"Theo, is something wrong?"
Zenith's voice startled Theo out of his reverie. He blinked, looking around at the others busy training on the deck, and felt a squirm of guilt.
"Oh, uh, sorry," he said quickly. "I was just thinking."
"Are you worried?" Zenith asked. "Please don't be. No matter what happens, I will protect you."
The soft sincerity in his voice made Theo blush. Of course he knew Zenith would fight his best, and Theo certainly didn't intend to slack off either, but would it be enough?
Not like they had a choice, of course. And they weren't completely unprepared. This time they knew what they were up against, and Darian had also dispatched Chief Lahu's bird for her pirate allies. Even if they couldn't come immediately, they'd at least get wind of the situation.
Still, those were just scraps of hope. In the meantime, their best bet was to get stronger over these next two days. That, or a miracle.
A miracle.
"That's it!" Theo blurted.
"Theo?" Zenith blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Hold on." Trembling in excitement, Theo pulled his staff out of its holster. As he extended it, the light flickered inside the Star. It was so faint he could barely see it, and its Levia was just as quiet.
But the Star of Miriel had allowed him to pull off miracles in the past.
"Zenith," he said, turning toward his familiar. "In the last battle, I just used the elemental spells I learned from Meg. But it wasn't enough. Not against Hellebore."
He swallowed, trying not to remember Hellebore's fist protruding from Avia's chest. If he'd been able to act faster, cast just one spell, maybe….
"What are you suggesting?" Zenith's eyes widened. "Do you mean...you want to use the spells from your dreams?"
"Right." Theo nodded vigorously. "I might not understand everything about them, but I know one thing for sure. They've helped me before. So maybe it's time to learn how to use them for real."
"Are you certain? You may not have enough Levia to do so…."
"Well, this time I have the Star of Miriel." Theo held out the staff, gazing at his reflections in the crystal's facets. "It's more complete than it ever has been. With its help, who knows what's possible?"
It was all he could do not to tremble from his daring. He knew Meg wouldn't approve – oh, how she wouldn't – but he couldn't think of a better way to defeat Hellebore. After all, he'd used these spells to deal the final blow to enemies before. Victor, Ulrich. Always as a last resort, but why couldn't he use them more strategically?
He'd already cast one multiple times before. The simplest diagram, the one he'd drawn the most often. Even if its symbols were beyond his comprehension, at least he knew it was an elemental spell.
This spell had let Zenith create hundreds of light-blades and awoken Eulyn from her slumber. If he practiced it, he might be able to cast it more efficiently, so he wouldn't have to pass out every time.
Theo gripped the staff tighter, trying to ignore the sweat slicking his palms, the heartbeat throbbing in his ears. This was insane, absolutely insane. Maybe the most audacious thing he'd ever done.
"Zenith," he said, slow and careful. "Get ready. I'm going to cast the elemental dream-spell now."
He clenched his jaw, preparing to draw out his Levia and channel it toward the Star of Miriel. But just as light sparked inside the crystal, an armored hand closed around it.
Theo stared at Zenith, feeling like he'd been walloped in the head. Zenith gazed steadily back.
"Theo, I understand you're eager, but you mustn't act without thinking. If this works, I may not be able to control my attack. We could very well destroy the Blue Sky."
"Ah…." Theo's mouth opened, then closed. Yeah, Zenith had a point there. The last time they'd used this spell together, Zenith's light-blades had torn Mirage's Infernal Legion lair to shreds. Somehow he doubted the Blue Sky would fare any better.
Just like that, the wind went out of Theo's sails. He slumped his shoulders, feeling like the world's biggest idiot. So much for that plan. Well, he could still cast the spell during their rematch with Hellebore, but he'd been hoping for a chance to actually practice it.
Zenith let go of the Star, making Theo stumble a bit. When he regained his balance, he lowered the staff and shrugged. "Okay, let's, um, get back to training like usual. Forget I ever brought up this dumb idea."
