“Now tell me,” Victor says. “Where is the traitor?”
Somehow I manage to find my voice and say, “She doesn’t know. Leave her alone.”
The agony he throws at me is worse than anything Rilla’s spell ever managed to do. It hurts more than I knew was possible. Every nerve in my body feels like they’re being squeezed and twisted at the same time. I can’t stand, but it’s equally impossible to fall. It’s too much. The pain should kill me. Why doesn’t he kill me?
Even once he releases the spell, every inch of me continues to ache. I feel twisted and old, and all I want to do is curl into a ball and die. But I can’t. If he’s stopped hurting me, he’s probably gone back to Rose.
Only when a pair of hands lifts me to my feet do I realize I’d fallen.
“Please,” Dray whispers to me. “Leave. There’s nothing you can do for her.”
If he wanted to force me out, I know there would be no way I could stop him. In fact, without his continued support, I’m sure I’d be back on the ground in an instant. I have no strength to hold myself up.
Part of me wishes he would carry me away. We could go back to his tower where the pain of Rilla’s spell was at least bearable. But Rose’s screams and pleas for the pain to stop make the choice impossible.
“Stop,” I say. Though my voice is gruff and quieter than usual Victor still hears me. He looks as though he’s about to throw twice as much at me than before, so I raise my hand as much as I can to stop him. “Wait. For her life.” I feel like I’m as out of breath as if I’d been running. “I have...”
“Don’t,” Dray says only to me. “Whatever you have, please don’t give it to him. You can’t give him any more power.”
“What is it?” Victor asks. “Tell me what you have, though I doubt it will be enough to save either of you.”
Gran, I’m so sorry. I know you’d never want me to do this, but I can’t let Rose die. I have no choice.
I pull the scroll case from my shoulder and force myself not to cry out in pain as I do so. I’m too sore to walk over to him, so he sends one of his guards to fetch the scroll from me.
As soon as it leaves my hand, Rilla’s headache stops, though I can barely tell the difference with everything else I’m dealing with.
When he opens the case, my stomach begins to flip out. What have I done?
The bored expression Victor’s has had since I came into the room shifts to confusion, then surprise, until finally he has the most frightening expression of delight I’ve ever seen on a person.
Without looking away from the scroll, Victor tells the guards “Release her.”
Rose stumbles as she tries to stand. Without anyone to help her, it’s next to impossible for her to move, though somehow she manages. Unlike me, she has no problem with leaving the headmaster’s office as soon as possible. Before she goes, she takes the time to nod at me and give me silent thanks. And then she’s out of sight. I hope she’s able to make it back to Paul. He’ll do anything he can to make her better.
Victor waves the guards away once Rose is gone, but he doesn’t do the same to me or Dray.
“Bring the witch to me,” Victor tells Dray.
This I didn’t expect. I’d assume he’d have questions about where I got the scroll, and I planned to be honest. Telling him the truth might mean saving Ebroe after all, and I need to help as many people as possible to relieve some of my guilt.
Dray is as gentle as he can be as he forces me toward the desk.
“Give me your arm,” Victor says.
I want to refuse, but don’t have a legitimate reason to. And I’m afraid that if I don’t do as he says, Dray will be forced to make me. I don’t want him to be ordered around anymore than necessary, not if I can prevent it.
He grabs my offered arm and roughly holds it against the desk. From his hip, he draws a ceremonial dagger covered in an intricate design and slices a long gash from my elbow to my wrist. My first thought is, he’s trying to kill me. He’s slitting my wrists and I’m going to bleed out here on his desk.
And then he makes a similar cut to his own arm, and I become confused.
He slaps his arm against mine, pressing our wounds together as he grips my elbow. Not sure what else to do, I hold onto his arm in return as he begins saying words in a language similar to Latin, though I can’t be sure since I know nothing about it other than what I heard on TV.
