Page 107 of The War of Wings
It hadn’t worked. I’d tried standing closer, concentrating harder, tapping further into my fury, and nothing. Hours had passed since our first attempt, and the sun had long since set.
My tunic and trousers clung to my skin. No matter how many times I peeled them away from my body, it was only a matter of seconds before they were plastered to me once again. I’d kicked off my boots at some point, relieved to find the dirt beneath my feet was a few degrees cooler than the rest of the space. But even the cover of darkness hadn’t cooled the forge at all. My hands were blistered and throbbing. My chest was heaving.
I stood barely a foot away from where the blade was set on the anvil, glowing yellow after Ludovicus had pulled it from the fire once again. Was this the sixth time? Or the seventh?
Okay, Petra. This is it. This is the one.My toes dug into the dirt as I scraped up every bit of power I could find within me, mentally compacting it into one concentrated ball of fire, and shot it toward the blade.
Clang. Pop. Fizzle.
Ludovicus plunged the sword into the water. The focus on his face had remained steadfast all day, through every attempt. It never faltered, even as my spirits did. His look of hope never wavered even when mine had been all but thrown into the hearth and burned to nothing.
Pulling the blade from the vat again, Ludovicus nodded once before he ducked through the back door to the alley behind the forge. The single torch was just enough to illuminate the poor, tattered burlap dummy that stood patiently waiting to be stabbed once again.Ludovicus didn’t put much power behind his strike since the blade wasn’t technically finished, but it was enough to see nothing special happened when it sliced through the dummy’s fabric finish.
Fuck.
Cal had to be going crazy wondering where I was. How long would he believe I wasspending some time alone, as I’d said in my note? Had he figured out that Malosym was gone yet? Surely he’d come looking for me soon if he hadn’t already. The dungeon would be his first stop.
I blew a hard sigh through my mouth, clearing out my lungs. Ludovicus was silent, inspecting the edge of the blade with pursed lips. Neither of us said anything as we walked back into the forge. He placed the blade down on the anvil, his hands on his hips as he stared at his work. His look of concentration that hadn’t faltered? Yeah, it was faltering. It was crumbling away, in fact.
“I don’t think it’s possible," he finally said, rubbing at his jaw.
I didn’t fight him, didn’t argue. It had been a long shot to begin with. So why did this disappointment sting so much? I hadn’t realized how high the hope had built itself up in my chest until I felt the walls as they tumbled to the dirt.
I leaned back against the counter, my hands gripping the wooden edge for only a moment before I pulled them away, cringing when I saw the charred marks I left behind. I supposed the blacksmith wouldn’t be returning to find his forge the exact way he’d left it. If only imbuing the blade was as easy as a simple touch.
What if…
My spine straightened as a very, very stupid idea took root. “Ludovicus,” I said slowly. “I have one more idea.”
He raised a brow, and whatever he saw on my face made worry flash across his. “What?”
“This is probably going to be hard to watch, so it might be a good idea to wait in the alley.”
He was silent for a moment as the worry on his face morphed into fear. “Your Majesty…”
“Heat the blade.”
“What’s your idea?”
“Heat the blade,” I repeated, and though my tone wasn’t harsh, Ludovicus didn’t argue this time. He stared at me for one final second before he gave a quick nod, moving to place the blade in the hearth one last time.
If this didn’t work, I had no other plans. No other ideas.
My stomach churned as the glowing metal was placed on the anvil again, Ludovicus’ eyes wary on me as I stepped forward and stood before the weapon that I hoped would be my salvation.
“Go outside, Ludovicus,” I said quietly.
He moved to stand a few paces behind me, his dark eyes flicking between me and the blade. I hoped I wasn’t about to scar him for life.
With my palms raised before me, I found my power again. I didn’t only summon it, I commanded it, gathering every spark, every ember that burned within me, all the way down to the deepest parts of my soul. I commanded the white hot flames of my fury, the heat so great that it burned the inside of my ribcage, the surface of my skin, behind my eyes.
And then I closed my bare hands around the glowing blade.
A silent scream rocked through me, the pain so intense it stole the sound from my throat. White exploded behind my eyelids as I willed myself to tighten my grip. The pain shot far past my hands, up my arms, into my chest and down my legs, until my entire body seized. I was being flayed from the inside, sliced into a thousand pieces as I pushed every bit of my power out through my fingertips, willing it to meld itself to the blade.
I wanted this to work. Please,pleasework. I wanted to end Malosym’s life and go on to live one of my own. I didn’t want to feel the devastation of squandered hope once again. I didn’t want to feel the resolution I’d felt this morning, being so willing to die.
A scream filtered through my brain, but the blood rushed so loud in my ears, I couldn’t tell whether it came from me or Ludovicus. Sparks crackled from the place where my hands met the blade, skittering over my skin as I pushed with everything I had and everything I was.
