Page 48 of Up In Flames
“Again,” Death said. “Feel for the smallest parts of the tree. Seek the way in subtly.”
I stood with Aranren before a great oak tree that Aranren had summoned with his Earth Magic. As a Varraen, Ara had access to all magic. All but Spirit. That's where I surpassed him. It's what made me special enough to attract Death's attention. Well, that and the prophecy.
I felt my uniqueness, gloried in my power, and used that confidence to search the tree for an entry point. Being subtle didn't matter with it, but Death wanted me to learn it now, so I could use it in battle. Not that any city on Varr could put up much of a fight against Ara and me working together.
I found a weak spot, a place where a piece of the tree was dying to make way for new growth. That death was an access point for Death Magic. I slid into it. Once there, I could have spread death through the tree, but that wasn't the goal of this exercise. There was magic and then there were spells. I needed to learn the magic, certainly, and I was. But today's lesson was about casting my first Death spell. Death decided it would be easier if I performed it on something inanimate. Thus, the tree.
I spoke the strange words that I had memorized, my focus on the tree. Power lashed out of me like a whip, striking the weak point I had located. Like a barb, it hit its target. A poisoned barb. But the tree didn't slowly succumb as Taroc had when hit with Aranren's poisoned barb. No, the spell was much faster.
In an instant, the whole of the tree turned black. A brittle crackling sound came as fissures appeared on the surface of the trunk. Then, with the light touch of a breeze, the tree burst into a cloud of dust.
Deep inside myself, I screamed.
“Well done!” Death shouted.
Aranren clapped politely.
I reeled. That spell had shaken me, rattling Death's hold on me. The real me had been so horrified that my reaction rang through my body even though it couldn't touch my mind. I frowned as shivers of that pain coasted along my arms. A simple realization came with it: I didn't like this.
“Ember?” Death's voice cracked through my ears and through my mind.
The horror was gone. Confidence returned. I lifted my head and looked upon the black smudge that had once been a grand tree. Risen by magic and felled by magic. Its death was a stepping stone for me, nothing more. I had accomplished my first spell.
“Another,” I said.
Silence. Then Death said, “No. That's enough for today. I need to consider all that's happened.”
“All that's happened?” I jumped on that clue, eager to know what was happening outside of Aranren's lands. “Are you monitoring the Wraith Lords?”
Another pause, then, “Why would you wonder that?”
“We need to know what they're up to. I'm a little surprised they haven't come here yet. They must know where I am by now.”
“Ah. Well, with Caleb's disappearance along with yours, I'm sure they're still trying to figure out what happened.”
“Didn't they find that note?”
“What note?”
“The one he tried to leave to warn his old lovers,” Aranren reminded him. “Death has me.”
Death chuckled. “Oh, that. I don't know.”
“Why not? Haven't you been watching them?”
“Ember, you were my way past their wards. Without you in the citadel, I have no access to the lords. Not until they leave.”
“But you're a god. How can a ward stop you?”
“Even Gods can be deterred by magic,” Death sounded petulant, not at all like a god. “But I found my way through.”
“Ah. You had quite an intricate plan. I'm impressed with how you played me.”
Death grunted. “I'm impressed with how long you took to be swayed. I thought for sure after I saved you that you would trust me. But no, you were still suspicious of me. Then I helped you protect the Emperor, and again, that didn't work. You are cunning, Ember.”
“Thank you. Not cunning enough evidently.”
“You were pitted against me. There is no shame in losing.”
