Something rammed into my back, and I turned around in time to see it was Léal. We both grunted from the pain, but Léal moved closer to me to murmur something in my ear.
“Tlahi,” he whispered.
I stared at him, yet he returned to fighting off Christopher and Fayth, who were working as a team now.
Though I had never heard of the spell before, I shouted the word. The sky darkened yet again, but this time it became entirely black. For the first time there was not a sound in Belsgar that could be heard. I could not see anything, though it felt as if only Aldemund and I were left to fight one another. The air seemed… empty.
I coughed, but it appeared there was no one near me. Where was Aldemund? What kind of spell had Léal whispered to me? I crouched down and hoped that if anyone tried to attack me they would have to struggle to find me first.
A light glistened in my eyes, but when I blinked I saw it was not a light at all. Someone was holding Japhet’s knife, but it was impossible to see who it was. I considered it might be Léal for a moment; however, I was certain he could not hold a weapon powered by White magic. Slowly, I crawled toward the knife. The closer I got to it, the more I doubted that someone was holding it. The shining object was all that I could see.
Further away I heard Léal say, “In the darkness we are flames. In the daylight we are shadows. Tlahi, tlahi, tlahi.”
I thought I misunderstood what he said, but he continually repeated it. Hopeful, I turned around and followed the melodic sound of his voice. I put my hand out, and then my head rammed into something soft. With my hand, I felt a shirt, and then moving it up I could feel a face. When warm arms wrapped around me, I eased with relief that I had found him.
I sat down in front of him and stared at the light from where we were. Léal wouldn’t say anything to me, save for the same phrase he had been whispering. In my mind, I wondered if there was time to ask him how he found me. I remained silent, though, listening to him and a thought occurred to me.
The world may see us as ‘flames’ and ‘shadows,’ but we will always know the true story. We are fighting for our freedom; someday the world will know the truth, I thought.
“In the darkness we are flames,” Léal began again as he pulled me closer to him.
I huddled against his body; the air around us became colder with each word he spoke. Feeling my soaked dress, I thought perhaps the darkness would crush me. I expected that we would run out of air or perhaps freeze in the cold. Yet for some reason that didn’t happen, and there was only one spell that would have had such an affect.
There had been a story I remember hearing where Dark magicians could perform a spell that allowed them to build up their strength from other magicians’ energy. I never learned of such a spell existing, but it was the only explanation I had. How else might I explain this burst of energy building up inside of me?
“That light hasn’t moved…” I said, having just realized it myself.
The light gleaming from Japhet’s knife remained still, yet it seemed further away than it had been previously.
“Léal?”
There was no answer.
Chapter Thirty-One
Pressure of the Blade
“Tlahi...” Léal began again, speaking faster. Though his arms were wrapped around me, he leaned back and forth in the water. I swayed with him, having no other option, and I could not pull away from him when I tried to. The coldness felt as if it would freeze the water. All I could feel was Léal’s hands around me.
“Please, stop,” I said.
He stopped chanting the moment there was another voice somewhere in front of us.
“Christopher?” Aldemund hissed.
After receiving an answer, they both shouted, “Fayth!”
Silence came again. I held my breath and waited, but there was nothing. Everything had become dead silent. Finally, Léal returned to his normal self, and released me. Though I moved to retrieve Japhet’s knife, Léal suddenly grabbed me. At first I could not understand, but then the white knife ripped the fabric near my thigh.
“Sorry, Celestria,” Christopher whispered, and then the knife distanced itself once again. Apparently he must have crawled toward it during the darkness while no one was paying attention.
Léal gripped onto my hand and spoke into my hair.
“He’s using a weapon. Do you trust me?” he spoke fast and quietly.
I turned to where I assumed he was and our cheeks touched.
“Yes…” I answered, though my teeth chattered together.
Léal placed something cold into my hand, and I wrapped my fingers around it. The object was a blade, but it was heavier than the dagger I had used in the past.
