Twisted Magics (Terra Chronicles Book 1)
Page 21
I heard Savanas also cry out for her companion, but she did not move from where she held Artemis. Taking a chance to glance at her for a split second, anger rolled off of her. I feared she might do something reckless.
Staggering a moment to regain my balance, the attack I launched took more effort than I anticipated. To fully shatter his bubble, I would need considerably more power. There was plenty here, but it would take time to collect and more personal energy than I had to be able to control and focus it.
“Her, you fool. Eliminate the mage,” Brown pointed at me angrily.
James took a step before a shield slammed into him.
Silver stood to my left, holding his arm up, having caught his shield when it flew back. He took a step in front of me and brought his shield down into a defensive position.
“Forget them. Come to me,” Brown said. He was scrambling. I did not have enough knowledge of necromancy to figure out what he was planning.
Silver’s mentor obeyed instantly, his eyes glazed over. He was merely a puppet at this point. There was no will of his own.
I stared in disbelief when James was able to easily walk through the remains of Brown’s bubble. That told me the rest of the puzzle.
Leaning forward to the paladin in front of me, I said quietly, “Silver, can you…”
I stopped short when Brown pulled a dagger out of his sleeve and slit James’ unprotected throat. Blood sprayed wildly, coating the inside of his bubble, strengthening it.
I thought I was going to be sick, but could not look away.
Brown sneered, “You have failed our masters and must pay the price. However, if your death can help me eliminate the undeserving, perhaps they will grant you mercy in the afterlife.”
James’ face changed to betrayal and whatever he tried to say came out as a gurgle. As his dying body collapsed to the ground, I could see an angry soul taking shape. It went to lung at Brown, but a black tendril shot out of the casket next to me and bound the soul in place.
With Silver close to me, I was able to see the connection more clearly - his aura being stronger, but the pounding in my head was quickly gaining strength again. I did not have much time left.
Brown commented, “James so wanted to see his love again - be with her again. Had he not failed me so, I might have even let him go on believing she was back for him. A shame, it would have been entertaining for at least a while.”
In my moment of clarity previously, something nagged at me about Brown’s lack of action. So far he only spoke and walked. Why not show his superior power? He was an Archmage after all.
Of course, Brown was a traditional mage - it took all of his concentration to maintain the bubble. It kept him protected from the effects of the room. His spell also kept him from casting anything else. He must have run out of stored spells.
The tendrils snaking from the casket to Brown pulsed stronger with energy. I knew it was only a matter of time before he would be free to attack us himself. For all his grand speeches, he was just trying to buy himself more time.
Brown recomposed himself. He warned, “Boy, you need to move away from that mage. She’s likely not going to be able to hold on much longer. When she does lose control, it will be beautiful to watch. I have no grudge against you, but with your considerable power, I needed you to be sent away. And how better than for an organization to have desperate need of a divine caster?”
He was right - my control had been at its limit for a while. The burn off from attacking Brown helped, but it was not going to be enough. The big picture was quickly forming itself in front of me. The bombing of the Waking Dawn had been to get rid of Silver, who was becoming suspicious, so he could come after the church. The bombing was also a distraction as well as to drive people who were seeking solace and guidance to the church.
The thought made me sick.
Brown’s attention turned back to me. He smiled in such a way I felt dirty, “Such a lovely creature. I thought about making you my assistant, but I cannot trust one who can so easily outlive me. And then to find out you were an Arcanist. Oh, how delightful that was. I am impressed you are still here after my warning. Though that little show of power before must have put considerable drain on your very limited resources.”
Silver was practically growling. Savanas moved farther away, looking like she was mumbling to herself. Why did I not hear any of it over the ear piece? Then I noticed my ear piece was missing. Did I lose it in the fight?
It did not matter at this point. If I could not break his stolen source of power, none of us were making it out of here alive. Stepping back in fear, I bumped into the casket.
Maria, of course, his prize - it probably mattered not whose corpse he used, but she had been enough to convince James to join them.
I sent out a prayer to whoever might listen that Silver would forgive me for what I was about to do.
“Your resources aren’t endless either,” I shot back at the Archmage. Focusing as much of the raw power as I could, I unleashed the hottest flames I was able to conjure on the casket, quickly grabbing the bundle of tendrils leading back to Brown. Wrapping them around my hand, I sent another wave of fire along the black tube, cutting through the bubble and burning Brown’s reinforcement in an violent flash.
It knocked him down and weakened his bubble, but he was already trying to get back on his feet when Silver threw his shield, shattering the remains of Brown’s bubble like glass. Savanas moved in an instant, driving both of her blades into Brown’s torso as multiple arrows pierced his back.
Collapsing next to the casket, I did not even care about the overpowering heat and the smell of burnt flesh on top of the blood and death in the cathedral. I was too damn tired.
My attention was drawn to the upper balcony as Retanei stood there with bow in hand and another arrow already nocked and drawn.
I tossed her a thumbs up and leaned my head back against the stone.
