target.
Nox, my familiar, ruffled his feathers on my shoulder, sensing the danger with precision. With my voice in a hoarse whisper, I instructed him to fly above the trees. Down here, there was no way for me to get a reading on the lost soul. I released him, watching the raven flying above through the heavy mist. I trusted him to return to me. Come to think of it, Nox was one of the most trustworthy creatures I had met out here. Most spirits were tricksters, not to be taken at their word. Nox was different. He was a connection to my mother, the Queen of Witches. It was a comfort to believe that she had sent him to me, and yet... I couldn't know that for sure. She certainly had not taken pains to stay around. I never saw her again after our meeting in my first year of the Mage's Academy. I didn't advertise the fact that I still looked for her every time I crossed into the Liminal world, hoping beyond hope that I could catch a glimpse of her.
Nox was circling overhead. I could feel his gaze casting a wide net over the forest below. I could share his vision. With focus and concentration, I could see what he saw. This part of the forest corresponded to the area of campus where the Lycans would roam on the full moon. It was best to get this matter taken care of before then. I felt my stomach drop as Nox took a dive into a heavily wooded copse of trees. It was disconcerting to see the world through the eyes of a raven. The sound of the mournful cries pierced the pine forest once again and I began to make my way toward my familiar.
My heart began to race as I skillfully moved through the pines. The sparse scattering of trees gave this part of the wood a haunting appearance. Subconsciously I knew I had been avoiding this place. My footsteps were silenced by the thick bed of pine duff under my boots. Tracking the sound became easier as I left the upper valley where the shrieks echoed chaotically against the foothills of the nearby mountains. When Nox swooped down landing on my shoulder I knew that I was close. Loud gasping cries came from the left, where a small spring welled up from the ground.
There was a shadow crouched by the pool of water. The water was so pure that I could see the smooth stones that lay just below the surface. Reflected in the glassy pool was the gnarled face of the creature in black. Her features were twisted, an old woman that had become so warped she was no longer recognizable. Still, I couldn't tell if she was a banshee or simply a lost soul that had been damaged by a violent end. I slowly began to move towards the figure, crouching so that I did not seem intimidating.
"Hello," I said gently, smiling at the creature. It was difficult to smooth my expression. When she turned to look at me, her movements were jerky and inhuman. She rasped at me, a curious sound, that unpleasantly pierced my ears, like nails on a chalkboard.
"I'm sorry, I can't understand you. Are you hurt?" I asked. Walking closer, I tried to get a better view of her face. It was the eyes that would tell me. A lost soul would still have a glint of humanity, a chance at being brought back from the edge of insanity. If I could just get a glimpse past the black hood that covered her face. As I inched forward, she hissed and pulled away. I had no choice.
"Nox," I commanded my familiar and he rushed forward, knocking her cloak away from her eyes. As I feared, there was only a blank slate of black behind the eyes, no sentience left. I rushed backward, angling myself away before she reached out with jagged claws to grab my arm. I was trained for this, I reminded myself. The fire of the Goddess began to rise inside of me. It was sometimes easy for me to forget what I am, but when I feel the flames of my inner power it is impossible to ignore. I am a witch.
I let the flames begin to build in the palms of my hands. The heat sparked all around me. The dark creature hobbled backward, in a self-protective move. Pushing forward, I let a wave a flame encircle the dark spirit. There was nothing left to save, so
