Page 23 of Bound in Flames

I closed my eyes, taking a breath as I pushed my magic outward. A tentative bubble expanded around us. It brushed against the orcs first, caressing their forms as it spread, warm and curious. The magic seemed to recognize them, brushing across their frames with quiet acknowledgment, as if sensing they belonged to the earth. Again, I was certain choosing to stay with Dex was the right decision.

As my magic stretched further, it crept into the forest ahead, the energy seeking danger in the oppressive shadows. The senseof wrongness grew stronger, sharp and biting, and my hands tingled, the green glow pulsing brighter as the magic strained against the darkness. My grip tightened on Dex’s forearm as I tugged him to the right, and the green light curled around his arm like a living tether.

"It's over there." My voice was steadier than I’d expected.

The warriors reaction was immediate, sliding in front of us with weapons raised, their smooth movements a testament to their experience in battle. Dex pulled his arm free from my grasp, his expression hardening as he assessed the threat. His hand moved unerringly to the hilt of his Chieftain dagger, drawing it free to complement the sword already in his other hand. The glowing runes etched into the blade shimmered in the dim light, their pale glow a a stark contrast to the encroaching evil around us. Each symbol seemed alive, pulsing in rhythm with the tension radiating from his body.

Ahead, a shadow emerged from the trees. Its skeletal figure floated across the forest floor, draped in a swirling darkness. Glowing red eyes pierced the gloom, unblinking and fixed on us as it moved. Dense mist writhed beneath it like a living shroud.

My breath caught, and the magic inside me flared violently, pushing against the edges of my control. My hands trembled, and the pull of its energy—cold, lifeless, and deeply wrong—wrapped around me, suffocating and familiar. This was no ordinary threat; its magical presence felt like a weight pressing down on my chest.

The shadow figure raised a hand, and a wave of cold swept through the clearing, thick with the stench of decay. I shivered, the dark energy inside me calling seductively, its pull like a whisper in my mind. The desire to reach for it, to let it consume my fear, was almost impossible to ignore. The curl of green magic around my fingers warped to reveal a red edge, and was I terrified by how intoxicating its promise of power felt. Ismothered the feeling with every ounce of self-control I had. It scared me more than the skeletal figure before us. My heartbeat thundered in my ears.

The chill nipped at my exposed skin, seeping through the fabric of my dress. My heart raced, the pulse of magic inside me surging wildly in response to the threat before us. The ground beneath me felt wrong, as though something vital had been drained from it. The figure’s presence seemed to sap the energy from the forest around us, and the deeper I reached for the earth’s magic, the more I felt the void it created.

Dex stood in front of me, his broad shoulders taut with tension as the orcs fanned out at his side, their weapons drawn. Steel flashed as they shifted into position, and bow strings creaked as they were pulled taunt. Though their movements were precise, I caught the flicker of hesitation in their eyes—an unease that mirrored the knot twisting in my stomach. This wasn’t just another enemy. It felt like an apex predator wrapped in shadow.

The figure’s glowing eyes bore into me, their unnatural red light like searing brands against the gloom. And then I felt itpullon the forest. It wasn’t just a sensation; it was a force, cold and invasive, clawing through my magic as if seeking to tear it from my veins. A shudder ran down my spine as the void within the figure reached for me, leaving my skin prickling and my stomach lurching. My instincts screamed to push back, to resist the suffocating, icy tendrils trying to burrow into my core.

“Cleo, stay back.” Dex’s voice was urgent as he stepped to block me from view. “You aren’t equipped for this fight!”

Frustration bubbled up, hot and insistent, at his dismissal. I squared my shoulders, pushing down the fear that coiled like a snake in my stomach. “You think your sword is enough for this?” My voice was biting, challenging him. “You can’t cut through magic with a blade!”

He snorted, swinging his blade toward the shadows. “Maybe. But uncontrolled magic is a liability.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Time to prove I’m more than a liability, Chieftain.” His words hit harder than I expected, the charming and gentle orc I had begun to trust now hidden behind an impenetrable wall of command. A sharp sting of betrayal flared in my chest, despite knowing my magic was mostly untested. The cold dismissal hurt in a way I hadn’t anticipated, but I swallowed the ache, letting determination rise in its place. Power thrummed beneath my skin as I stepped forward, resolute even as doubt lingered at the edges of my mind.