Looking up, I watched Silver stare at the casket of flames. From my angle, I could not clearly see his face. I probably should be worried about being so close to him right now.
Savanas extricated her blades from Brown’s corpse and knelt over Big Black, tears falling freely. She wiped her blood-covered hands on her jeans before petting her fallen companion.
I looked over at Brown’s corpse. His soul was desperately trying to get back into his body.
Suddenly a shadowed figure appeared and grabbed the soul, disappearing just as quickly. I blinked a few times, wondering if my mind was just making things up. Glancing around, no one else acted as if they saw it and figured my mind conjured a fitting end.
Brad was trying to ask me questions and assess my condition, but my head was still pounding. I probably should get out of here and to a safe distance before I lost control. Just damned if I could move.
Chapter 19
Rathal approached me, the wild look still on his face and lance still in hand. His hair had fallen out of its short ponytail and was plastered in places to the sides of his face with blood and sweat.
Dropping his lance, Rathal bent down to pick me up. I did not have the energy or care to fight him. He looked at Brad and tilted his head toward the doors we entered through.
Once we were out in the vestibule with the doors firmly closed, I took a deep breath of the clear air. Rathal put me down in the middle of the room. I did not have the strength to remain sitting and rolled onto my back, pressing the heels of my hands against my eyes - my head hurt so much.
Once out of the main chamber of the cathedral, the pain in my head eased slowly. It would take some time to be rid of it completely, but I was no longer concerned about losing control as I was pretty drained of arcane energy. I was not sure how I was alive.
Brad resumed his attempt to check both of us for injuries. I did not pay attention to the exchange between him and Rathal. After a few minutes, he went back inside.
The silence was nice. I let my mind go blank and closed my eyes.
I’m not
sure how long I soaked in the quiet before Rathal broke it.
“You are damn crazy,” Rathal laughed. “Gods, I have never seen anything like that before, and I will be more than grateful to never see it again. I seriously thought you were going to turn on the boss lady.”
I groaned and rubbed my face, dropping my hands to my sides once I figured out it was not helping. I had not realized in my confusion what it looked like to the others.
Rathal lightly punched my shoulder and said, “Don’t worry about it. Just rest and when you’re feeling up to it, I have a bottle of water for you. Brad said to drink it. I’m sure mother hen will be back to check on you soon.”
I did not remember hearing Brad referred to that way before. For some reason I thought it was sweet.
For a while I simply stared at the ceiling in the vestibule. It was pretty. There was a big golden sun in the center radiating out its light. It was simple in its elegance. It hung from the ceiling and I wondered if there were lights behind it to add to the effect. Focusing on the ceiling helped bring calm and with it, control.
Rathal decided to get up and take a peek inside. As soon as he cracked the door open, I got hit with the same effect as earlier though it was not nearly as intense.
Turning my head in his direction, I asked, “What’s going on?”
The door closed and I could breathe easily again. Forcing myself to sit up, I waited for an answer.
“Savanas, she’s up,” Rathal said and handed me the promised bottle of water. “Silver is releasing the souls of the dead. We should be able to reenter once he’s done. The others are cataloging evidence. Doc will be here soon with backup. How are you feeling?”
I contemplated the question for a moment and hid the delay behind taking a drink of water. I tried to lighten the mood and said, “Like I got between you and Silver fighting.” While the hurt was not physical, I felt beat up from the time I spent in there. “I lost my ear piece. I’m not sure when.”
The door opened and I steeled myself against the momentary onslaught.
Savanas knelt down next to me. She still had blood splattered on her, mostly around her hands. It looked like she tried to wipe her face at some point, but had only smeared the mess further.
Savanas must have heard me over Rathal’s microphone and said, “I’m guessing you didn’t notice when I pulled it off of you after I got you away from the immediate threats. Even I could tell you were struggling to keep your concentration. The last thing you needed was our chatter in your ear. Rathal, if you can get it out of my coat pocket? I’m kind of a mess and change to passive communication - we’re going to be getting tied into the team that’s on their way.” Her tone was solemn. I did not know how close she had been to Big Black, but I remembered when Retanei lost her last companion. I thought I was going to lose Retanei. I think what kept her going was she had already started training Artemis.
Rathal flipped a switch on his ear piece before he dug in her pocket. He smirked and said to Savanas, “Just remind me not to piss you off. It’s been a while since I’ve seen the blade dancer in action.”
“Oh, shut up,” Savanas shot back, smiling a little, and then turned her attention to me. “I need to know: why did your Arcane College pin heat up like a hot iron when Brown ordered you?”
Taking another drink of water, I took a moment to contemplate what I wanted to say. “I’m not sure - I’ve never seen it do that before. I knew he was trying to use a command spell, but it broke when it hit me. I might have had too much built up power.” I did not want to talk about the thread. That would require more questions than I had answers. I was formulating a couple of other theories, but was not ready to share.
“Wait, you were never under his control? You were acting?” Savanas asked, surprised.
I clarified, “Confused, and then angry. I was able to fully focus for a moment.”
