Cast A Spell (Mages and Mates #4)

28. Thal

Thal

“ E xactly,” Otto said. “The sword can survive being buried so we can’t be crushed before we destroy it.”

“Let me and Lysandor release the souls,” Owen said, his eyes darting between us. “It took a lot of effort to kill the mage. You two must be drained.”

The offer was earnest, but we’d never agree. Otto and I were burdened by knowledge our brothers didn’t share. Using that much earth magic would have fatal consequences. We’d controlled the flow, but only barely. I wasn’t sure our brothers had the experience to do the same.

“We’re fine,” Otto said. “We were just the conduit for the earth magic. It wasn’t as tiring as fighting him to a standstill like you two did.”

Owen didn’t look convinced, but Otto didn’t back down. As the leader of the mission, he had the final say. Owen nodded. “OK, but you better not be lying.”

“I swear the fight didn’t wear us out,” Otto said. It was easy to sound convincing because it was the truth.

The back of my neck tingled like someone was behind me. I whirled around, searching for the source, only to be assailed on all sides by an invisible force. The demon and mage tried again to breach our defenses, their dark energy skidding against our shields. Scanning the others, they’d been hit, too.

“We need to deal with them now,” I said.

Otto pointed his stone at the sword and the discussion was over. We opened ourselves to each other again, and reestablished the deeper connection. The earth magic surrounded us, but the feeling was different. Gone were the barriers the mage and sword had thrown in its way. Now it flowed into us, unrestricted and stronger than I'd ever felt before.

Flush with magic, Otto and I were one being again. Our hearts beat in unison and it felt like we drew one breath. Bound this tightly to my mate, it was as if I was the mage casting the spells and focusing the enormous energy we’d been given.

I also discovered magic wasn’t about hand gestures or even words. Mages visualized what they wanted to do, and if their will was strong enough, the magic did what they requested.

The art was in knowing how to stack the elements. Which steps had to happen before others for the magic to work. The more parts, the harder the spell. What Otto was about to do was harder than most. Much harder.

Fortunately, Otto only needed to cast the spell once. Then it was a matter of giving it enough magic to uncouple the souls from the sword. Given the binding had been forged with the power of a mage’s soul, we needed a lot of magic.

We went through the stages of the spell and the small part of me that stayed independent of the whole swelled with pride. Otto played up everyone’s skill but his own. He worked the steps of a complex spell with the ease of a master.

Adding the last piece to the enchantment, he released the spell. Together we drew upon the boundless energy of the earth and fed it to our efforts. The strain was immediate and intense. Otto’s body tensed against mine.

The dark aura of the Demon Sword pulsed, foul and malevolent. It seemed to shrink back as if scared of the beam of pure white light shot from Otto's mage stone. It struck the sword with an intensity that would have snapped an ordinary blade. The cave shook violently and rocks crumbled from the ceiling and walls. Dust filled the air, making it hard to breathe. I heard Owen shout defiantly, and a shimmering purple shield covered our group.

The sword let out an otherworldly sound that was the stuff of nightmares. The shriek gripped me and sent fear clawing up my spine. The demon and mage souls inside the sword turned their fear into rage as they struggled against our magic. After centuries of twisting things to their will, they fought to maintain their existence.

Their resistance wasn’t a shock, but it exceeded the levels everyone expected. The mistake had been to presume some small part of the mage wanted to be free. We believed he’d been subsumed by the demon. Instead, he fought just as hard to maintain his place in our world.

The earth responded to our need for more magic, eager to be rid of the cancer that had caused it such pain. We added to what we used slowly, hoping to reach the level necessary to banish the souls without overloading ourselves.

We’d already exceeded what we used to kill the mage, and it was clear we were winning. With each new increase, the souls in the sword howled in outrage, but stubbornly clung to their home.

The amount of power coursing through us was staggering. We were channeling more magic than our bodies could handle for long. Despite that, we continued to draw in more. The air around us crackled and tasted of ozone. The ground trembled continuously, and I could hear the ominous sounds of the roots of the mountain groaning under the strain.

The white light intensified until it resembled a mini sun. Surrounded by earth magic, Otto was able to see through the blinding light to keep his attack focused on the blade. The sword's aura flickered and the outcome was not in doubt. The question was would we survive the victory.

Although I hadn’t actually asked the question, Otto “heard” me. He tried to block his thoughts, but he was too slow. A soul-deep sadness snuck out before he cut me off.

