Page 54 of The Starlight Savior

“She is to be unharmed!” someone shouted as a sword swung in the air towards her, grazing her skin. She could barely feel the blood pooling to the surface.

Continuing to move forward, she lit her path.

Grunts and moans echoed behind her as the wielders fought. The scent of salty sea filled the air as Tiranos’s witches and warlocks’ power thrummed. But it was met with the servants’ magic as they began to burn through their cuffs, dragging enchanted blades across the water.

“For Esme!” a handmaid shouted. Fire consumed a water-wielder’s body as she outstretched her unbound hands.

A flurry of cries echoed behind Saige as the servants honored the dead. A roaring swelled in her ear. She wasn’t sure if it was from her magic or pounding heart. Maybe both.

“This is a mistake,” Myles snarled. “You’ll regret this.” The bodies began to smudge into distant shadows as her magic illuminated the space. She couldn’t see where the golden warlock stood, but he was close enough to where Saige reached for him.

“And you underestimated me. You thought I was weak. That I could be easily swayed into falling into the wrong side of Opela. You were mistaken.”

The water-wielders shrank away from her light. They weren’t sure what to do with it. How to handle it. Neither did she. The few times they were able to penetrate her with power, it seemed to anger her magic even more. Light streamed through wounds, but it was beginning to dim. Her magic releases didn’t last very long, but Myles didn’t know that.

Thrum.

Bells rang across the castle.

Strong arms reached for Saige, yanking her back. “You must know Queen Anya will not stop unless she collects what is due,” Myles snarled.

“I’m not some prize to fight over.” She jammed her elbow back as hard as she could, but Myles didn’t flinch. Nor did he shy away from the burn of her skin.

“That is what you believe, but you have shown us quite the demonstration of your power. Queen Anya can do so much with it.”

His fingers tangled into her hair. With a hard yank, her neck was pressed flat against his chest. She tried to move, but his arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her tighter against him. Closing her eyes, she tried to suck in a breath, but no air reached her lungs. Panic gripped her as her light faded. Her heart thundered in her chest, threatening to rip through skin and bone.

A choked sound filled her eardrums. Myles’s body shuddered as he let her go.

The air returned to her lungs as wind licked her skin. The servant’s hallway filled with lightning. Traveling through the crowd of cowering water-wielders and escaping servants was a warlock. His dark hair was pushed back against his head. Veins glowed bright purple as lightning kissed his skin. His silver eyes had transformed to the same color as his illuminated skin.

“Get the fuck away from her.”

Conor’s voice echoed all around them, increased by the magic pulsing in the air. Saige stumbled forward, but Conor stepped past her, walking straight towards Myles.

“This shall be fun,” Myles sputtered, still catching his breath. His hands flew up as a shield of water covered his skin. Conor’s lightning penetrated the barrier, sending Myles stumbling back.

Behind Conor, Etrane soldiers pummeled in, sporting silver and onyx armor. A handmaid with waterbound wrists and blood soaked hair was tumbling in front of them, leading the path.

One of them grabbed her arm, but Saige shook them off. “Help the servants!” she ordered, pointing to the kitchen. The soldier hesitated, but nodded curtly.

Eva and Niana came behind them. Niana’s uniform hugged her body tightly as spears of ice began to ascend from her hands, penetrating any water-wielder sporting the scaly armor.

“Ah!” Myles called from behind. “Eva Nerestel. Come to join at last?”

Lightning pooled in Eva’s hand as she joined Conor in pushing back against Tiranos. Some were beginning to retreat to wherever they came from, but Myles still stood strong. His lips curled into a sneer as Conor’s magic pushed his hair back, but he dug his heels into the stone floor.

“What happened?” Eva shouted towards Saige.

“Tiranos…” Saige stuttered, “they came. For me.”

Before she could take another step, her knees buckled. Any magic she had left retreated into the depths of her soul as two Etrane warlocks latched their elbows under her armpits and dragged her away.

Chapter 25

The injured and frightened were crammed into the endless rows of books of the castle library until Athalos was deemed secure. Food and tea were heaped across tables while healers weaved through shelves, extending their support. Warmth from the crackling fire danced across Saige’s cheeks as her body nestled into a leather chair. It was comforting compared to the chilling sea breeze of water magic.

The moment she fell, Tiranos retreated. Only a handful of water-wielders were caught so far, but two had bitten down on a sort of seamoss, a common poison in the water kingdom. They foamed at the mouth and died before questioning even began. The rest of Tiranos’s army, including the golden warlock, Myles, somehow escaped. Along with any explanation of ancient magic.