“I’m just glad it wasn’t me. I don’t think I would have survived that attack,” Savanas said and brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face with her shoulder. “Vince and Lockonis are on their way also. They apparently landed as we started searching the church grounds. They should be arriving with Doc. Ket, once Silver is finished, I’ll need you in there to work with him and make sure we have everything. Retanei is taking images, but she’s not sure she’s getting what you need.”
The thought of facing Silver frightened me. “I don’t think that’s a good idea…”
“Too bad. He wants to talk to you anyway,” Savanas stated firmly and got up, going back into the main chamber of the cathedral. She had left so quickly I almost did not feel the brush of the effects from inside.
Pulling my knees further up, I buried my face and groaned, “Silver’s going to kill me.”
~*~
Brad and Darius had come into the vestibule for a few minutes to touch base with Rathal. Brad took a quick check of my vital signs again and questioned Rathal about my state of being. With the number of people dead, it was going to be a while before Silver would be finished.
When Doc arrived with the others, he saw to the two of us first. Savanas came to catch the newcomers before they entered the main chamber. I spoke with her briefly before the others came in and expressed how sorry I was I had not been able to act sooner to save Big Black.
Savanas surprised me by saying it was his choice. Going down fighting was better than slowly letting old age take him. He apparently had not taken well to retirement.
The vestibule filled up quickly and I found myself against the wall so I could remain seated. Vince and Lockonis stayed on the other side of the small room. He was speaking with Savanas as people organized themselves and sorted out who needed to wait and who could go in now.
Lockonis was watching me and after a few moments, I looked away. I messed up.
I was also a mess. The shorter ends of my hair near my face started to plaster themselves against my cheeks - it was hot in here with my coat on.
Sliding out of my coat, I took the time to fold it as neatly as I could and put it aside. I started digging through the bag I abandoned in here, looking for something to keep me occupied.
Rathal still wore his armor so I left mine alone, though I really wanted to shed it also. I had a short-sleeve shirt on under my sweater, but trying to shed any other layer would require removing the armor.
Suddenly there were people leaving out the front door as others gathered near the doors to the main chamber.
Lockonis held the door to the outside. As soon as she closed the door behind the last one, Vince led the other group inside.
Gritting my teeth against the coming onslaught, it felt almost like a strong breeze compared to its previous power. I was grateful, but it also meant Silver would be done soon.
Lockonis came over to us, rubbing her temple. She commented, “Well, that was a head rush. Hope you two don’t mind that I let you continue your rest here. You’ve both already been exposed - those poor buggers outside haven’t.”
“That was nothing compared to earlier,” Rathal said, but looked visibly ill regardless. “Pretty sure I worked out most of my effects during the fight. Haven’t fought like that in a long time. Not sure how your girl here kept her head about her.”
I had no response - sheer will power felt overconfident.
“What about you?” I asked Lockonis. It would be extremely dangerous for someone like her to fall to it.
“Something that low won’t phase me. Too many mental barriers built up. Yay for Warmage training,” Lockonis tried to cheerfully say, but simply looked exhausted. “Ket, I need to know.”
I was pretty sure I must have been looking at her like she had two heads - I had no idea what she was talking about. “Know what?” I asked. About Brown? About what happened in there? About Silver? About… there were too many options.
“About what I told you,” Lockonis said cryptically.
I was still lost so I took the first thing that came to mind and asked, “Regarding Silver’s order?”
Brad came through the doors, and then said, “Silver is done. Vince asked you three come in to monitor the last of the effects before we bring in the rest.”
Rathal helped me up, though I told him not to, and the three of us made our way into the main chamber. An echo of the effect was still there. He pointed at the altar where Silver stood and said, “Go ahead. I think we can handle the task.”
Silver stood before the casket - the flames were gone. His sword was held loosely in his right hand, his shield hung on his left. It was the one time, I realized, that I his braid hung down his back. Usually it was over his right shoulder and this… it was wrong. It made him look heartbroken.
I came up on his right, staying behind him a step and said nothing. I just stood and looked around him into the ashes in the casket. I wished I could find the words to explain my actions.
“Thank you,” Silver whispered. He turned to look at me, and I could see the deep sorrow in his eyes.
All I could do was simply nod. I was not sure what he was trying to thank me for. Typical Human custom was to bury the dead - I defiled that.
Silver turned back to the casket and said, “This is how Maria should have been remembered - as bright in death as she was in life.” We stood in silence for a moment before he spoke again, “I have a favor to ask of you.”
“What is it?” It was hard to stand here - the death around us overpowering. I felt a little better as I was able to regain a small portion of my arcane energy, though slow as it was. It was not the dark energy as before - this was pure arcane.
Silver asked, “When this is over, could you play for those that have fallen here this day?”
Turning back to the dead, I took note of all the people, children and babies included, who were sacrificed. I turned away, the sadness threatening to bring me to tears. I could not risk getting emotional, even as drained as I was. I debated turning him down on the principle I did not like playing in front of others, but found myself saying, “Of course.”