Page 276 of Burn Her They Said
Malin’s head swivels to the arched doorway. “Fuck, more are coming this way.”
“You can do this, Varic. We will not let this snatcher keep us from Tasch.” Cirrin’s words stir up the reminder of what my magic was capable of the night of the Emperor’s assault in Annovia.
Instead of displacing his magic, I draw it in. I siphon it. I pull his now wavering power into my body and release a breath when my blast energy glows brighter and splits his shield down the center.
“You did it.” Malin’s eyes widen as he turns to me while Cirrin must be sending his healing to Ivo as the snatcher’s eyelids flutter closed.
“That’s for Hendry,” Cirrin sneers as he sends more and more of his magic into Ivo’s chest as he falls to his knees with one muted arc of his blast energy skittering over the floor, only to die out as he loses consciousness.
“Thank you, Cirrin,” I say, though his eyes remain fixed forward.
“Cirrin,” Malin’s voice is warning. “That’s enough. You did your part. It’s time to let him go.”
“No, it’s not. Not for all of those years he harassed Hendry.” His tone is gruff as he speaks through gritted teeth.
I take hold of his arm and shake him. “Cirrin, hey.” But he doesn’t relent. “This isn’t you. You’re not a killer.”
He shrugs out from my hold, and I look to Malin for guidance. I could cut him off; I could condense my shield so that his magic would not have a chance to break through it, but that feels cruel, and this needs to be his decision.
“I’ll speed you away right this second if you don’t—” Lars begins.
“You don’t understand, Varic,” Cirrin sneers, cutting Lars off. “These Guards—these monsters—they’ve tormented us. Tormented him. And now we finally have the opportunity?—”
“No.” My voice comes out stronger than expected. “Your pain is real.” He turns to face me. “And you wouldn’t be able to live with yourself if you did this.”
Yelling carries from the Throne Room, and Lars looks from me to Malin, then takes Cirrin by the shoulders. “I was there every time this fucker messed with us, and I agree. He deserves everything that’s coming to him—” Cirrin nods, seeming to take in every word. “And I promise he will suffer, but it won’t be because you caused it.”
“Ivo!” Danor’s voice calls as Kosta carries him, speeding over to Ivo’s sleeping form.
Danor’s gaze lifts to us as we take several steps back, my shield holding strong, expecting Kosta to run straight toward us. Malin taps me twice on the arm with his magic made solid, and I lift my shield at the bottom, allowing him to send his magic out to secure both Danor and Kosta’s wrists, which are now held out to the side in an unnatural position.
“You cannot stop us,” Kosta says. “We will find her and bring her back to him. No matter where in the Continent you may try to hide. It will not matter. His Majesty will have his bride.”
My pulse kicks from his use of this term for Tasch, and sparks ignite in both palms without my need to prompt them.
Then Kosta and Danor’s eyes flutter shut as Cirrin brushes past me to focus on his latest victims. The sorcerer’s muscles slacken, and Malin sets them down slowly with his own power.
Yet Cirrin seems to keep going, since neither of the Guards’ chests rise nor fall. And I could prevent him from carrying the guilt of killing them if I just stopped parting my shield. But this is Cirrin, and it needs to be his decision, so I turn and nod to Malin, then Lars, to indicate our friend is in need of our help.
We each set a hand over his arms as I pivot around to look him in the eye, which he avoids. “Cirrin,” I try, without any indication he’s heard, while sending what I can of my own healing magic to detect a faint pulse left in the Emperor’s Guards. “You don’t need to do this.”
“I can’t let them stop us.” His voice sounds so distant; it cracks my heart.
“We won’t let them, I promise. Now, can you please save some healing so I don’t have to do any further damage to my ankle?”
“I will never forgive myself if I release them and they’re the reason we never reach Tasch.”
“You can’t think like that,” Malin says.
“Come on, let me take you to Brea.” Lars lowers his hand to take hold of Cirrin’s, then taps twice with his ring finger.
Cirrin rolls his lower lip inward as he considers our speed Guard, and my heart slams against my ribs in anticipation of what he will say next. “You’re right.” His eyes cast down to the ground. “This isn’t what Hendry would have wanted.”
He nods to Lars, who folds him in a hug, and I indicate the opening in my shield, then barely blink before they vanish.
Malin stares down at my feet as the sensation of his magic surrounds my lower body, feeling like some sort of eerie energy field wrapping around me, buzzing and tingling. I stare at it, transfixed by the way my feet hover above the ground.
Footfalls carry down the hall as more Guards, soldiers, and their assigned witches rush toward the Throne Room, while I keep throwing my gaze behind us to make sure the Emperor isn’t following.
