“Life from death
Movement from stone
Bring me a winged rider
My mount alone”
The ground trembled with the force of my spell. The Casters nearby let out a drunken bellow of glee. Below me, chunks of stone and red earth tumbled from the cliff side down to the jungle floor. For a moment, everything went silent once again.
Then, a skeletal horse burst from cliff.
Dirt and rock went shooting in every direction as the mare flapped its bony wings and circled the sky. I grinned. What a beautiful casting.
The horse hovered before me. The sight seemed to stop the revelry from the nearby Casters, which was an unexpected benefit. Gripping its neck vertebrae, I hoisted myself onto the mount’s back and gave my next command.
“Take me to Rowan.”
The beast tossed its head and neighed. It was a ghostly noise that reminded me of a thousand spirits speaking at once. Flapping its skeletal wings, my horse rose higher in the sky. Magick made the beast fly, but there were still scraps of flesh on the bat-like wings. As we sped toward the warriors, I cast another quick spell.
“Point and target
Power and bone
Create a weapon
Strong as stone.”
Blue smoke wound up my arm as the spell’s power grew. A second later, the haze solidified into the shape of a long javelin in my left hand. Up close, the thing was made from hundreds of tiny white bones, each one as delicate as a bird’s. Together they created a javelin that was almost as tall and deadly as I was.
Almost.
As we swooped down over the rainforest, a massive explosion sounded.
BOOM!
Just ahead, a column of red fire shot up from the rainforest and disappeared into the clouds. Thousands of birds took to the skies, darkening the landscape below my mount. Fresh plumes of red smoke rolled up in the rain. My skin warmed with a familiar kind of magick. I’d felt that signature before.
That was Rowan’s spell.
And I could determine even more than that: this was a sun surge spell. These were incredibly exhausting to cast, but could destroy almost anything. I remembered the strange pattern I’d seen in the scrying stone before. It had looked like everyone disappeared, but that could certainly have been a sun surge spell at work instead.
Up on the lip of the crevasse, the Casters cheered. The explosion had taken place close to the cliff wall. Now they could see something actually happening.
I wanted my horse to land, but I couldn’t make out anything on the ground below. Although I was impatient to help, I wouldn’t do Rowan any good with a broken neck.
“Fan your wings.”
My horse obeyed the command and drove the smoke away. Soon, I could see the ground below me. Where there had once been trees, the space was now a flattened-out clearing. Small fires burned in spots on the now-swampy ground. Three warriors stood in the center of the clearing: Shujaa, Wren, and Rowan. They were all alive, although even from here, I could see how pale Rowan looked. His skin seemed to hang from a far bonier frame than I remembered.
The crowd let out another massive shout. They could see the fighting now, too.
“Down,” I commanded.
My horse swooped toward the trio of warriors. Shujaa and Wren stared at me, open mouthed, while Rowan positively beamed in my direction.
I grinned. For another look like that one, I’d do this all over again.
Raising my javelin to shoulder-height, I aimed it straight at Shujaa’s chest. I wanted this fight over and quickly. With all my focus, I poured extra magick into my throwing arm, giving my volley even more power. My arm glowed as I finished the throw. With the extra magick from my arm to power it, the weapon sped through the air.
Shujaa only stared at me, his golden face still slack with shock. My heart beat faster.
This was it. I would finally take down Shujaa.
At the last possible second, Wren pushed her master out of the way. Shujaa tumbled onto his face as my weapon speared straight through Wren’s chest. My horse whisper-neighed, and I fought back a groan.
It was a miss, but at least I got Wren. She was now tacked to the ground like a bug with a pin. And Shujaa had evidently scuffed his chin, as he now cradled it with both hands and moaned.
Couldn’t happen to a nicer pair of Changed Ones.
Far off on the lip of the crevasse, the Caster mob cheered. I was fairly certain that by this point, they were too drunk to care who won, so long as they saw a good fight.
