Chapter Seventy-Four #2
My heart constricts as amber threads emanate from Varic’s chest—though they don’t course toward me to settle my nerves. Instead, they swerve toward the Emperor.
Cool magic trails up my back as Cirrin sends me his healing, when a purple plume from Malin rises to curve behind and brace my neck. Tears prick my eyes from their compassion.
Emperor Aldritch scowls at me, and my chest constricts with what he might do should I fail him.
Tears build as another chill rises up my left arm, and I swallow a sob as the tension releases while Varic stares over at me out of the corner of his eye, drawing my emotions as he takes what I cannot contain.
My eyes dart down to where his hands are held clasped behind his back, and I struggle to pull in air as I cannot see whether any sparks emanate from either of his palms, with the hope he has no need to scar his skin the moment my emotions overwhelm him.
Danor shifts his attention to Varic, and I use the energy given to me and tear a sense of confusion from the minds of the Generals standing before us to then feed the pale white threads to Danor.
His brows knit together before he turns away.
Tears well as I imbue the same within His Majesty—all because my Guards are helping.
“I have summoned you here to explain how our Imperial forces have failed to prevent multiple assassination attempts on our Imperial Grand Witch!” His Majesty screams with a slam of his fist on the diorama before him.
A booming crack echoes off the rounded walls as the wooden model splits straight down the center. Both sides tilt, with the base barely preventing it from slamming to the ground with the damage His Majesty imparted—damage he should not be physically capable of in the absence of his magic.
Everyone seems to share in my terror as we all remain frozen in place. So quiet and still that anyone passing by could easily mistake the scene for a hyperrealistic painting.
Emperor Aldritch glances back at me before yelling, “Now.”
I slam my eyes shut and allow my power to course outward, supported by Varic, Cirrin, and Malin’s magic as I split the blue and white tendrils into hundreds of threads, then force the sensations of calm and peace to fill the chest cavities of those I must manipulate.
Each pulse from my body creates a false sense of trust in the beings he requires to answer his query, pulling too much of my energy as my heartbeat slows—though I don’t dare stop. Not until he’s given the signal that I have done enough.
“You will step forward and announce your failures!” He casts his eyes over the crowd.
My stomach churns, screaming for me to stop using my magic, needing a physical sensation to pull me out of the trance I enter when using my power to this extent.
Yet even with the gentle touch of Malin supporting the back of my neck, and Cirrin and Varic healing me—darkness consumes my vision until no amount of blinking can clear it.
Forcing me to rely on my power to determine the Emperor’s level of satisfaction with my work.
Blue and amber healing magic flows up and over my arms where it meets in the center between my shoulders, clearing my vision where my eyes cast downward.
Varic rotates his pointer finger closest to me until purple mist flows down and around my body, casting a violet glow as Malin’s magic holds me upright.
Yet my body still screams, with piercing pain driving into every muscle as my magic sputters, nearing the edge of being fully drained.
“You will explain every discovery you have made related to the attacks and assassination attempts!” My magic detects the Emperor is still experiencing agitation, meaning I cannot quit.
I cannot risk him learning I have become this weakened.
His Majesty stares out at the sorcerers I am controlling by his command with a sense of unbridled glee bubbling up from his stomach now that he must recognize it’s working.
So I push my power further, needing them to experience a semblance of trust toward their ruler.
Encouraging them to tell the truth so we may all leave this room with our lives.
A garbled noise of distress tumbles from my lips as I begin to fade out of consciousness.
Enough. I shudder as the voice in my mind causes my magic to falter while a familiar warmth surrounds me, feeling the same as if Varic were hugging me to his chest, though not a single part of his body touches mine.
Malin’s purple magic slowly recedes as Varic’s amber now holds me.
Tears well, then spill down my cheeks when his influence penetrates to fill me with hope, and I fail to hold in a shuddered breath when he sends me an ember of his love.
The flush on my chest grows wider now that he is imbuing me with his care, then glowing lines snake out and into the crowd from Varic.
My own chest fills with pride and wonder—which I send to him—letting him know how I feel in witnessing this.
“You will answer to me, or I will have you kneel before her.” His Majesty gestures to me, and my own gaze flicks over to Danor, who thankfully shows no sign of sensing what Varic is doing, despite the level of power he is using.
Varic’s jaw feathers, and his hands remain clasped behind him while I stare over in wonderment at how he’s learned to control this magic as well as he has so quickly—no.
That morning when he left the tent to report for duty after I healed him—I swore it felt as if he had imbued me then. That deep amber-hued feeling—meaning that Varic may have been practicing influence long before he met me.
General Fah steps forward and kneels before the stage. “We have failed you, Your Majesty.”
Emperor Aldritch rounds the war table and jumps to the ground with the grace and agility of someone less than half his age.
He glowers at the General before backhanding him so hard, he stumbles against the uniformed chests behind him.
General Fah plays it off well, righting himself and replacing his look of shock with a neutral expression, behaving as if this is normal behavior from our leader.