Page 106 of Somewhere down the Ley Line
Her voice cut off with a choked grunt as the man restraining her jerked her backward and clamped a hand over her mouth. Mia thrashed against the hold, muffled curses escaping as her eyes burned with fury. Luella stood straight and silent, staring fixedly at Kaeloth.
The Arcaenum thrummed once more behind them. Two of the mages took a few hurried steps back.
Isolde swallowed hard, fists clenching at her sides. “You won’t hurt them,” she said, but the quaver in her voice betrayed her.
“Won’t I?” Kaeloth countered. He walked slowly towards Luella and raised a hand in her direction, then turned to look at Isolde once more.
“Well? How many sacrifices will we have to make here today? The decision is yours, Lady Isolde.”
“Don’t, Isa,” Felix whispered next to her.
Luella managed a faint smile. “Don’t give in, he’s bluffing,” she said, her voice wavering only a little. She stood straight and proud, but the glint of fear in her eyes was unmistakable.
Isolde was shaking so hard she thought everyone in the room would hear her teeth chattering. She looked down at her own hand, the markings still dark, a cruel reminder of how drained and helpless she was. There was nothing left in her, nothing. But she wouldn’t, she couldn’t; it wasn’t right. She shook her head.
Kaeloth’s face was void of all expression. He let out an almost imperceptible sigh, then swivelled his head to Luella with a resigned look. His hand curled into a fist. A sickeningsnapechoed through the room, and Luella slumped down, legs folding beneath her, eyes rolling back. The mercenary who’d been restraining her stepped away, looking horrified. Luella slid down to the ground lifelessly, like a puppet with severed strings.
There was a roar in Isolde’s ears so loud she couldn’t think, drowning out everything else. She was distantly aware of Felix cursing and rushing forward, only to be met by five drawn swords forcing him back. Her eyes were glued to Luella’s still form on the floor, refusing to believe what she was seeing.
What if it isn’t too late?
She ran, darting past Felix, past the mercenaries, batting away hands grasping for her. She fell to her knees next to Luella, but when she reached within, searching frantically for the weave, the thread, there was nothing. The glaring absence of being, ofsoul,was so jarring it knocked the breath out of her. For a heartbeat, she sat completely still, hoping in vain that Luella’s life force would reveal itself any moment now.
A chain of cold, heavy metal touched the skin of her neck, settling there like a snake poised to strangle her. Dragging her down into darkness, away from herself, away from her magic.
Then came the voice. It was icy and harsh, like her father, but so much worse. It scolded her, berated her, mocked her. What had she been thinking? That she could make a difference? It was laughable. The only thing she could do anymore was to give up. So she did.
36
Freedom
The world had shrunk down to Luella’s broken shape, crumpled on the stone floor, and Isolde’s face as she fell to her knees beside her. She was gone; Felix knew it before Isolde reached the body. He’d seen death often enough to recognize it.
He tried to get to her, dashing and weaving around swords and bodies. Isolde’s hands were aglow with a last reserve of magic she’d somehow summoned, desperately searching for life he knew she wouldn’t find.
Three men blocked his path. More footsteps followed behind. Felix parried and attempted to sidestep to get past them, but the one on the right moved along with him, forcing him to engage. He didn’t have time for this. He feinted left, ducked, and buried his axe between the ribs of the first. Blood sprayed across his arm. The second hesitated just long enough for Felix to slam a fist into his face, sending him sprawling.
He caught sight of the cruel glint of cold steel and Aetherglass from the corner of his eye. The hawklike, severe-looking blonde mage levitated that cursed collar. Felix watched her move over to Isolde, too far for him to reach in time, the chain floating in front of her. She raised it over Isolde’s head, then lowered it downaround her neck with a finality that seemed to suck the air out of the room. It was so large, so heavy on her. Her face contorted into a scream of anguish when the metal touched her skin, and she slumped forward.
A smug little smile played on the female mage’s features. Felix cursed, savagely shoved away the only mercenary still standing between him and the woman, and charged at her. She staggered back, mouth open in fear, but recovered in time to fling a blast of force at him. What she had not counted on was Felix shrugging it off like it was a gust of wind.
Where there had been fear before, there was terror now. It was almost enough to make him smile. He barrelled into the mage, her mouth opening in a silent scream as Felix’s dagger sank into her ribs. Her hands clawed uselessly at his arm as he twisted the blade, then pushed her away from him.
Somewhere, Kaeloth was shouting. Felix didn’t pay attention, focusing on Isolde instead. He dropped his axe, staggered forward, and pulled her upright. Her eyes fluttered, unfocused, but she leaned into him. He held her around the waist, positioning her behind him as he backed toward the wall. The mercenaries circled him warily. Across the room, a burly warrior dragged a struggling Mia back, her shouts muffled by the chaos.
Kaeloth raised both hands and clenched his fists, just like he’d done with Luella only moments before. Felix almost tasted the magic, heavy and oppressive in the air. The mage’s face was triumphant – until it wasn’t, and his eyes widened in shock instead. He repeated the movement, jaw tight, but once again nothing happened.
“What is this… What are you?” Kaeloth demanded. He was seething, his teeth bared, hands balled into fists, then he rounded on the nearest mercenary. “What are you idiots waiting for?” he yelled. “Kill him! Don’t hurt the girl!”
Felix tightened his grip on Isolde. His eyes swept the room, taking in the sheer number of swords pointed at him, the grim look on Kaeloth’s face. He couldn’t pull the chain off; he didn’t know what would happen if he touched it again; he couldn’t leave Isolde to fend for herself. He couldn’t fight them all with one hand. He couldn’t let her go.
When it came to it, there was no other way.
He yanked Isolde forward, too roughly. He whispered a desperate apology, praying to whatever gods did or did not exist that she would hear it, that she would understand, and he pressed the blade of his dagger against her throat.
The mercenaries froze, one of them fumbling the grip on his weapon in confusion. Mia screamed from across the room. Kaeloth’s eyes went narrow and dangerous. “You wouldn’t.”
“Try me,” he spat back, but his voice cracked.