When he stops speaking, he nods to Dray. On cue, the dragon leans over and breathes over our arms. Heat sears my skin, and I’m sure the blood from my wound must be boiling. However, after the pain from earlier, this is tolerable and I grit my teeth and tighten my hold on Victor’s arm.
“It is complete,” Victor says once the burning subsides.
He lets go of my arm and I quickly check to see how much damage he caused. Although my skin is smeared with blood, there’s barely a scar left where he’d cut me.
“What was that?” I ask.
“Your reward,” he says as though it should be obvious. “You have been given the abilities of a wizard. You are now a sister of The Sword.”
Chapter Twenty One
At first I don’t understand what he’s saying. Or maybe I refuse to believe. He can’t possibly mean what I think he does. There’s no way I’m a wizard. How could it be? Al said it took years to become one. What Victor did took seconds.
“A wizard?” I ask.
“Congratulations.” Victor takes a seat and leans back to examine the scroll. “Not many witches have achieved such an honor.”
I think I’m going to be sick. I don’t want to believe him, but there’s no denying I feel different. Not a lot, just subtle things such as I can sense Victor’s magic in a way I couldn’t before. It’s like a tangible thing now, though always just out of reach.
I also feel a bond to the headmaster, as disgusting as the idea might be. Even though I’ve only met him today, it’s like I’ve known him all of my life. Like an uncle I’ve never seen before. The thought of his blood being bound to mine makes me feel dirty in a way not even a hundred showers can clean me of.
Getting out of here and trying to wipe away all memory of what’s occurred is at the top of my list of things to do. Unfortunately, it’s not only my own life I need to be concerned about now.
“The scroll is a gift,” I say.
“And I thank you for it.” He nods his head as though to tell me I’m dismissed.
I force myself to ignore the residual pain and to stand up as straight and confident as I can. “It comes with a condition. You’re to leave the town of Ebroe alone.”
He seems bored. “Why would I care about the town of Ebroe?”
“The sorceress Rilla has taken claim to it,” I tell him. This news catches his attention and he finally takes his eyes off the scroll to stare at me.
“When did this happen? How have I not been informed before now?”
“She took the town yesterday evening and sent me straight here to bargain for the city,” I say. “I couldn’t care less about what happens to her, but the villagers shouldn’t be punished.”
Part of me hopes he sends someone to steal Rilla’s magic. It would serve her right for what she’s put me through.
He thinks for a moment before saying, “I will consider your request.”
It’s not exactly the positive response I was hoping for, but it will have to do. Now there’s only one thing left for me to do.
“There is a portal about two days’ journey from here,” I say. “Leave it to me.|
He eyes me suspiciously. “What interest do you have in the portal?”
Time to start acting like the wizard I’ve apparently become. “The villagers who live nearby trust me. They won’t suspect anything if I continue to watch over the area. Why stir up trouble by bringing in someone new?”
I’m not sure I’ve convinced him, but he also doesn’t seem interested in arguing. He raises a hand and waves me off. “Fine. Go watch the portal if it’s your desire. But do
not expect any more favors from me. You are receiving more than you deserve. I’ll be in contact.”
He’s probably expecting a thanks and some bowing, but I give him neither. I turn around and hobble away, glad when Dray chooses to help me rather than stay with the headmaster.
Neither of us says anything as he takes me through the halls and to the front entrance. He only dares to speak once we’re outside.
“That was amazingly idiotic,” he says.
“Thanks.”
“No, I mean it.” He stops me on the short road between the front doors and the gates to the city and forces me to face him. “Do you have any idea what he will do with such important information? You have no idea how many lives you’ve put in danger.”
I’m too tired for a lecture, especially one from him. “I have a better idea than you think.”
He sighs. “I should have killed you before you could hand it over.”
“Why didn’t you?” He seems surprised I have to ask. “Everyone runs scared from you, yet since the moment I’ve met you, you’ve gone out of your way not to frighten me, let alone hurt me.”
