Page 116 of The Dark Mage
They met Irik at the crossroads, tethering the extra horses to the back of the carts.Fael, ever wary of the possibility of travelers or a backup regiment, urged the group onward through the star-strewn night.
The boys groaned and stirred as the carts jostled over uneven ground, and Ren’wyn’s worry grew.They would undoubtedly wake in desperate pain.She had packed plenty of herbs in preparation, including a sedative she could use until she had the chance to administer proper pain relief.
Fael glanced back from his position in the driver’s seat, his face shadowed but his eyes burning with intensity.“We’ll make it, Ren,” he said firmly, his voice carrying over the rhythmic clatter of the cartwheels.
Ren’wyn nodded, clutching the edge of the cart as she watched the boys, their small, battered bodies illuminated by faint traces of moonlight.She would do everything in her power to savethem.
The night dragged on as they traveled the dark road, the quiet broken by the calls of birds, the rustle of cottonwood leaves, and the rhythmic clatter of the wheels.Ren’wyn held the small boy’s feverish hand, his skin clammy and hot as waves of shivering overtook him.A gnawing nervousness took root in her stomach, tightening with every labored breath he took.She drifted in and out of sleep, her rest interrupted by the need to wet a shirt in the cool night air and press it against his burning forehead.
They passed their former camp, stopping briefly for Miguel to dash in and retrieve their packs.Ren’wyn groaned, remembering she needed boiling water for the sedative.She settled for dipping her finger into a jar of powdered willow bark, running it gently along the inside of the boy’s lips before she curled up againsthim.
The night was at its darkest when Ren’wyn startled awake.Something had shifted in the world around her.Tendrils of smoke caressed her legs, but she wasn’t their focus.The Void had turned its attention to the smallboy.
“Stop the cart, Fael,” she called urgently.“Please, help me!”
Fael reined in the horses, throwing the reins over the cart brace to keep them steady.
“Fael, please,” she begged, her voice trembling.
He didn’t hesitate.“Head out,” he called to the others.“Traveling separately will help us stay unnoticed.Come looking if we’re not back in threedays.”
Miguel nodded grimly, twitching the reins to move his cart forward.
Fael climbed in beside her, his expression dark as he knelt to examine the boy.The child’s breathing had changed—each breath wet and labored, rattling deep in his chest.Without a word, Fael settled behind Ren’wyn, spreading his knees wide to tuck her securely between his thighs.One of her hands clasped the boy’s small, frail fingers while the other wiped his damp face with a cool cloth.
“It’s too late, Ren,” Fael said hoarsely, his voice filled with the weight of what he knew she didn’t want to hear.“There’s nothing more we can do.”
“No,” she said, her voice breaking.“It can’t be.I won’t let that happen.”
The Void swelled, reaching out for the boy, its intent unmistakable.Ren’wyn rebelled, pushing back with every ounce of her will.Shadows surged, crowding the space around her and Fael, pressing against her magic as the Void demanded its due.Her power bristled with resistance, and for a moment, deathlistened.
But she couldn’t hold it forever.
A slow, burning sensation began in her chest as she fought fate, the strain threatening to pull her apart.If she waited too long, the Void might take her and Fael along with theboy.
Fael tightened his grip on her waist, then trailed his fingers lightly down her thigh, his lips brushing her ear as he whispered, “You gave him dignity.You gave him peace.Let him go free, mylove.”
She choked on a sob as the truth settled in, knowing he was right.
She loosened her grip on her magic, and Fael inhaled sharply as the tension broke.His gaze followed the shadows as they shifted and softened, his outstretched hand tracing the dark, smoky tendrils.The Void, freed from her restraint, moved gently.It caressed the boy’s frail body with a tender, loving touch, its presence more mournful than terrifying.A frosty breeze stirred the boy’s sweat-damp hair, ruffling it softly.
“I don’t even know his name,” Ren’wyn wept.“It’s not fair.He’s too young.”
“No,” Fael murmured thickly.“It’s not fair.”He tightened his arms around her, holding her close in the cradle his body created.
“Ground me,” she commanded, dashing tears from her cheeks.
Fael let his own magic flare, a raw current of anger and grief channeling his strength intoher.
Ren’wyn touched two fingers to her lips, then extended them over the boy.Shadows unfurled from her hand, cloaking his small body in darkness.The desperate rasp of his breathing stopped, his chest stilling as his aura blinked out.The air felt unbearably thin, raw and biting with loss, but Ren’wyn restrained her emotions.Her work wasn’tdone.
Drawing her hand upward, she summoned his shade.It appeared beside his lifeless form, a small, flickering presence.
She pointed gently at him.“Speak,” she croaked.
“Mama?”His small voice was scared, his shade confused.“Papa?”
“Yes,” Ren’wyn rasped, leaning into Fael’s strong arms.“Yes, it’s us, sweetie.Won’t you rest now, little one?Do you want to lie down and sleep?It’s very late, and Papa and I love you somuch.”