I shook my head. There was no time to worry about the Casters right now. I needed to take down Shujaa. I summoned a new javelin and set my heels into my horse’s sides.
“Swoop in after the one in the white leathers.” I fond it oddly satisfying to say those words. After all, Shujaa couldn’t wear his purple armor on the battlefield.
“Elea, wait!” Rowan raised his right arm. Magick glowed in his veins.
Some small part of me said it was wiser to wait and move into battle as a team with Rowan. But more of me was simply excited to take down Shujaa. I kicked my heels into the horse’s sides once more. “Go!”
My flying horse beat a steady rhythm as we winged toward Shujaa. He’d recovered from his shock and was now running across the clearing in a zigzag pattern. Watching Shujaa hightail it across the burned-out ground…all while still cradling his bruised chin? This battle was becoming downright enjoyable.
I gripped my javelin more tightly and sent fresh magick into my arm. With Shujaa moving so much, I’d need to be pretty close in order to ensure that I hit my mark.
Not a problem.
My horse flew faster than ever before. We skimmed along the burned-out ground as we closed in on Shujaa. Suddenly, my mount began swaying from one side to another. Strange. If I didn’t know better, I’d say it was drunk. Sure, if I got too close to Shujaa, it would make me disoriented. But my horse and I had enough distance. We shouldn’t be affected. Unless Shujaa’s power works differently on a creature created with a spell?
That was when my mount went berserk.
My skeletal horse sped toward the clouds, neighing and coughing the entire way.
Wait, coughing? This horse didn’t even have lungs.
That settled it. Shujaa’s disorienting spell had a greater effect on magickal animals than mages. I was in deep trouble.
Leaning forward, I grabbed on to my horse’s neck for balance. My javelin dropped. From the corner of my eye, I watched Shujaa race into the cover of the rainforest.
Damn. He escaped.
I could cast another kill spell on him, but my horse was going berserk. It was all I could do to use my power not to fall off. I laced my words with magick.
“Set me down by Rowan.”
That was what I ordered, but my horse decided to fly higher instead. If I thought it had been pumping its wings quickly before, that was nothing compared to what my mount did now. We quickly sped far above the clouds.
Not good.
Using the last bit of magick I has stored up, I laced my final command with ultimate power.
“Down!”
The moment that instruction left my lips, I knew it was a mistake. The horse flipped directions, pumping with all its speed toward the ground. Even worse, it was heading straight for Rowan, too.
Nothing like killing the both of us at once. Great work, Elea.
Rowan stood his ground like some kind of statue on the burning mud. Even from this distance, I could feel his green eyes locking with mine. He raised his arms, and his right hand glowed with power and magick. The request was obvious and unspoken.
Jump.
He didn’t need to ask me twice. Rowan was a powerful mage. If he had enough magick stored up, the man could catch the moon.
I leapt off my horse, but my robes got caught on one of its skeletal ribs. The pair of us got snarled as we tumbled through the sky. My stomach turned woozy as I tried to tear my skirt free.
And we were still headed tow
ard Rowan.
One thought crystallized in my mind.
What an incredibly stupid way for a Grand Mistress Necromancer to die.
At the last second possible, I tore my robes free from the horse, but we were still far too close to Rowan. I tried to push the horse away from both of us, but the thing was way too strong and insane.
What happened next took place in seconds, but my mind followed each fraction of time as if it lasted for hours. In one smooth movement, Rowan caught me in his arms, rested his weight on his right foot, and kicked the horse straight in the skull. The thing skidded away to get half-buried in the mud. The thought occurred to me that Kade was right again. Sometimes physical power was a good thing to develop.
If I ever lived through this, I vowed to ask Rowan for fighting lessons.
A moment passed as I lay in Rowan’s arms. Our gazes locked right before he curled me against his chest, leaned in close, and nuzzled my neck. “You shouldn’t have come.”
What a Rowan thing to say. “You know, that thought had occurred to me.” I wanted to sound sassy, but my voice cracked too much for that. I was simply overjoyed to be near him again.
