Page 41 of Bound In Stone, Claimed In Fire

Drayveth’s lips press tight, sorrow flickering momentarily. “Then you choose death,” he says softly. “I tried to give you one last chance.”

His subordinates unleash a coordinated barrage of necromantic bolts, swirling green flames, and crackling illusions that distort the air. My pulse spikes. Kaelith roars, wings sweeping out to shield me from the brunt of the assault. Stone shards explode around us, rattling my bones. A chunk of rock nearly clips my shoulder.

I channel the synergy we practiced—both our magics weaving. The tether flares, letting me sense Kaelith’s raw earth-and-stone energy. With a trembling chant, I draw on his strength, forging an arcane shield that envelops us. Vicious necromantic tendrils slither across the translucent barrier, spitting sparks where they clash with my purna wards. My brand sears like a brand fresh from the forge.This is pushing me dangerously close to the meltdown that nearly happened last time.

Drayveth’s eyes widen at our combined magic, his staff blazing with dark power in response. “Fools,” he snarls, pumping more energy into the next assault. “You think that synergy can save you? You’ll only accelerate your corruption.”

Kaelith snarls back, sweat beading on his brow. “She’s not the one slaughtering innocents on a whim.” He braces a clawed hand against my back, lending me stability as I maintain the shield.We can’t keep it up for long.

Lightning arcs from two purna staves, fusing into one crackling spear that slams my shield with deafening force. My barrier wavers, hairline fractures rippling across the surface. My breath hitches.It’s too strong.The synergy is powerful, but we’re exhausted and outnumbered.

“We need to break free!” Kaelith yells over the roar of clashing magic.

I nod, sweat burning my eyes. “On my signal.”

He shifts, runes blazing, preparing a kinetic wave. My entire body thrums with tension, the tether humming at a near-painful pitch. Drayveth’s allies chant in a furious crescendo, swirling illusions conjuring phantasmal shapes that claw at our shield. My brand pulses, heartbeat stuttering.I won’t be labeled Nyxari. I won’t let them kill him.

“Now!” I scream, unleashing the shield’s energy outward in a sudden burst. Kaelith simultaneously channels a kinetic blast, the combined forces slamming into our attackers. There’s a thunderous crash. Several purna are knocked sprawling, spells fizzling mid-air. Drayveth himself staggers, staff scraping over the rocky ground.

An opening. Kaelith grasps my uninjured arm, pulling me with him. We dash sideways, diving between two purna who are still reeling from the shock. One flails at me with a dagger—my staff parries on instinct, and I grunt, twisting away. My brand twinges with each motion, but adrenaline propels me forward. Kaelith bashes another purna aside, wings flaring as we sprint for the narrow pass behind them.

“Stop them!” Drayveth roars, regaining his balance, staff sparking ominously. But we’re already past the ring of purna, pounding up the slope. Rocks scatter beneath our feet. My lungs burn.

A necromantic bolt flies past my head, scorching the cliff face. I flinch, nearly stumbling. Kaelith tightens his grip, practically dragging me along. My heart slams wildly, tears blurring my vision.I fought my own family. He’s right—I’m a traitor.Buttheythreatened to kill Kaelith.How can they expect me to betray him?Guilt and heartbreak twist like knives in my chest.

We scramble higher, forging a desperate path along the cliff’s edge. Behind us, I hear the purna regrouping, shouts echoing. “After them!” Drayveth’s voice reverberates, carrying that old commanding authority I once revered. Each word feels like a lash against my soul.I used to love him, respect him, see him as a father figure.Now he hunts me with lethal intent.

A biting wind tears across the ridge, nearly throwing me off balance. Kaelith’s wings snap open, catching the gust. For an instant, I think he might try to fly us out of here, but the terrain is too narrow, the updraft unpredictable. He’s still wounded, and I recall how precarious gargoyle flight can be when not at full strength.Too risky.