With his lips near my ear yet again, Léal said, “Do not use it like a regular dagger. Let your magic be the weapon; use them together. The energy we’ve gathered should last long enough for you to kill him. But no matter what, do not let him stab you.”
“If he does?”
“One critical blow and you’re dead,” Léal replied.
Despite not knowing his plan, I stood up with him. He left me to go after Christopher while I stumbled along looking for Aldemund. I hit something, and then I felt a sharp blade against my neck.
“I could do it, Celestria,” Aldemund said.
I shivered.
“But I want you to suffer like my own men have.”
With that, he lowered the knife. I noticed its orange glow, yet my own weapon was concealed in the dark. At last I thought of a spell, and the blade lit up blue. The color shined on Aldemund’s face, which appeared paler than usual. I smirked, but he raised his blade and it suddenly felt like a fencing tournament. While I slashed back at Aldemund, I wish the daylight would have returned. The darkness was somewhat of an advantage since it left our opponents clueless, but it was also dangerous. It required stealth, which I felt unprepared with to use.
Sweat covered my back, and the smell of blood intoxicated the air, though I dared not to ask who was bleeding. Aldemund was quick with his weapon, maneuvering it with fancy tricks, while I held onto mine cautiously.
Not too far away, I could hear Léal and Christopher struggling with their daggers.
Swoosh. Aldemund’s knife struck down my blade again, and the blue and orange gleaming lights reflected off of one another.
“Celestria! I… have to tell… Tell you….” Léal shouted over the sound of his and Christopher’s weapons colliding together.
“Yes, tell her,” Aldemund cheered on.
The blood in my body seemed to stop. It did not add up for Aldemund to be encouraging Léal with something when they did not know each other.
“Dyanna, your sister…” Léal panted.
Agitated, I said, “What? Speak.”
“She’s not dead… She never died.”
Each word felt like a rock crushing my body. How could both of them know that my sister was alive? Who had I buried? There wasn’t enough time for me to process the information; my opponent’s voice reminded me that I would need to finish the battle if I ever wanted to know.
“I’ll deal with both of you later,” Aldemund said, and then he whispered a spell.
I heard Léal cry out in agony. His cry only lasted for a moment and then all was silent once again. I was alone, cold, and in the dark with my enemy.
He took a step toward me, but the thoughts of Dyanna clouded my judgment. I thought about the “vision” I had seen with her in a tent, and I wondered if it could have been real. The idea caused my blade to slip from my hands. Instantly, I ducked down and moved my hand around in the water to find it. For a moment I felt it, but then Aldemund grabbed onto my hair. He pulled until I had no other choice but to stand up so he would stop.
I needed some way to see where Aldemund was, thus I decided on something dangerous. There was not a chance I could fight him with his own magic. All the same, I murmured the word and a spark of fire floated above my hand. For once, its heat would not harm me.
The glare
on his face was no warning, but rather a statement of his desire. I licked my lips, though I could taste the blood that had returned. I raised my other hand to perform a spell, but Aldemund clutched onto it.
“Do you want to know why I have desired to kill you?” Aldemund asked as he twisted my hand and knocked me down.
I jumped up, but before I could say a word he touched the side of my neck. I twitched; his touch felt like burning coal.
“Your kind has been destroying homes, families, and friends. My own dear friend turned against me when I was a young boy and started practicing Dark magic,” he said.
I tried to squirm out of his arms, but his touch remained hot. “Well… that was your friend, and honestly I could care less about what he did.”
Tightening his grip, Aldemund replied, “You become a different person when you see that same friend take the lives of the people you loved. Once he even tried to attack my own mother.”
“This is how you plan to take revenge? If you kill me, none of that changes. At the end of the day you have to accept the choices you’ve made,” I answered, barely able to keep my eyes open. My body quivered, and all I wanted to do was drop in the water, anything to cool down. It was my heart that fought to keep me standing, even though there were beads of sweat on my face and cracks in my lips.
“Actually, a lot will change once every Dark magician is dead. What a pity that Alaire isn’t here to see your death. He was always Esmour’s pet,” Aldemund snickered.