I shook my head. Overjoyed? That emotionality was the kind of nonsense that got me in trouble. As in, being friends with a manipulative man like Tristan who was really a godling. But Rowan and I had other matters to worry about right now. “Where’s Shujaa? Aren’t we in a battle to the death?”
“Zoriah left him little caches of supplies in the jungle. My guess is it’s some kind of healing plant.”
“That’s the cheating Jicho told me about.”
“It was. And it appears his treachery ended up in my favor. I take it Kade was able to name a replacement for himself.”
“I prefer to think of it as an improvement.”
“Quite.” Rowan stared off into the jungle. “Under normal circumstances, I would chase Shujaa down. But now that you’re here, we can enjoy a few moments to plan.”
Part of me noticed that I hadn’t asked Rowan to set me down. I decided that it must be the shock of my spell going wrong and rested my head against his shoulder.
“Shujaa has a magickal aura around him that disorients people.” Rowan sighed. “I didn’t realize it could affect my magick so strongly, though. Most of my castings simply go wrong when they get too close.”
“Let me guess. Sun surges are the exception.”
“Correct.” Rowan’s arms trembled as he finally set me onto my feet. “But those spells cost a lot of energy to cast.” Rowan looked worse than ever. Up close, his body seemed almost skeletal. Deep bruises marred his skin, and his leathers were seeped in blood.
He needed some healing.
I scanned the clearing. Wren was still stuck in the mud. I’d say she was dead, but her body was vibrating, and the low sound of insect buzzing filled the air. I’m guessing she still had a few tricks left, unfortunately. As for Shujaa, he was still off sneaking healing spells in the rainforest. Rowan and I had a few moments, so I could certainly cast a healing spell. My heartbeat sped up at the thought.
Maybe this spell could do more than heal Rowan. I remembered the fountain in Zoriah’s greenhouse. True mates could share power on a circuit, making each other stronger than ever before. Perhaps this spell could start the same process for Rowan and me. We’d become true mates and heal in every way possible.
It was worth a try.
I raised my hand. Magick welled inside me. Power and brightness glowed from my arm. The raindrops reflected the light as they cascaded past my palm.
“Bone and blood
Spirit and skin
Heal this mortal
Without and in”
I set my palm onto the center of Rowan’s chest and watched. With all my heart, I wanted to share magick and healing with him in the way that true mates did. Rowan deserved nothing less. I pictured how the blue lines of my power could expand across Rowan’s body, making him healthier and stronger. That’s what I wanted to happen.
It didn’t take place.
In the end, I was only able to conjure a pale puff of blue mist that soaked into Rowan’s chest. There was no circuit, though. And there was certainly no massive healing. Still, some of the shadows lifted from Rowan’s face. That was better than nothing, I supposed.
I dropped my hand.
Rowan set his knuckle under my chin, guiding my gaze back up to meet his. “Thank you.”
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
Rowan must have sensed what I was trying to do. “Zoriah told you about true mates.”
“Yes.” I hated how my voice cracked.
“I don’t need our powers to connect in order to win this battle, or to know that you’re my true mate. The circuit will form when the time is right. I can be patient.”
I cleared my throat, trying to hide the rasp that was still in my voice. “It looks like Wren is about to get up again. We should prepare to fight.”
“Agreed.”
I glanced over to where Wren sat pinned to the earth. Her body vibrated violently before transforming completely. Where Wren had once been flesh and blood, she changed into a humanoid form made completely of wasps. The insects flew off in a hundred directions at once. I was guessing they had some kind of preset recovery spell. The wasps would meet back up at a distance so Wren could safety retake her human form at that spot.
It was an impressive trick, I had to admit.
“How long before she returns, do you think?” I asked.
Rowan pursed his lips. “I’d say we have a few more minutes. Hopefully enough to deal with my brother.”
“Quick,” I said. “We need to cast a kill spell.”
