Page 74 of Beneath the Flames
It figured that when Ididn’twant my magic to kill, it did so of its own accord, and yet when faced with something thatneededto be killed, it remained dormant in my veins.
“Come on, you infernal magic,” I scolded in between panting breaths.Only quiet whispers answered me.It wouldn’t be enough.
When I was three quarters of the way to Maren, the creature lunged toward the rock she hid behind, breaking it into pieces with a mighty clawed fist.Maren screamed, and the sound felt like knives slicing under my skin.
“Maren, run!”I roared, begging her to hear me, to know that I was coming for her.
I allowed myself a momentary breath of relief when she popped up from behind another rock and started sprinting toward me.Even at a distance, even with a lava monster bearing down on her, Maren’s gray eyes met mine, full of terror, begging for help.
And in that moment, I felt the resolve snap into place.
The creature shrieked one last time, spitting droplets of lava before it looked straight at Maren, who was running as fast as her human legs could carry her, opened its mouth, and dived for her.
I wasn’t close enough.
In a frustrated, angry scream, I pulled on every tiny ounce of power left in my veins, yanked until all of it was within my grasp, forcing it with all my will to do what I asked.I didn’t care if my magic was dying, if its strength was a fraction of what it once was.
None of that mattered—only saving Maren did.
As my scream ended, Ipulledon that golden light.
One blink and I was watching as the creature reached for Maren, his claws inches away from grasping her.
Two blinks and everything went momentarily black.
Three blinks and I found myself standing between Maren and the monster.My eyes met the creature’s, and it didn’t hesitate, continuing its descent, only this time I was its target.I barely registered Maren calling my name.If I didn’t kill the creature, we would both be dead.
Magic was fading from my veins, slipping away like sand through a hole, but I pushed it one more time, harder than I ever had before.I lifted my palm toward the creature, and golden light burst forth, brighter than I’d seen it since before the curse was laid.
As the golden light encompassed the monster, it let out one long, blood-curdling screech, and I was forced to close my eyes against the pounding it set alive in my head.But still, I did not lower my palm, did not release it.
And then everything went silent.
Slowly blinking my eyes open, I half expected to find myself staring down the maw of a monster, waiting to feel itsfangs crunch through my body.
But instead, I stared in awe, my mouth hanging open, as the only thing left of the monster was little golden shards, similar to feathers, fluttering slowly to the lava below.
My knees protested as I collapsed to the ground, every part of me exhausted.
What I had just done…I had done nothing like that since before the curse, and there was no way I should have been able to wield such magic this close to the Magmara’s death.How did that happen?
Though I had no strength left, my entire body trembling on the ground, I felt elated, a familiar rush in my blood that I hadn’t felt in decades.
Somehow, I had accessed more magic than I was supposed to be able to, and it had saved our lives.
I doubted I’d be able to do it again.I couldn’t even feel a trace whisper anywhere inside me.Would it replenish?Or did I use up every last drop?I couldn’t help but wonder if the Magmara would die quicker now.
“You know,” Maren’s voice broke the silence behind me, her labored breathing chopping up her words, “those golden death rays come in handy sometimes.”
Despite almost dying and feeling like I was close to passing out, I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face.
I nodded with a huffed laugh.“That they do.”
It was several minutes before we both stopped gasping for air, for the terror of the creature’s attack to slowly seep out of our bones.
“Were you able to find it?”I asked her, referring to the relic.It shouldn’t have been the first thing on my mind after all that, but I couldn’t help it.Without it, there would be no second task.
She patted her pocket.“Safe and sound.”