"Actually," Zenith said, "I don't think it's dumb. Among your dream-spells, is there any you recognize as a shield?"
"A shield…?" It hit Theo in a flash. "You're a genius, Zenith!"
The faint flush that colored Zenith's face had to be the most adorable sight in the world. "I, ah, wouldn't go that far…."
Even if Theo couldn't use this specific elemental spell, that didn't mean he couldn't practice his dream-spells in general. The principle behind channeling his Levia and visualizing the diagram would be the same.
The only question was whether he knew a dream-spell that would create a shield. Even better if it was about the same level of power and complexity as the elemental spell.
While he could draw every dream-spell from memory, it wouldn't hurt to have a physical reference. So he crouched down, fishing his sketchbook out of his bag. Zenith sat down across from him, and together they flipped through the pages.
Gazing at the familiar diagrams almost felt like coming home again. Some of them Theo still hadn't the faintest clue what they might do, but he was surprised by the amount that contained familiar elements. Sure, they might be a lot fancier than he was used to, but he recognized the basic shapes and symbols behind their designs.
When he found one with the starkly angled lines that indicated a shield spell, he knew he'd hit the jackpot. Grinning, he flashed a thumbs up at Zenith and got back to his feet.
He swept his eyes over the diagram, wanting to double check every detail, before setting down the sketchbook and holding out the staff. "Get back," he told Zenith, since he wasn't sure what effect the spell might have.
Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes. With the diagram fresh in his mind, it didn't take much effort to visualize.
Now for the hard part. Infuse it with his Levia. Gripping the staff tighter, he reached into the core of his power. The dawn light flowed into his veins with relieving ease, but he didn't just aim it at the lines of the diagram. Instead, he sent it through the solid metal of the staff as well, up toward the crystal glowing at its tip.
The moment his Levia touched the Star of Miriel's, he found himself swooping through a night sky sprinkled with stars. A delighted laugh bubbled in his chest, but he forced himself to focus on his power. The dawn light rippling like an aurora through the night, the stars twinkling like shards of crystal. Brighter and brighter, stronger and stronger….
By now, the power thrummed inside every atom of his body, making him burn so hot he felt like he might explode. The diagram glowed so brilliantly it was incandescent. He couldn't contain it – had to release it –
Cutting through the waves of burning power, a beam of crystal-clear light. Zenith's Levia. Theo seized it like a lifeline.
The world behind his shut eyelids flooded red. Alarmed, Theo snapped his eyes open. Just in time to see the diagram blazing beneath both him and Zenith, just as bright as the light shining inside the Star of Miriel. Its rays danced across the deck, washing out Blue's glow entirely.
By now, not a single person wasn't staring at him. But Theo only had eyes on Zenith's shield. The crystals on it glowed stark white, almost blinding Theo.
Zenith crouched down, shield held before him. Then a dome of white light spread around both him and Theo. Through it, Theo could only make out the others' wavering silhouettes.
"Theoooooo!" Sam shrieked, her voice distorted through the dome. "What the hell is going on here?"
Sweat rolled down Theo's neck. Even with the Star's help, he couldn't hold this shield for long. "You and Ryllis, throw everything you've got at us. Hurry!"
For a heartbeat he thought she wouldn't listen, but then he glimpsed a flash of mint-green light. Flames erupted beyond the dome, lashing furiously at the white light. Theo tensed, yet the shield didn't budge an inch.
Just like that, the flames died in a shower of sparks. That wasn't all – a cat's silhouette leaped at the shield, slashing with glinting claws. Again, he bounced right off. A beam of water struck the shield next, only to scatter into droplets.
Theo's heart pounded so hard he felt it might punch a hole through his chest. Try as he might, his Levia reserves were sputtering. The pink light dimmed inside the Star, and before he knew it the shield shattered into shards of light.
He stumbled, head spinning, only for Zenith's strong arms to catch him. As the light died, cheers erupted around the deck. Weak and breathless as he was, Theo still had the strength to wave back at everyone.
Looked like this experiment had succeeded.