Cast A Spell (Mages and Mates #4)

27. Otto

Otto

T he mage’s words, loaded with malice, hung in the air between us. Despite being outnumbered, the man’s bravado was impressive. Thal's presence steadied me and gave me an immediate incentive not to lose.

“You won't find us very welcoming,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt.

The mage's laughter echoed off the cave walls, a sound that made me shiver. “Oh, you naive little creatures. You have no idea what you're dealing with.”

I scanned the room, searching for traps or weapons he could use against us. The Demon Sword pulsed with dark energy, its black jewel seeming to drink in the light our mage stones provided. The corrupted mage stood behind it, his hand hovering inches from the hilt, as if daring us to make a move.

“Actually,” Owen stepped forward, his voice surprisingly confident, “we know exactly what we're dealing with. A coward who sold his soul for power he can't hope to control.”

I gave my brother props for boldness, but I worried he wouldn’t be prepared for the mage's reaction. A burst of dark energy shot out from the gem, heading for Owen and Lysandor. My fears were unwarranted as Owen’s shield easily deflected the attack.

The cave erupted in sizzling energy as Owen hurled energy back at our foe. The counter seemed simplistic on its face, but Owen had woven a binding spell into his attack. It failed, but it took away some of the mage’s swagger.

Lysandor moved in sync with Owen, staying behind the strongest part of the shield. The way they worked together was a testament to how far they'd come. It also gave me the freedom to act without having to worry much about their safety.

Using the distraction our brothers created, I struck the sword with an unwinding spell. It wouldn’t destroy the blade, but I wanted to see if it would interrupt the flow between it and the mage. Thal's strength flowed through me and amplified my attack. Our practice paid off as even under dire circumstances, Thal seamlessly supported me.

Our attack on the sword caused the mage’s energy to stutter for a moment. I added the new information into my battle plan.

“You think your little bonds can save you?” The mage’s face twisted in obvious contempt. He wrapped his fingers around the sword's hilt. “Let me show you true power!”

The sword came free with the sickening sound of tearing flesh. The cave trembled, dust and small rocks raining down on us. The mage's eyes glowed with an unholy light as he brandished the weapon.

I showed Thal what I needed and he fed me his strength. Channeling all the magic I could handle, I sent a concentrated beam of arcane energy at the mage. Enhanced by Thal’s power, it was easily the strongest attack I’d ever made. The tight spear of reddish energy could’ve decimated an average house. For a moment I dared to hope it would take him out.

The gem in the pommel pulsed and a burst of black magic formed a shield around the mage. My energy splashed against the barrier like water on a wall.

“That’s the best you can do?” he said.

He swung the sword in a wide arc, sending a wave of corrupt magic towards us. I reinforced my shield and bore down. The blow struck like I’d been hit by a city bus. My protection held but barely. The force of the attack pushed me back, and I would’ve struck the cave wall if Thal hadn’t been behind me.

I slammed into his chest and he wrapped his arms around me. His solid body felt soft and strong as he held me fast.

“What happened?” he asked.

My left arm ached as if the blow had hit my stone and I realized I was clutching my red zircon so tight it dug into my skin. “That sword gives it inhuman strength.”

Across the cave, Owen and Lysandor were holding their own against the mage's onslaught. Owen's face was a mask of concentration as he wove a series of complex spells. The mage’s smirk faded when Owen’s attacks exploded one after the other. A surge of pride filled me. Owen was fierce and deadly.

Impressive as my brother’s efforts were, the Demon Sword continued to sheath the mage in a cocoon of black magic. Although rattled, our foe was still undaunted.

“Your pathetic magic can't beat me," the mage taunted. He deflected a ball of mage fire and sent a larger one to attack Owen. “The sword holds the power of the souls of a demon and a mage. What hope do you have against such strength?”

“More than you know,” I growled too low for him to hear.

Owen flicked his stone, and the ebony ball was sent back at its sender. The mage rolled his eyes as he reabsorbed his energy, but Owen wasn’t finished with him. A burst of silvery stilettoes shot from his stone. Alone they were insignificant, but in the hundreds they rattled our enemy.

Red bands flew from my stone and surrounded the mage. Once they wrapped around him, the strips of energy squeezed tighter. The combination of attacks wiped the smile from his face. The Demon Sword flared and my ribbons burned away.

Despite thwarting our attacks, we’d unsettled the mage. By himself, he wasn’t strong. His skills were minimal, and he relied on brute force to overwhelm his opponents—power he got exclusively from the sword.

“Owen. Focus on the mage,” I sent to my brother. “Thal and I will concentrate on the sword.”

The mage boasted he commanded the power of the souls of a demon and a mage. We had the power of two souls that could tap into the endless power of the earth. I’d take those odds every day.

Thal and I had one of the most intimate mate bonds I’d ever heard of, but it needed to be tighter. The true power of our bond came from the earth. In order to use her strength, we needed to be one mind working toward one goal. Fortunately, we were perfectly in sync.

The mage thought the sword was a force to be reckoned with, but he was wrong. We were going to show him what a true mate bond could do.

My brother attacked again, filling the cave with flashes of purple energy as his barrage of spells struck in rapid succession. Lysandor had his hands on Owen’s shoulders. His eyes were closed but he moved in step with his mate. Together they gave Thal and I the time to gather enough power to destroy the sword.

Thal moved his hands to my shoulders. Not that we needed to be in contact, but it made us both feel better to touch the other. I opened myself fully, like we practiced before we left the village. Thal did the same and we merged into one consciousness.