The figure’s gnarled fingers carved shapes into the air, and dark mist began to unfurl around it, coiling like a living thing. The fog thickened as it slid over the underbrush, twisting around the orcs’ legs. A wave of icy death rolled through the clearing, their sharp cries cutting through the air as the mist drained the energy from them. Their skin paled, veins darkening as they staggered to their knees, eyes wide with panic.

“No!”

Panic surged through me as the dark mist coiled tighter, its hunger consuming them. Spider-like veins spread across their faces like a corruption, their bodies convulsing as their life force was being drained. Magic surged within me, battling the icy air that wrapped around us. My breath came in ragged gasps, fear and exhilaration warring inside me as the magic demanded more. I forced myself to move, each step defying the weight of the darkness pressing down on us.

The figure’s glowing eyes turned on me, the mist wrapping around my ankles, but it didn’t touch me like it had the others. As it swirled, I could feel the magic inside resisting the pull of the darkness.

I raised my hand, planting myself in front of the orcs as the mist rolled like a wave, burying them under its weight. The darkenergy pressed, clawing at my defenses, but it couldn’t break through. Reaching deep into my well of magic, I pulled from the earth beneath my feet.

A vibrant haze of green burst from me, tendrils of magic wrapping protectively around my body. Mushrooms erupted from the ground, blooming in the magic’s wake as though I had summoned the forest to life. The warmth inside me grew, andI could feel the darkness faltering, but it wasn’t enough. It's power too overwhelming.

Trusting my instincts, I thrust my hand behind me, my heart pounding as I felt Dex’s rough fingers wrap around mine. The instant we touched, it was as if a dam broke—energy flooded between us, blistering hot. The connection sparked something instinctual, and I became nothing more than a conduit, and with renewed strength, it surged outward, bathing the path in a bright green light.

The magic burst from my hands in glowing tendrils, pulsing with a life of its own as it wrapped protectively around the warriors. I felt its purpose, instinctive and unwavering, the rush drowned out the fear clawing at my chest. The glow brightened, swallowing the clearing and driving the mist back. The suffocating darkness recoiled, splintering like glass under the force, and I saw the orcs stagger to their feet, gasping as life returned to their pale faces. My heart thundered at the sheer power coursing through me. The magic felt wild, yet it responded as if it knew exactly what to do.

The darkness convulsed, collapsing inward with a warped scream, retreating toward the skeletal figure as its piercing howls shattered the air. Its form twisted unnaturally, the writhing shadow collapsing in on itself, shrinking into a dense, chaotic mass before vanishing into the depths of the forest. The silence that followed was deafening, the echo of its retreat hanging in the air like the aftermath of a storm.

Energy drained from me and my vision began to darken. I gasped for air as the magic pulled too much from my own reserves. A burning red haze clouded my vision. I squeezed my eyes shut, desperate for relief, but the pressure behind them only grew. My breath hitched as a warmth slid over my upper lip, the sharp, metallic tang of blood filling my mouth, reminding me of the toll of my magic.

Pain blazed through me, a searing heat turning every nerve into fire. My magic twisted, no longer a protective force but a torrent, dragging me under. My knees gave way, and the world blurred, the pressure in my head pounding with every beat of my heart. I was falling, slipping into the dark void, but Dex’s arms caught me. His voice cut through the chaos, pulling me back toward the faint tether of his touch.

‘Cleo!’ he rasped, shaking me gently as if trying to anchor me to the world. His hand found mine, gripping it tightly, and I could feel his fear in the tremor of his touch.

I tried to speak, to tell him what was happening, but my body refused to obey. I wanted to reassure him, but the darkness dragged me under, pulling me into an echoing silence. The last thing I felt was his hand gripping mine, a desperate tether pulling against the void. His warmth pushed back the encroaching cold, a fragile thread holding me on the edge of the light.

Chapter 13

Dex

The forest was unnervingly still, its silence pressing against the edges of my senses. My gaze flicked over my warriors as they moved through the temporary camp, their steps quieter than usual, tension etched into their movements. Eyes darted toward the furs where Cleo slept, a wary reverence in their expressions.

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