Page 96 of The Dark Mage
It was time to destroy.
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They knelt on the damp forest floor as Fael described the brigands’ camp.There were around twenty of them, with Sorya and Lia kept in separate tents.Both women were drugged, dragged from tent to tent at the whim of their captors.Injured and alone, with no way of knowing where the women might be at any given moment, Fael hadn’t dared to attack, even with his magic completely unleashed.
Fael remained tormented, his restless power radiating heat that prickled Ren’wyn’s skin, feeding off his hunger for bloodshed.He had planned to lure the men away, killing them one by one and hoping to reach Lia and Sorya before the brigands used them as hostages.Alone, it had been his only option.Now, in the dirt before them, Fael sketched the layout of the camp—tents, supply areas, paths in and out—ready to devise a plan together.
“Fael, you and I can go in at sunset,” Esrin said decisively.“I’ll call the rain now, and it’ll arrive by then.I’ll blind them with wind and rain while you cut them down in the chaos.Ren’wyn should wait with Patina—we can bring Sorya and Lia toher.”
Fael frowned.Ren’wyn stayed silent, her tongue heavy as she twisted her hands together.
Keep your mouth shut, daughter.You have nothing to offer.The opinions of a poorly educated woman are unnecessary and worthless.
You’re so high-strung, Ren’wyn.Just like your mother.You overthink and overreact to everything.
Don’t embarrass me, girl!Get inside and learn to keep your mouthshut!
Her father’s voice echoed through her mind, hammering her back into insignificance.She hated retreating.She hated the thought of being caught, violated.Most of all, she hated the creeping doubt winding through her like poison, whispering that she was useless.She wasn’t a fighter.She couldn’t wield a sword or a bow.Fear told her she’d only be a liability.
When she finally looked up, Fael’s gaze was locked on hers.His magic radiated heat across the clearing, melting her fear and doubt.Blood simmered in her veins, burning away hesitation.Dark intent stirred in her chest, and the deadly, quiet creature within her soul hissed its displeasure.
“I’m not a liability,” she snapped.
Esrin flinched, startled by the force in her voice.Fael, by contrast, smiled wickedly.
“I might be gentle and soft, Esrin,” Ren’wyn continued, “but I cankill.”
She straightened, her pupils dilating as she looked between the two men—flames and earth opposing one another.“I’ll make sure anyone who tries to escape meets my death at the edge of camp,” she vowed, baring her teeth in a cold grimace.“And I will make them suffer.”
Esrin shuddered, his discomfort evident, but when Ren’wyn glanced at Fael, his hazel eyes shone with approval.Her whole body tuned to the swirling warmth in his gaze, steadying her resolve.Drawing a deep breath, Ren’wyn stood.
“How far is it, Fael?”she asked.“Esrin should call therain.”
Fael and Esrin rose with her, following her lead.Esrin started toward the privacy of the trees, but Ren’wyn stopped him with a gentle touch on hisarm.
“Stay,” she said, smiling gently.“Your magic doesn’t scare us.Stay, and we’ll protectyou.”
Esrin hesitated, then stepped between them.He closed his eyes, his face tense with discomfort.Ren’wyn watched his aura flicker and stretch, like ripples across water and sunlight breaking through leaves.He raised his arms slowly to eye level, tilting his headback.
It was mesmerizing to watch him move, speaking the ancient language of the druids.His power called to the sky and water, stretching even to the moisture in her own body.As he performed his final motion, mimicking falling rain, she understood why the earth sang forhim.
Fael watched as well, his magic licking at Esrin’s like insatiable fire meeting the strength of a growingtree.
The Void stirred within Ren’wyn, pulling at her soul.It whispered, asking her to join them.For a fleeting moment, she wondered what might happen if she let go.
As soon as Esrin completed his summoning, they moved toward the brigands’ camp, leaving Patina tethered in a hidden grove unlikely to be discovered.Each took their positions: Esrin behind the southern supply cart, Fael in the trees along the eastern path, and Ren’wyn north of the tents.A stream ran along the camp’s western edge, a potential weapon Esrin could manipulate if needed.
Ren’wyn crept into position, fingers brushing the ghost pipes at her cloak’s neck.The rain pattered steadily on her hood, a low, rhythmic sound that sharpened her focus.She drew her dagger, though the power thrumming inside her was far deadlier than the little blade.
Within minutes, the skies opened.Rain poured down, drenching her even beneath her heavy cloak.Wind whipped the downpour sideways, cold droplets stinging her face as they snuck under her hood.The camp stirred with activity as brigands scurried about, tying down tents and shouting at the sudden, violent change in weather.
Then came the first scream—cut short by a strangled gurgle.Two more cries followed in quick succession as men burst from the tents, scrambling in panic.
Ren’wyn’s stomach dropped as she saw the numbers pouring out—more than fifteen, more than twenty.Too many for Esrin and Fael to handle alone.
Her magic pulsed beneath her skin, insistent and eager.She drew in a deep breath, letting the dark power swell before unleashing it.A black tidal wave of death rolled outward, silent and suffocating.
The air hushed, the Void spreading its dark wings over the camp.Mist clung heavily to the ground, unyielding even to the driving rain.Ren’wyn felt Sorya’s faint aura flicker weakly from a nearby tent, and her bloodlust ignited.