For a moment, I lost sense of where I ended and Thal began. It was like diving into an ocean of pure energy. This was way more than when we practiced. Power unlike anything I'd ever experienced coursed through me. It was exhilarating and terrifying in equal measure. The earth responded to our call by giving us the means to push back against the corruption that had taken root.

The mage's eyes widened as Thal and I became a living sword to counter his weapon. He turned toward us. “No! I won't let?—"

A string of purple bursts taught him the folly of ignoring the best mage in the cave. Owen pressed his advantage, and our foe stepped back.

The mage swung the ebony blade wildly to ward off the attacks. A wall of black energy appeared in the sword’s wake. It blocked Owen’s spells and slammed into his shield.

Owen and Lysandor withstood the blow, but they leaned heavily against each other. The purple spinel shook in my brother’s hand. Owen grimaced and his shield pulsed, its light brighter as he restored it to full power.

The black mage shifted himself for another strike and an evil grin twisted his lips. The fool forgot Owen wasn’t alone.

I pointed my stone and a brilliant burst of nearly white light struck the Demon Sword. A shriek filled the cave and it took a moment to realize it wasn’t coming from any living being.

For the first time since we entered the cave, I saw real fear on the mage’s face. He pointed the tip of the sword at us and black energy crackled our way.

I met the assault with pure earth magic. Where the two forces clashed, the white dissolved the black. Our stream pushed his back, eliciting a new screech.

Connected as we were to the earth, I watched as the corruption all around us flowed back toward the stone in the center of the room. I realized the corruption doubled as a source of energy the demon could draw upon in times of need.

There was so much power in the air, my hair stood on end. Thal and I remain still, letting the power flow through us. The mage’s effort had stopped our advance for a moment. Fortunately for us, the more reserve power the sword pulled back to the cave, the easier it was to draw strength from the earth.

My stone glowed nearly white as I poured the increased power into my assault. Inch by inch, our light pushed back the darkness. The mage's face contorted with rage and fear. He gripped the sword with both hands, channeling more of its foul energy.

Dark magic rushed under our feet and through the walls of the cave, and our power increased by the second. I gritted my teeth, pushing harder. Directing this much earth magic was like trying to redirect an avalanche with my bare hands. If not for Thal’s immutable support, I’d have failed.

We were more than two souls working together; we’d become one entity. I saw Thal’s hand covering mine as we burned away the dark corruption that had stained the land for too long.

The cave shook violently, and small rocks fell from the ceiling and walls. I spared a glance at Owen and Lysandor and was relieved to see them safely behind a stable shield. Knowing they weren’t at risk, we gave the mage and Demon Sword our full attention.

The blade was smoking with all the power it was directing at us, and the mage gritted his teeth.

“You fools!” he screamed. “You'll destroy us all!”

His warning might be true, but it didn’t matter if we made it out alive. Neutralizing him and the sword had been the purpose of our mission. Some of us, however, needed to make it back to Percy and Gio.

“Lysandor and Owen. You need to leave now!” Thal said.

“No!” The pair protested in unison.

“Just stop there,” Owen said. “If you bring the mountain down, we’re too far from the exit to make it in time. Together we have a better chance of defeating the Demon Sword and surviving. So, stop wasting brain cells on us and finish this fight.”

Thal wanted to push back, but their objection was based on facts. They wouldn’t make it to the exit and together we might find a way out even if the mountain landed on top of us.

“Since you’re staying, figure out how to keep the mountain from crashing down on us,” I said, and then turned my attention back to our enemy.

“Let’s end this,” I said to Thal.

“Agreed, dragi.”

His use of the endearment, even now, filled me with warmth. I might be foolish, but I was convinced we were going to beat the Demon Sword and its wielder and walk out alive.

Through our connection to the earth, we knew the Demon Sword didn’t have much of its stored energy left to draw upon. One final push with everything we had ought to finish the fight.

Thal and I ignored everything else and focused on unleashing the full extent of our combined power. Earth magic responded like it had been waiting for us to call it to battle. White light surged forward, engulfing the sword and the panicked mage. His scream of rage and defiance was cut short as the energy washed over him.

For a moment, everything was blindingly bright. I couldn't see or hear anything but the roar of magic. Then, the world went deathly silent.

I blinked spots from my vision as the light faded. Where the corrupted mage had stood, there was only a scorch mark on the cave floor. The Demon Sword, however, had returned to its place embedded in the stone. It appeared completely untouched by our assault. Had we failed? After everything, was it all for nothing?

With our enhanced senses, I saw something new. A hair-thin crack emerged and ran the length of the Demon Sword. As we watched, it spread and branched out like a spider's web.

The fracture in the surface of the blade widened, and we could see the metal underneath the black coating. Black flakes fell, revealing the shiny blade beneath.

My first thought was we’d won, but the sword still had a dark aura. All we’d done was burn away centuries of dark energy. Our job wasn't finished yet. The sword was weakened but not destroyed. We needed to complete the task.

Although the mage had wielded the sword’s magical power, the souls inside the blade could still exert their mental control. Left unchecked, it would rebuild itself over time.

A strong, pointed attack struck the wards Thal and I wore. It felt like a painful beesting. Owen and Lysandor also reacted like they’d been poked with a sharp object. Several more attempts followed before I realized it was the Demon Sword trying to punch through our charms.

“We can’t leave without destroying this,” I said, directing my gaze at my brother. “Thal and I will use the spell Bart taught us, but you and Lysandor need to contain the energy that will likely be released. If not . . .”

“If not this cave is going to collapse around our heads,” Owen said.