He laughs and then makes a face when he realizes I’m being serious. “Hurting you was never an option. And I did attempt to frighten you. However, your claim not to scare easily seems to be true. It probably has to do with your shaman abilities.”
He seems to think he doesn’t need to say any more for me to understand. So after giving him my best blank stare, I say, “Huh?”
“Your shaman abilities.” No matter how many times he says the words, I’m not going to understand them. My expression must say as much because he finally chooses to explain. “You’re connected to the natural magic of the world.”
“Yes,” I say. “Because I am a witch.”
“It’s not the same.” He runs his hand through his hair as he tries to think of how to explain. “Shaman’s bond to the world is stronger, and on a more primal level than witches. It seems to be particularly strong between you and creatures of magic, including your chimera.”
When he nods toward the gates, I glance over and feel a rush of relief when I see Farah standing behind the guards. Her hackles are up and she appears to be growling at Dray, but otherwise she seems to be fine.
“You’re saying Farah follows me because I’m a shaman?”
He recognizes my doubt and puts a hand on my shoulder. “I’ll explain it to you this way. If you were simply a witch, I would have killed you the moment you tried to step through the door to follow your chimera. In fact, you would have had no chimera to follow, because she would have tried to kill you long ago.”
A shiver runs down my spine as for the first time I feel how dangerous Dray can be. “Pleasant.”
“I didn’t hurt you because I could feel a connection between us,” he says. “You must have felt it too. It’s the only explanation for why you weren’t frightened. No matter how brave a human is, fear of dragons is something you’re all born with.”
The more I think about what he’s saying, the more it makes sense. “I’m a shaman,” I say. “With a connection to magical creatures.” Part of me knew there must have been a reason why I’d felt connected to Farah and Nyx and now Dray. Being told I’m a shaman only gives the feeling I’ve always had a name. “And I’m a witch. And apparently I’m now also a wizard.” I think about it for a minute, and then a smile creeps onto my face. “I always knew I was cooler than Lou. Pft. Sorceress. I’m a freaking hybrid.”
He doesn’t understand why I’m so happy, but it doesn’t matter, I still take the opportunity to hug him. Yup, I hugged a dragon. Beat that, Lou.
When I pull away, I gently punch his shoulder, though even if I put all my weight behind the jab, I doubt he would have felt more than a tap.
“Thanks,” I say. “You are more awesome than I hoped. If there’s anything I can do for you, such as maybe help you find a way out of here, let me know.”
For a second, his relaxed grin is back, but it fades all too soon. “I’ll be fine,” he says. “I have a feeling I won’t be stuck here much longer. Will you be all right?”
I gave away the secret locations of most, if not all, of the portals in both worlds, became a wizard and found out I was already a shaman. But I’m also alive when I probably shouldn’t be, and I’ve finally met my first dragon.
I stretch up and kiss his cheek.
“See you around, Dray.”
I head off to find Paul and Rose. I think it’s time to go home.
Chapter Twenty Two
“Are you sure about this?” I ask Rose when Gran’s house is in view. “Your parents and family are around the corner. Shouldn’t you at least let them know you’re safe?”
Paul dropped us off a few minutes’ walk from Gran’s house at Rose’s request. He’d tried to insist on taking her all of the way home, but Rose convinced him it was better if no one saw him. They’d only blame him for stealing her away.
He might not have been happy to leave Rose, but he’d been happy to be rid of me. He happily gave me some straw and the basket Rilla had given us our food in so I can safely carry Nyx. I think he was hoping by making my walk easier, Rose wouldn’t feel the need to keep me company and would stay with him a little longer.
What I didn’t realize at the time was not only did Rose want to escape his bad attempts at wooing her, but she wanted to walk alone with me for a reason.
“And say what?” she asks. “I’m sure Aldric must be in your world. He has to be. But my family will never let me leave the house again if I tell them I’m going through a portal to find him. They would barely let me walk the five minutes to his house after he came back from the University.”