Rowan raised his arm and closed his eyes. “It will have to be another sun surge. It doesn’t kill him, but it does slow him down.”
My brows lifted. “Just slows him down?”
“That’s all. I’m working on another plan to actually destroy him. Turns out, Shujaa is rather hard to kill. The disorientation magick that Viktor placed on Shujaa? It’s more powerful than anything I’ve ever seen before. And as long as Wren stays somewhat near him, she enjoys the same protection as well.” He shook his head. “Did I mention that I didn’t want you to come here?”
“Don’t worry. We’ll figure something out.”
At that moment, Shujaa sauntered out from the jungle. He wore white battle leathers with a matching helm. Shujaa brandished his long sword, and I could have sworn I saw the gleam of purple light on the metal. Had he swapped out his normal weapon for one that was laden with Viktor’s magick? I wouldn’t put it past him.
“Do you see that long sword?” I asked.
“I do,” says Rowan. “I know what you’re thinking, and the answer is yes.”
“He’s cheating again. We should call off the battle.”
“I’ve already gotten a replacement for my second. If this is reported a second time, I’d forfeit my crown. As King, it was my responsibility to clear the vale of any contraband. I’m sure Zoriah found a way around our wards.” He closed his eyes again and focused on pulling in magick.
Meanwhile, Shujaa march closer, all while swinging sword in a great figure eight. The crowd roared with glee. It was getting harder and harder not to hate Rowan’s people.
I drew in more Necromancer magick, but my reserves were still far too low. There wasn’t enough energy yet for me to start a spell. I glanced over to Rowan. “How long until you can cast another sun surge?”
Rowan opened his right eye a crack. “I just pulled you out of the sky and kicked a horse in the face. I need at least two minutes here.”
“Fine.” I winked. “Baby.”
While Rowan pulled in his own power, I stored up more Necromancer energy. My kind didn’t have any equivalent spell to a sun surge. Unfortunately, the most I could do was keep doing healing incantations to keep Rowan going.
That wasn’t exactly a winning plan.
Something itched at the back of my mind. I recalled Shuja
a’s perfect face at the engagement ceremony. Now, his white battle leathers didn’t have so much as a spatter of mud. This was all part of a bigger realization, but I couldn’t quite reach it.
The crowd broke out into chants of “Shujaa! Shujaa!”
Beads of sweat rolled down Rowan’s cheeks as he struggled to pull in fresh magick. Before my eyes, his body turned even more skeletal. With every breath, his chest gurgled with blood.
Rowan was dying.
I gripped Rowan’s hand. All the color had drained from his face. He wobbled a bit from foot to foot. “What’s wrong?” I asked.
“That sword…” Rowan’s voice came out as a croak. “The closer it gets, the more I’m drained.”
My heart cracked. Viktor created Shujaa’s armor in order to drain Rowan’s spirit and create a golden army. It makes sense that Viktor would also create a sword to drain Rowan’s body, too.
By the gods. As bad as I thought things were, they just got worse.
The cheers from the crowd grew deafeningly loud. “Shujaa! Shujaa!” I’d never wanted to cast a silencer spell more in my life.
Meanwhile, Shujaa waved to the mob and strutted about. After that, he pulled off his helm. Once again, I saw the man’s face: he had tanned skin, green eyes, and golden-blond hair. He was perfect. The realization that had eluded me for so long finally came closer.
Shujaa was actually too perfect…just like those apples I’d seen with Lizzie and Gail.
Memories appeared in my mind, like pages of a book turning on their own. I thought about Zoriah and her greenhouse. I pictured Shujaa at the ruined Caster village. At that time, my bone bomb had barely scratched him, but Shujaa had screamed as if he’d lost a limb. And just now, he almost lost his mind over simply bruising his chin.
It was true that Shujaa raced off into the woods for a weapon. But Rowan said he’d also gone there for Zoriah’s healing spells. In a flash, I knew exactly what kind of supplies Zoriah had left for Shujaa.
Cherished Page 18