“I’m so sorry, dragi,” he said, his voice heavy with regret. “The only thing keeping us alive is the earth magic coursing through us. Before we break the link, our bodies will have already died.”

Otto had known the moment we called for more magic. His early optimism proved wrong when the mage refused to leave his demon mate. Set on the path of no return, I steeled myself for our final act. A maelstrom of emotions threatened to overwhelm me—fear, sadness, determination, and love. I pushed them all aside to focus on the battle.

“Then we are free to use as much magic as we need,” I said. “We should end this.”

“We will, but I need to scale up slowly or I’ll overwhelm Owen and Lysandor.”

I spared a glance at our brothers. The strain on Owen’s face explained Otto’s cautious behavior. His jaw was set and his arm shook with the effort to maintain the protection. They could adjust provided we gave them time.

Lysandor glanced over. I saw in his eyes he knew the truth. I smiled hoping to reassure him, but he turned before acknowledging. If my brother knew, so did Owen. Sadly, I didn’t think I’d get the chance to tell him and Owen how proud I was of them. They’d started out so cavalier and unfocused. Now they were going to save the world.

Knowing they were ready to accept the mantle of Southern Guardians renewed my determination to destroy the Demon Sword for good. We summoned more earth magic and Otto slowly added it to our attack.

Staring into the brightness, I saw the outlines of two beings. The demon had horns on its head and spikes down his arms. The tips of wings poked above his shoulders, but they were tucked behind his back. I couldn’t see the color of his eyes, but they were locked on us in an angry glare.

The mage was a haggard-looking human, with shaggy hair and a ragged beard. He wore a desperate expression, as if what awaited him in death was worse than being bound to a sword with the soul of a demon.

Slowly the edges of their souls burned away into tiny wisps of darkness that were consumed by the light. We resisted the instinct to let up. It was too late and we dared not risk letting these two evil beings loose into the world.

The sword's resistance began to falter, as more of their existence evaporated. Their doom was already set, but they struggled to keep their grip on the sword. Dark tendrils of energy snaked out from the blade, trying to ensnare us. Otto deflected them, grunting from the effort.

A burst of dark energy exploded from the sword, slamming into the stream of earth magic. This last desperate attempt was swallowed by the light inches from the sword. The futile effort sped up the disintegration of the two souls.

I wondered if they would’ve made the attempt if they knew we were going to perish along with them. Our afterlife would hopefully be more pleasant than theirs.

“Otto!” Owen shouted, his voice cracking.

The anguish in his voice would’ve made me cry if I were capable of tears in my current state. I wanted to comfort him and tell him everything would be all right, but that was a lie.

“I’m proud of you Owen,” Otto said in a voice full of joy. “You’ve done an amazing job. I want you and Lysandor to live a long, happy life.”

Owen was crying so hard he had to blink repeatedly to see. My brother tried to comfort him, but his own emotions were threatening to overwhelm him. The cave rumbled again and more dirt and rocks fell from the ceiling.

“Finish it now,” I said. “Otherwise, we may lose them when the Demon Sword explodes.”

Otto didn’t answer with words. A surge of energy swelled up and he narrowed the stream and concentrated it on the demon. The being burned away like tissue paper in a fire. I thought the mage smiled as he was freed, but the echo of his passing said otherwise.

The flow of earth magic abruptly ended. I expected to feel pain or something, but there was nothing. We'd burned ourselves out and there was nothing left but our consciousness.

Otto embraced me with his love and I surrounded myself with his essence. “I love you, dragi. In this life and whatever comes after.”

“And I love you,” Otto said. “Always and forever."

I wanted to kiss him, but my body was gone.

The sword was crumbled into dust and the last magic inside exploded with a loud, brilliant pop. Owen gathered the energy in his shield and diffused it into the ground. His knees buckled, but he managed to stay upright.

In that moment, suspended between heartbeats, I felt a profound sense of peace. We'd done it. The world was safe.

My thoughts found Otto’s and I felt his love and joy that we’d saved everyone. Mixed in was a disappointment for the adventures we’d never share, but there was no remorse. I shared his joy and disappointment, but I couldn’t restrain a twinge of regret that I wouldn’t see our brothers grow into their new roles.

“Thank you. For everything.” I whispered, unsure if he could even hear me anymore.

A wave of happiness washed over me. “No, thank you for showing me what it truly means to love.”

The white light engulfed us completely, and I felt myself slipping away. My last conscious thought was of Otto, and how grateful I was to have found him, even if our time together had been far too short.

Then, there was nothing but light.