The crystal pulsed softly, its glow steady now that the entity was bound. But I didn't trust it. Not yet.
"Wallace," I said, voice low but firm. "Seal the array. Double-layer it."
Wallace blinked, clearly drained, but nodded. He pulled out another carving tool and crouched down, adding extra runes along the perimeter of the array he'd just finished. His hands were steady despite the exhaustion weighing down his limbs.
"You sure that's necessary, Professor?" Julien asked, leaning heavily against the cave wall. His breathing was still uneven, but his usual cocky smirk was creeping back. "We just stuffed that thing into a crystal."
I didn't take my eyes off the pulsing gem. "Yeah. And we're keeping it stuffed."
Julien's smirk faded. "Got it."
Mira stood a few paces away, arms crossed, her gaze locked on the crystal like it might lash out at any second. Smart. She didn't trust it either.
Felix and Leo, on the other hand…