I suppose I could go through the door first. If I’m quick enough, I can lock it she won’t be able to through. But then again, I’d have trouble going up the ladder with Nyx and Farah without Rose’s help.
It’s not that I don’t like her, she’s actually way cooler than I’d expected, but if she goes through the portal into my world, she will become my responsibility. I don’t need anything else to look after right now.
As we approach the house, a voice startles me from my thoughts. “The witch returns,” he says. “And she brings a Rose. How sweet.”
My jaw drops as I look up at the rooftop to find Al lazily lying back against the shingles. What the hell? What is he doing up there?
“I’ve been waiting for you,” he says while staring directly at me.
It takes me a minute to understand what I’m feeling, and when I do, it hits me like a punch to the gut. Magic. He’s full of it. He’s taken a sorceress.
Rose doesn’t feel the magic, nor does she notice the weird way he stares at us. She rushes toward the house.
“Where have you been?” she asks. “What are you doing up there? I’ve been searching for you. I even went to the University. They said you were a traitor. What happened?”
“The University?” In one fluid motion, he’s off the roof and directly in front of me. He grabs a hold of my arm and twists for a better look. When he sees the scar, his smile becomes more deranged. “Hello, sister. You must have given them something valuable for this reward.”
I snap my arm away from him, and he makes no attempt to stop me. “What happened to you?” I ask. “I swear, if you touched my sister...”
“She didn’t tell you?” he says.
For a full second, there’s a change in his eyes. He almost seems remorseful. Like his old self. It doesn’t last.
“I killed Stewart,” he says with way too much amusement in his voice. “Cut him down in one easy swing. You should have seen it. The blood was lovely.”
Not only is he not himself, but I think Al’s gone completely insane.
“She told me you killed him,” I say. “She didn’t say anything about you becoming this.”
His expression turns wistful. “Such a sweet girl. So pretty. I wonder how she tastes.”
“The magic,” I say to snap him out of his dis
gusting fantasy. “Where did you get the magic?”
“Stewart.” He emphasizes the name as though he’s already explained everything. “When I killed him. My sword took more than his life. It also stole his magic.”
“So that means...” Rose covers her mouth with her hand and looks like she’s about to start sobbing as she understand what’s going on. Al is a full wizard.
Al turns to her as though he hadn’t noticed she was there before. “My sweet Rose.” He pulls her into a hug. Her emotions battle on her face as she allows him to hold her. “You have to be more careful whose company you keep. Beasts and wizards who were once witches are not safe to be around.”
“Is this what the other guy was like?” I ask Rose. “Was he as weird after he took Al’s sister’s magic?”
“Loraine.” Al pushes Rose away from his chest and holds her by the shoulders. “She’s gone. I don’t know why, but they’ve taken her. I need to find her.”
“What?” Rose’s horrified expression matches Al’s. “Who’s taken her? Where did they go?”
“The Sword,” he says. “Through another portal. I have to go after her, but it’s not safe. I must go through a portal they don’t control.”
“That’s why you’re here?” I ask. He spins around to face me, once again surprised to see me. “Then why didn’t you go through? You have one of the keys, don’t you?”
He walks in circles, shaking his head. “It’s not polite. I mustn’t do it. At least not without permission.”
I laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. He has more than enough power to easily destroy me, and yet he’s asking for my permission to go through the portal. Why bother? But if he wants to give me so much control, I’m okay with it.
“Well tough shit,” I say. “I’m not letting you go anywhere near my sister. And for the record, soon every portal in this world will be controlled by The Sword. This is the only one you’ll have any chance of passing through for a long time.”
“Silly.” He taps the top of my head a little too hard. “I don’t want permission to go through the portal. I’ve been doing that for months. I need permission to destroy the items inside.” He points to approximately where Gran’s study is in the house. “The ones holding wizards.”
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