Page 95 of Somewhere down the Ley Line
Felix spun around, blocking her way. “No, you won’t. You have done enough. They made their choice. You don’t owe them anything, Isa.”
She levelled an even, determined glance at him. “Are you going to stop me?”
“They would have killed us. They might still try. Do you think they’d do the same for you?”
Isolde didn’t flinch. “It doesn’t matter what they would have done. It matters what I do.” She took a step forward. “Let me do this,” she said quietly, “for me, not for them.”
Felix ground his teeth, then sighed deeply. “Fine.”
She pushed past him and followed the mercenary with Felix on her heels, hand hovering near his weapons. The wounded friend was propped up against a boulder, clutching an arrow wound in his stomach. Isolde knelt beside him, ignoring the incredulous stares of the other mercenaries. Her hands hovered above his abdomen, trembling slightly. Felix crouched near her, his eyes darting back and forth. “You sure about this?” he asked.
Isolde didn’t answer, but gathered power in her hands instead. It was faster than with Garren, but he watched the colour gradually drain out of her as she worked her magic to draw the arrow from the wound. Felix had to restrain himself several times; from making her stop, from hauling her away from these people who had wanted them dead only minutes ago.
When the lines on her skin darkened to an inky dark blue, Felix gently squeezed her arms. “Enough, Isa,” he said. “He’ll be fine now.” Or not, Felix didn’t particularly care.
Isolde exhaled slowly and nodded. When she tried to stand, though, she swayed on her feet. The mercenaries she’d helped both reached out, but Felix wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into him, and took a step backwards.
“Back off, or I will undo all of her hard work, and no healing this time.”
The friend held up his hands in supplication. “I just wanted to help. I… thank you, my lady.”
“Yes, you’re most welcome, I’m sure. Now stay here,” Felix grumbled. Isolde sagged against him but managed a small smile. He scooped her up without another word and took her back to the only people around he trusted. The mercenaries stared at her as he walked past, and their expressions made his skin crawl. Disbelief, awe. Borderline veneration. What stories would they be telling the next time they ventured into a tavern? Maybe he should kill them all, just in case.
“Nomore heroics,” he murmured as he shifted his grip on Isolde and held her a little tighter. “You hear me? I don’t care how many of these fuckers throw themselves bleeding at your feet.”
She didn’t reply, but let out the smallest chuckle and nestled her head against him.
Garren was standing up, still faintly pale but steady. Luella, Leif and Mia had made their way down the slope. They looked slightly battered, but were not much worse for wear. Mia was talking to Caelian a short distance away.
“Is she alright?” Garren asked, his voice hoarse.
Felix nodded. He decided against setting Isolde down and kept her in his arms instead, glaring at Garren and silently daring him to comment, but he merely got a severe nod in return.
Mia rejoined them, frowning. “Well,” she said, “the little mage was very apologetic. He thinks Isolde’s reaction was to his using magic, and he realizes he should have warned her. Kaeloth had told him not to cast around her, apparently. And the mercenaries had orders to kill us off and try to subdue Isolde if anything like this happened. Caelian was horrified to learn about that. Wonderful dynamics in their camp, clearly.” She rolled her eyes. “They can do pretty spells, but mages are taught absolutely nothing about normal human interaction in those bloody towers.”
“And we’re still going to just walk into their hands?” Felix asked incredulously. “Knowing all that? What will stop them from trying again when we arrive?”
Isolde stirred. “Put me down, Felix.”
“No.”
She huffed. “Fine. They panicked. It was a mistake. They realize that now. I’m not afraid.”
Luella looked conflicted. “Garren could have died, Lady Isolde. You could have died. We were very lucky.”
Isolde sighed. “I have to go to the Nexus,” she said, her voice so quiet the others had to lean in to hear her. “It’s the only way.”
***
They made camp close to the gully. The mercenaries busied themselves dealing with their fallen, maintaining a careful distance. Night fell, and with it, the two camps quieted down. Felix perched on a rock near his sleeping companions, keeping watch. Isolde had been out like a candle the moment she bundled up in her bedroll. Mia was curled up by the fire with Biscuit, who had shamelessly wormed his way into her blankets. Leif lay sprawled out, limbs flung wide.
The soft crunch of boots on gravel broke the stillness. Felix straightened, one hand tightening around the handle of his axe, as a shadow emerged from the gloom. It was the mercenary captain. When he noticed Felix had spotted him, he stepped forward slowly, hands held up in a gesture of peace.
“What do you want?” Felix asked flatly. “She’s asleep.”
The captain chuckled. “A little protective of her, are you?”
Felix scowled.