I ignored him, thinking in my head of the most effective spell I could use.
“Cir..del,” Léal muttered, sounding like he was in the far distance. I thought my hearing deceived me, but when he repeated himself again I knew there was no questioning the reality of it. His voice, the knowledge of knowing that he was alive… It gave me hope.
Aldemund swore and then released my neck. “Don’t worry, young Irvine, you’re no threat to me now.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Get Out Alive
There was a loud crack of thunder, sounding like an explosion. I assumed it was the weather, seeing as Aldemund’s magic focused on fire. I shouted out the spell Léal had whispered to me, but immediately afterward all I could hear was Aldemund’s laughter. My legs shook uncontrollably as he continued cackling. When at last he stopped, there was nothing but the sound of water rushing past our feet.
Though I tried to assure myself that Léal was nearby, I couldn’t hear him. He and Christopher were completely still, but I figured they might be too far away for me to determine if they were alive.
Aldemund spoke under his breath, yet I could not understand what he said. A hot, bright orange arrow shot through my stomach. I screamed, falling to my knees from the pain. It burned through my skin, and I could smell the distinct odor of blood. I couldn’t look down to see the damage the arrow had done, but when I attempted to pull it out it was already gone. I panted heavily, whispering a spell as I watched my opponent.
He held a ball of fire in the palm of his hand and made a motion to drop it. Though shadows flickered across his face, I could tell that he was determined to let nothing stop him. He grinned like a cat who found a river full of fish, and it was with that satisfaction he released his magic. Just as the fire aimed for my body, I held up my hand and countered the spell.
The counter spell would not be enough; he was too strong. With my free hand, I felt around in the water for the dagger. If I could just find where I had dropped it, then I might be able to attack him with it while he was distracted. All of a sudden I felt something sharp and winced. I picked it up, glancing down to see the glimmer of the dagger in my hand. It lit up with blue sparks, which also revealed the blood on my hand. Ignoring it, I cut through Aldemund’s spell with the dagger.
“Cirdel,” I repeated again. The dagger was engulfed by a red glow, revealing Aldemund’s position. His face was emotionless, full with beads of sweat, but he didn’t seem impressed by the spell.
With my eyes transfixed on him, I stood up and sprinted toward him with the blade aimed toward his body. The instant I reached him he grabbed onto my hand. Though I tried to attack him, his touch was too hot, and I dropped my weapon. Then Aldemund gripped onto my neck, and suddenly it felt like my mouth was on fire. Drops of blood seeped out from my mouth, shivering down my chin.
Shaking his head, Aldemund released me and I fell back into the water once again. The water rushed over my face, forcing my eyes shut, and I swallowed water before I could hold in my breath. I choked, but Aldemund pulled me out and forced me to stand. I wobbled as I stood before him, staring into his dark eyes. For the faintest moment I hoped he would see how inhuman he was acting. I wanted him to think back to when I spared Japhet’s life and for him to realize that Dark magicians were not bent on starting war unless we were forced to.
An instant later he proved me wrong. Casting a spell, he threw me and I splashed into the water. My back hit the ground, and when I opened my eyes I stared up at the dark misery above me. I waited, holding my hands out, and expected Aldemund to grab me out again. When he did nothing and the water remained still, I took advantage of the opportunity and jolted my head above the water.
In no time at all, I could hear Aldemund approaching me. I chanted a spell, moving my lips and hands as quickly as possible, and the instant Aldemund touched me I released the magic. A purple shard pierced his skin, and he let out a cry. I couldn’t determine if the hit had been fatal, but when his hands tightened on me I knew I had missed his heart.
Aldemund held me under water, making certain that my hands were underneath me. I blinked and felt the sting of dirt flowing into my eyes. Squinting, I wondered how long he would keep me under. Why would he desire to drown me when I could still use my magic? However, I soon head a faint murmur from Aldemund’s lips. When I tried to use a spell again I didn’t feel anything at all. It was as if the energy in my body to perform the magic no longer existed. I was not aware of a spell that could turn my magic against me, but I was certain this was Aldemund’s idea of torture.
