The tremendous amount of aether trapped in the chamber would be more than enough to get Kearika and I out of here. With all that aether I could heal Kearika too, regardless of what Karl did to her. I knew how to draw the aether in already, that bit of knowledge had been imparted when Mendalde had made me drink her vial. In the end, it isn’t much of a choice.
They are already dead, there isn’t anything I can do for them but they can still do something for us.
Dozens of voices fill my head, each one shouting and demanding to know what’s happening. My body is almost humming from the power. Each mage feels different, the touch of their aether is unique. Trapped inside me their voices warp into a panicked babbling, which fades away as I pour the aether into my spell. Only the work of a moment for a trained mage.
With an intense feeling of vertigo Kearika and I leave the Tower in the blink of an eye. Just as quickly we reappear at our destination. I wonder where we are? I hadn’t thought of anything more exact than “Anywhere but here.” The air is freezing, like knives against my skin. Snow whips back and forth, driven into a frenzy by the cutting wind. The sun rises over the horizon, throwing a blinding glare off the mountainside.
I felt strong again. What Mendalde had stolen from me has been replaced in full, even with the teleportation. Kearika stirs in the snow, slowly propping herself up on her arms. Healing her had taken a lot of power as well, but there had been plenty of aether to use.
“Where are we Caius?” Kearika asks softly as she sits up in the snow.
I look around, taking in the sweeping mountains and the valley below. Frozen tundra spreads out as far as I can see. I tug my robes tighter against the wind, marshalling my thoughts as the enormity of what I’ve done sinks in.
“We’re far from the Tower. We’re alive, and that’s what matters.” I reply. It’s all that matters. I have to believe that.
“Are you feeling alright Caius?” Kearika asks me, a concerned look on her face. Strange, I can’t feel what she’s thinking. Our bond is quiet, a shadow of what it had been when we’d entered the Tower.
“I’m fine. We have a long way to go, and little time to do so. Mendalde will be looking for us.” I reply. Kearika stares at me for a few seconds, but eventually she nods and starts wading through the snow.
We will return to the Tower.
Whisper of the End Page 29