Instead, we press on, stumbling around a jagged boulder. The path narrows to a thin ledge overlooking a dizzying drop. My heart plummets at the sight of the yawning chasm below. One misstep, and we’re done. Kaelith halts, cursing under his breath.Dead end.The ledge ends abruptly, the cliff curving away in a sheer fall.

Footsteps ring out behind us. Drayveth and his purna appear, fanning across the path. Trapped. My stomach knots, brand throbbing.Nowhere left to run.Kaelith’s tail lashes, runes flaring with grim resolve.We might have to fight to the death.

Drayveth points his staff at me, voice like ice. “This is your last chance, Sariah. Separate from the gargoyle—kill him if necessary. Prove your loyalty.”

I meet his gaze, tears welling anew, voice cracking. “You’re asking me to murder the only ally who’s ever believed in me without trying to control me. The one who’s fought for me against Nerezza’s nightmares. I can’t… I can’t do that.”

His eyes harden. “Then you are truly lost. The coven cannot abide a rogue purna with your potential. By the authority of the High Circle, I name you Nyxari. Your life is forfeit.”

A sob shudders from my chest. He raises his staff, energy coalescing into a lethal swirl. The purna beside him follow suit, forming a volley of crackling spells ready to reduce Kaelith and me to ash. My grip on my staff trembles.I can’t hold off so many.Even with Kaelith’s synergy, we’re battered, exhausted, pinned on a ledge with nowhere else to go.

I glance at Kaelith, tears streaming down my face. He meets my gaze, claws flexing, jaw set with unwavering determination. “I won’t let them harm you,” he growls, low enough only I hear. The tether resonates with a fierce protectiveness that breaks my heart. We’re in this together, to the bitter end.

Drayveth’s expression is blank, as though he’s steeled himself for an unpleasant duty. “May the Source show you mercy, child,” he intones, staff rising. His allies do the same, spells glimmering with finality.

My mind spins.Is there no other way?If I hurl an explosive wave, I might bring the cliff down on us all. The brand burns like fire, begging for release.If I tap that power fully… I might kill them or kill us all… or become the monster they claim I am.

The tension builds, a heartbeat away from carnage. Then, from somewhere above, a thunderous roar echoes—no, not thunder. A new presence. Everyone jerks their heads upward, including Drayveth. My pulse flutters, confusion mingling with dread. The sky overhead darkens. A massive shape swoops into view, wings outstretched, fanning dust and gravel across the ledge.A gargoyle. But… twisted? Nerezza’s brood?

Panicked shouts fill the air as the newcomers dive, unleashing arcs of greenish-black fire upon Drayveth’s formation. Screams erupt. My brand pulses, alarm spiking. Kaelith curses, yanking me back against the cliff as shards of rock and magical flame rain down. Drayveth’s purna scatter, their assault on us forgotten in the face of this new threat.

One of the twisted gargoyles—skin a mottled gray with black veining—snarls, claws raking at the nearest purna. The poor soul tries to raise a shield but is slammed aside. More monstrous shapes swirl overhead, at least three or four, each one enormous and menacing, eyes glowing a sickly yellow. My chest constricts.Nerezza’s brood has found us.

“This is bad,” Kaelith mutters, scanning the chaos. Drayveth’s contingent fights back, hurling necromantic blasts that scorch the stone. But the twisted gargoyles are relentless, diving in to rend flesh. Their screeches reverberate, sending a chill down my spine.

In that instant, the ultimatum Drayveth gave me dissolves into utter anarchy. We’re all pinned on a precarious ledge with monstrous gargoyles overhead. Rocks crumble under the onslaught, dust choking the air. Drayveth tries to rally his purna, shouting commands, staff blazing as he flings lethal bursts of greenish flame at one of the brood. But the creature shrugs it off with terrifying ease, screeching in defiance.

Kaelith tugs my arm. “We have to get off this ledge,” he hisses. “They’ll bring it down.” Already, cracks run through the cliff face, pebbles tumbling into the abyss below.

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