I counted the seconds, and I watched a small bubble of air leave my mouth. I tried to think of Dyanna, anything that would distract me from the torture. Before I always remembered her as if she were standing next to me, but now as my body drifted in the water I couldn’t recall any of it. Images raced through my mind. There had been two sisters, a struggle, and a funeral. Then the dagger… The one we swore we would never use, and the one she begged me to hide. For a mere second her words echoed through my head.
“Hide it, Celestria. If anybody finds this, they’ll know what I’ve done.” Dyanna had pleaded, handing over the bloody dagger. Several drops fell to the ground as we stood outside our hovel.
I turned my head so that I was looking at the ground and could not imagine holding my breath any long. Meanwhile, the thoughts rushing in and out of my mind were attacking me. What was it she had done? Was there a terrible secret of hers that I had kept hidden from the rest of the world?
Dyanna flashed from my memory, and then a faint image of Alaire appeared. In my heart I could feel a closeness to him, but there were no memories I recalled to explain this.
The coldness stopped bothering me. My body was numb, and slowly my thoughts were leaving my body as quickly as my emotions. I blinked repeatedly and squirmed left and right, desperate to breathe again. I was choking as I stared into the darkness. It was over; I was dying. After everything I had done to save our species, it seemed I had failed them. I wanted to do more, but every time I tried to think of a spell my magic refused to obey.
***
Opening my eyes, I wondered how long I had been asleep. There were candles lit in the room, and when I turned my head I could see the moon from where I lay. I had no idea how many nights had passed, but I frowned with the realization Celestria was still out there. Weakly, I turned the other way to see if by some chance Celestria had returned already. When I glanced over at the chair, Daciana sat in it sound asleep.
Though I
couldn’t feel anything, I knew I was at my weakest point. Tilting my head so that I was staring at the ceiling, I wondered if there was any hope of my survival. The first thoughts that entered my head were when I had last spoken to Celestria. I shouldn’t have wasted my time with words; I should have kissed her and told her exactly what I felt in my heart.
Shaking, I tried to bring my hands together. My skin appeared paler than usual. It took every bone in my body to move my hands, but at last they came together. I opened my mouth to say something, but instead I gasped for air. Not wanting to wake up Daciana, I tried a different approach.
God, I don’t know if You can hear my prayer, but I don’t have the strength to say this out loud. I know You and I have parted ever since what happened with Jacquette and Esmour, but I’m not asking this for myself. All I ask is that You keep Celestria safe. Guide her to the light, guide her to safety. She is the family I never had; please do not allow her to be lost in the darkness. Amen.
With that, I lowered my hands and decided I wouldn’t give up. I would not die in this bed before God proved to me that Celestria was safe. I’d fight to stay alive…just like she asked me to.
***
The man, whose name I had no recognition of, continued to hold onto my frail body. His hands were steaming hot while his chanting sounded like a lullaby. An eerie, long lullaby to death. Soon I would be limp, and moments after that I would be dead. I tried to think back to my sister and… What was his name?
Resisting the urge to give up, I listened to a noise above the water. A new voice spoke, but the words were muffled by the water filling my ears. My body was prepared to give up, but it was a faint heartbeat that kept me alive. I started counting the seconds again, though I had already forgotten why I was counting.
One, two, three…
The pressure on my body released. My body was lifted from the dirt, but remained in the water. However, I could not feel anything; it was difficult to keep my eyes open anymore. There was more talking, yet I did not care to listen. Another bubble escaped my lips while at the same time someone rolled my body. The person lifted me up and held me close to their chest. I gasped, trying to take in as much oxygen as possible, and then I clung onto the man’s soaked tunic. I could feel his muscular chest as I held onto him as if my life depended on it. Swallowing, I could taste blood in my mouth.
Cursed With Power (the Magicians Book 1) Page 23