17. Vera
17
VERA
M agic surges through my veins like liquid fire, lifting me from what should have been my death. The wind hisses around me, but I no longer feel its chill. Instead, power courses through every fiber of my being, transforming my once-frail body into something... magnificent.
My feet touch nothing but air as I hover above the jagged rocks below. Raw energy crackles at my fingertips, dancing like lightning across my skin. This must be what it feels like to be truly alive.
"What is this?" I whisper, but my voice carries on the wind like thunder. The magic responds to my thoughts, swirling around me in patterns of light and shadow.
I glance down at my hands, watching as they glow with an inner radiance. Gone is the trembling weakness that has plagued me my entire life. In its place, strength flows through me, steady and sure.
For the first time, I feel complete. Whole. The constant ache in my joints, the perpetual exhaustion - all of it vanishes in this surge of power. My body straightens, no longer bowed by the weight of servitude and shame.
A laugh bubbles up from deep within me - not the timid sound I'm used to, but something rich and full. Free. The magic pulses in response, sending ripples of energy through the air around me.
"So this is what I am," I say to myself, feeling the truth of it in my bones. "This is what I was always meant to be."
The dark elves' shouts from above seem distant now, insignificant. Their power, which once terrified me, feels like nothing compared to the storm raging within me. Even thoughts of Aurel fade into the background as this new sensation overwhelms me.
I rise higher, letting the magic carry me upward. My body moves with a grace I've never known, light as air yet charged with untamed power. Freedom courses through me - not just from slavery, but from everything that once held me back. Fear. Doubt. Desire. They all fall away, leaving only this glorious sensation of pure, unbridled strength.
From my vantage point above the cliff, I watch Aurel's massive form weave through the dark elves. His serpentine body crushes one while his hands snap another's neck. The battlefield is a symphony of violence, and he conducts it with brutal precision.
My newfound power thrums through me, but it's not excitement that fills my chest - it's rage. Pure, unfiltered hatred.
"Look at you," I whisper, watching him fight. "So noble now, coming back for me?" The magic crackles around my fingers, responding to my anger.
A dark elf charges at Aurel from behind. Part of me wants to call out a warning, but I bite my tongue. Let him suffer. His massive tail whips around, catching the attacker mid-stride.
"You used me." The words taste like poison on my tongue. "Trained me, touched me, made me believe..." My voice catches, but the fury pushes through. "Made me believe I was worth something."
Below, Aurel roars as he tears through another opponent. His eyes dart to the cliff's edge, searching. Looking for my broken body, no doubt. The thought makes my blood boil hotter.
"All those nights in my dreams, all those sweet words..." My fingers curl into fists, magic sparking between them. "Just a means to an end, wasn't I? Your little key to freedom."
The memory of his touch, his kiss by the river, burns like acid now. I'd given him everything - my trust, my body, my heart. And he'd thrown it away like garbage.
The battle rages on beneath me, but I stay suspended in the air, letting my hatred grow. He'd made me strong enough to free him, then left me to the wolves when I was no longer useful.
My lips curl into a bitter smile. "Well, my dear teacher, let's see how well your lessons stuck."
I descend from the sky, magic crackling around me like lightning. The dark elves turn, their weapons raised, but their sneers falter as they sense the power radiating from my body.
"What is this?" One of them steps back, eyes wide. "The defect..."
"Defect?" The word tastes different on my tongue now. Power surges through my veins as I raise my hand. "I was never defective. You just couldn't see what I really was."
"Kill her!" Their leader shouts, but fear trembles in his voice. "Kill the witch!"
A dark elf launches a spell at me. I don't even bother dodging. The magic dissipates before it reaches me, like smoke in the wind.
"My turn." I flex my fingers, feeling the raw energy building. "For every lash of the whip. For every cruel word. For every moment you made me feel worthless."
The magic explodes from my palm in a wave of pure destruction. It tears through the air with a sound like thunder, ripping into the dark elves' ranks. Their screams cut through the night as their bodies disintegrate, turning to ash in the magical storm.
"You took everything from me." Another wave of power surges forth, obliterating more of my former tormentors. "My childhood. My dignity. My humanity."
The remaining dark elves try to flee, but my magic catches them, lifting them into the air. They struggle uselessly against invisible bonds.
"Please," one begs, "mercy?—"
"Mercy?" I laugh, and the sound carries on the wind. "Like the mercy you showed me?"
I clench my fist, and the magic responds. Their bodies crumble to dust, scattered by the wind. Years of pain and humiliation fuel each blast, each death a payment for past cruelties.
My power crackles through the air as I turn to face him, my former teacher, my betrayer. Aurel's eyes widen as they meet mine, his serpentine body going still. The battlefield falls quiet around us, the remaining dark elves forgotten.
"Vera," he breathes, and something in his voice makes my magic surge hotter. "You're alive?—"
"No thanks to you." The words taste like ash in my mouth. The ground beneath my feet scorches with each step I take toward him. "Was this your plan all along? Train me, use me, then leave me to die?"
His massive form shifts, coils tightening. "I came back?—"
"After you left me!" Magic explodes from my hands, slamming into the ground between us. The earth cracks, a chasm opening where my power strikes. "After you decided I wasn't worth the trouble."
"That's not?—"
"Don't." My voice trembles, but my power holds steady. "Don't you dare lie to me. Not anymore." The memory of his touch by the river makes my skin crawl now. "I trusted you. I gave you everything."
He moves forward, one hand extended. "Vera, please?—"
"Please?" I laugh, and the sound carries none of the weakness he once knew. "Like when I begged you not to leave? Like when I pleaded with you to talk to me?" My magic swirls around me, responding to my rage. "You left me to die, Aurel. Left me to the dark elves like I was nothing."
