Soren staggered up. His back arched in strange, unnatural directions, and he seemed to grow several feet taller. Tufts of patchy fur sprung out over his arms. Scales started to protrude from his face. He screamed as a horn sprouted out of his forehead, leaving an oozing trail of blood down his cheek.

Viola reached down and pulled Barclay out from the crumbled pit of stone.

“What’s happening to him?” Barclay asked in horror.

“Remember those stories in Dullshire about Lore Keepers being eaten by their own Beasts and their Beasts attacking a town?” Viola asked him. “If you can’t bear the weight of the power of all your Beasts, your bonds break, and the Lore consumes you. Those Beasts in the stories you heard didn’t eat their Lore Keepers. Those Beasts were the Lore Keepers.”

Soren had lowered himself onto all fours. His eyes, once a pale blue, had gone yellow.

And he was watching them.

“This is not good,” Tadg said, crawling out of the pit.

Meanwhile, Gravaldor had stood up on his hind legs. The canopy of trees above them parted for him, as though bowing, and Gravaldor stood taller than the entire Woods when he roared.

“If he leaves,” Viola called, “he could attack Sycomore. Or Dullshire. Or anywhere.”

Barclay looked up and up at the Legendary Beast’s face. He had never felt so small.

Soren let out a birdlike shriek and began running toward them. Nothing about him looked human anymore—especially not the hunger on his face.

Barclay, Viola, and Tadg leapt out of his path. Viola attacked first, sending out another blast of light that struck Soren in the side. He faltered, for only a moment, but then he lunged at Tadg. Tadg fell to the ground, holding Soren back with his hands against his face. A spark burst out of Tadg’s palms, and Soren wailed and lurched off him.

Wind! Barclay summoned.

The vortex appeared, just as it had during his match with Klara in the Exhibition. Unlike in those matches, however, Soren wasn’t just a student. He wasn’t even human. He broke out of the vortex easily and stood face-to-face with Barclay.

Root appeared beside him—Barclay didn’t even realize he’d summoned him. Though Soren was several feet taller than Root and many times more frightening to behold, Root didn’t hesitate. He lunged at Soren and managed to sink his teeth into Soren’s scaly shoulder.

Soren let out a terrible cry and threw Root off him. Root rolled across the dirt and, with a whimper, stopped at Barclay’s feet.

“Are you all right?” Barclay shouted to Root, wrapping his arms around him protectively, but his voice was lost as Gravaldor roared again. The trees bent even lower in response, kneeling before their king. The clouds in the sky swirled above him in a sort of crown. The earth shook in thunderous applause.

Soren leapt forward. He bit Barclay hard on the arm, making him scream.

Someone shouted, and Tadg ran forward. He placed both hands on Soren’s back, letting out a torrent of flashing sparks. Soren’s jaws opened wide, letting Barclay go. And before Soren could fling them both aside, Barclay reached forward and slapped something on his forehead.