Page 83 of Amethyst and Iron

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Well, how else could he really put it?

“Thank you,” Velra told Cornelius.

“Of course,” he said, smiling at her, then sweeping the circle away with his magic. He gave her a fatherly hug, then I heard her tell him that she and Cassius would take it from here.

He gave a chin lift to Cassius, a sad smile to me, then unfurled his wings and soared away into the dark night.

Cassius finally let go of my shoulders and he and Velra came to stand in front of me, looking me over studiously.

“Fine,” I told them, pushing out of the chair.

The exhaustion Cornelius had warned of was real.

But that deathly weakness was gone.

I was just tired.

That was all.

Just… tired.

I stumbled a little in my step.

“We’ll take you back to my place, make you something to eat?” Cassius suggested.

I nodded. “Sounds good.”

And then I went to snap my fingers.

To call my magic.

To teleport us.

I choked.

Velra winced.

Cassius tensed.

“Fuck,” I uttered. “I… it… I can’t… it’s gone.”

I collapsed to my knees.

Tears welled in my eyes, and as fast as I tried to blink them away, they kept coming.

I hung my head, unable to curtail any of it.

And then I was sobbing without restraint.

I felt arms around me, hands stroking, trying to offer comfort, trying to ease my pain.

But in the storm of despair sometimes comfort was futile.

Nothing could cut through the brutal reality that had just slammed into me.

I was without my magic.

And Iwasmy magic.

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