His face contorts with what looks like pain, but I know better now. I've learned my lesson about trusting his expressions, his words, his touch.
The pain in his eyes might have moved me once. Back when I was weak, when every kind word felt like a treasure. But I'm not that girl anymore. His regret means nothing against the weight of his betrayal.
"Vera, I made a mistake." His voice cracks, serpentine body coiling tighter. "I was afraid?—"
"Afraid?" Magic crackles between my fingers. "You were afraid? I lived in fear every day of my life. Beaten. Used. Made to feel worthless." Each word sends sparks of power through the air. "And then you came along, pretending to care, making me believe I could be more."
"It wasn't pretend." He moves closer, but my magic pushes him back. "What we shared?—"
"What we shared was a lie." The ground trembles beneath my feet. "You taught me to be strong, then left me to die when I needed you most."
His massive form seems to shrink. "I came back?—"
"Too late." My laugh sounds hollow even to my own ears. "Always too late, Aurel. Just like when you promised to protect me, to teach me. Empty words from a snake."
The raw anguish on his face would have broken my heart before. Now it only fuels my rage. Let him suffer. Let him feel a fraction of the pain he caused.
"You want forgiveness?" I raise my hand, magic swirling around my fingers. "You want to make things right?" The power builds, responding to my fury. "Then suffer like I did. Break like I did."
His eyes widen as my magic surrounds him. Good. Let him know what it feels like to be helpless, to be at someone else's mercy.
"Please," he whispers, but I'm done listening to his pleas.
I've spent my entire life being weak. Being used. First by the dark elves, then by him. Never again.
The weapon clatters to the ground at Aurel's feet, the sound echoing through the battlefield. His massive form, once so intimidating, seems smaller now as he raises his hands in surrender. The gesture makes my magic surge hotter.
"Vera, I—" His voice cracks, those golden eyes that once captivated me now filled with something I've never seen before. Fear? Regret?
I don't let him finish. The magic erupts from my hands before he can speak another word, a bolt of pure energy that slams into his chest. The force sends him flying backward, his serpentine body crashing into the blood-soaked ground with a sickening thud.
Pain contorts his features as he lies there, but he doesn't move. Doesn't fight back. His chest heaves with labored breaths, yet his hands remain open, unthreatening.
"Fight back," I snarl, my power crackling around me. "Show me the real Aurel. The one who used me and left me to die."
But he just lies there, those golden eyes fixed on mine. Blood trickles from the corner of his mouth, yet he makes no move to defend himself.
"Get up!" Another surge of magic dances at my fingertips, ready to strike. "Stop pretending to be noble. Stop acting like you care!"
His voice comes out as a whisper, rough with pain. "I'm not acting."
The words hit harder than any physical blow, but I push through the ache in my chest. "Liar. You've never been anything but lies."
Magic surges through my fingertips again, slamming into Aurel's chest. His massive body crashes into a tree, the impact splintering the trunk. Blood trickles from his mouth, but still he doesn't fight back.
"You think you can use me and get away unscathed?" Another blast sends him rolling across the ground. His scales scrape against the rocks, leaving trails of blood.
He pushes himself up on trembling arms. "Vera?—"
"Shut up!" My power wraps around his throat, lifting him into the air. "All those sweet words in my dreams, all those promises—lies!" I slam him back down. The ground cracks beneath him.
His golden eyes meet mine, filled with something that looks like regret. But I know better now. Everything about him is a lie.
"You taught me to be strong." My voice shakes as I send another wave of magic crashing into him. "Taught me to believe in myself." Another blast. "Made me think I was special to you!"
Aurel coughs, blood staining his lips. "You are?—"
"Liar!" The magic explodes from me in a devastating wave. His body flies through the air, crashing through trees before hitting the ground. "You lied to me!"
Tears blur my vision as I stalk toward his broken form. My hands tremble, but the magic remains steady, crackling with raw power.
"Look at me now." I lift my hand, gathering more energy. "I am magic personified. Everything you taught me, turned against you."
His chest heaves with labored breaths. "I deserve this."
"Yes, you do." My voice cracks, tears spilling down my cheeks. "You made me believe you cared!"
The magic builds between my fingers, ready to strike again. Ready to make him suffer like I did.
Aurel looks up at me from the blood-soaked ground, those snake-skin eyes that once held such power now dim with regret. His massive form lies broken, scales dulled with dirt and blood.
"I'm sorry," he whispers, the words barely audible over the crackling of my magic.
Sorry? The word ignites something primal inside me. Magic surges through my veins, making my skin glow with raw power. The air around us grows thick with energy, charged like the moment before a storm breaks.
"Sorry?" My laugh sounds hollow even to my own ears. "You taught me everything I know about magic, about strength." The power builds between my fingers, responding to my fury. "But you never taught me about betrayal."
His chest heaves with labored breaths. "Vera?—"
"Don't." The magic crackles louder, drowning out his voice. "You were my teacher. My guide." Each word sends sparks of energy through the air. "I trusted you."
Blood trickles from the corner of his mouth as he tries to speak again. But I'm done listening to his lies, done being manipulated by that silver tongue.
The magic explodes from my hands in one devastating wave, raw power unlike anything I've ever channeled before. It slams into him with the force of a thousand storms, lifting his massive body into the air before crashing him back to earth.
When the dust settles, Aurel lies motionless, his serpentine form sprawled across the broken ground. The rise and fall of his chest tells me he's alive, but unconscious.
Good. Let him live with what he's done.