A few days ticked by after the half-hearted duel with Minstrel. The Caretakers to the Resurrection Cultivators continued their training each day, driven to push themselves to the max. Luckily, they all proved remarkably natural at it—even the two with the strongest magical leanings. Necessity could indeed make anyone do anything. Shanae could even tell immediately when Gail and Silas had gotten good enough to spar against Tasia. They returned to the castle limping. "Oh dear," she murmured. She leaned on the railing. "You look a little, ah, thrashed."
"She has no mercy," Gail groaned as she hauled herself toward the rooms she and Ryan shared.
Shanae grinned. "If you can withstand her, you can withstand anything."
"That's what Emily said," Silas muttered. "The sadist."
The merciless training had the proper effect, however, and the physical training was not the only studying they went through. They kept working on their majik or magic as well. They trained both with Tasia and with their lovers, and the rest of the Resurrection Cultivators were as merciless with that as with anything else. The Caretakers grumbled but did not actually complain. There was no time for them to baby step their way through things. It had been far too quiet lately. Minstrel was plotting again, and none of them knew what would happen next.
It proved a rare moment to rest, and the Cultivators did not want to waste it. Plans were made, and the team prepared to gather together at Tasia's house in order to contact Minstrel and Cashlin's deceased little sister. The attic was where Tasia and Rodi practiced, and it was big enough to hold all ten Cultivators. Everyone showed up in whatever was most comfortable to wear, but Emily found herself nonplussed as Tasia and Ryan stripped down to their bare skin. She covered her eyes with a hand. "Do you have to do that?"
"Oh, come on. As if we haven't all seen each other naked," Beth said dryly. "And I recall someone insisting she has no modesty." Modesty was highly unusual in the populace as a whole, so when it did show up in someone, it got respected. "If you're envious of Tasia's body, that's only fair. I still think she doesn't deserve to have that combination of physical and magical body types because it's lethal to the unwary."
"Says the woman who deliberately poured me into a tight-fitting dress just to see what happened," Tasia muttered.
"Do admit it was kinda hilarious."
Emily cracked one eye open and saw Theo, Raine, Beth, and Storm also taking off their clothes. "You know I love you all, but I am not sitting in an attic while we're all naked!"
"Why not?" LeAnn, also ever without modesty, was already stripping her top off. "It might be interesting. And just think: you can torture Silas mercilessly. Imagine the conversation. 'What did we do? Oh we just sat around naked and worked spells.'"
"Not that she hasn't already thought of using that on Chance." Reagan guiltlessly stripped off her shirt. She also had no modesty despite tending to be the most shy. She had long learned not to compare herself to her friends because they all had their own form beauty, though now and then she did feel a few nerves stirring against her best wishes.
"Dang, girl." Theo circled Reagan. "You know, looking at you now, I just realized how amazing you'd probably look in a two-piece swimming suit. All soft and round and perfect. Pallas deserves to trip over his feet. We're so having Mom make you a suit."
Reagan felt those minor nerves ease. As usual, her friends always sensed when her confidence wavered and worked to lift her up again. "Can it be green? Because if it matches his eyes, he'll trip hard and that will be better."
Raine grinned. "I'm sure Aunt Ashe will happily take that into account. Emily, c'mon! You look silly being fully clothed when we're all naked!"
Emily glanced around and realized she was indeed the only one still dressed. Racine and LeAnn suddenly grabbed the back of her shirt, and she barely muffled a yelp. "Guys, come on! Have mercy!"
"Why? Seriously, we have seen you naked before. What is wrong with you this time? An unknown birthmark shaped like a fluffy bunny or something?"
"No!" Emily found herself laughing as she fought to get herself free. "It's a matter of principle!"
"What principle? You are seriously being weird, and very not like you!" Theo scooted over and nimbly stripped Emily's shirt over her head. A brow immediately rose as he saw what his friend had on underneath the plain cotton. "Wow. Well, someone around here is hiding her light under a bushel, to be sure."
Emily turned a bright pink color clearly visible against her coal-toned skin and hastily crossed her arms around herself. Under her shirt, she had been wearing a lacy blue bra and matching piece of lingerie. She glowered at her friends as they began to whistle and catcall. "Shut up. It was your idea," she accused Tasia.
Tasia just grinned. "And the way you look tells me that I was right." Naked except for her dragon pendant that marked Haeth's dedication, she walked over and put her hands on Emily's shoulders until their eyes met. "Em," she said softly, "there is nothing shameful in being naked. We witches call it 'skyclad' because we are wearing the sky as our clothes. It is the baring of our souls. If you're not ready, then that's okay too."
Emily was silent for long moments. Then, "Aw screw it." Amid the cheers of her friends, she began to efficiently strip all her clothes off. Once she was naked, she demanded, "Any more smartass comments?"
"You have a hickey on your hip," LeAnn offered.
Emily sat down with a glower. "Shut up, Les." At the least, she thought in amusement, she had gotten all the feathers out of her hair this time.
They all sat down in the circle with no particular order, and Tasia closed her eyes as she called her arcanistry. A blue-white ring of majik flames surrounded them, and it was if the outside world became shut off entirely. A thin ring of ultramarine flames wove through the rest and the ring strengthened. "Hey you're getting good at that!" Beth praised Ryan. "It's not easy to bend the color of a majik flame."
"I have a good teacher."
Tasia smiled but didn't open her eyes. "We call to you all in the Infinite," she murmured. "Spirits of East, South, West, and North. Protect us here so no harm may enter. Those who seek to aid us are welcome within our circle."
Reagan's eyes widened as something small and purple fluttered past her face. "I . . . did I just see a fae?"
"She likes Ryan." Tasia opened her eyes. "It's your show, Theo. Take what you need of me. I offer it freely."
"And I accept your gift with thanks." Theo linked his hands in front of himself and a small fire formed in the center of the circle. It burned without damaging the floor, and the flames reached nearly the ceiling overhead without risk of catching anything on fire. As he worked on attuning his flame to the space between life and death, he asked, "Did you know the Caretakers are downstairs watching a theatrical?"
"Because of course they are," Beth said dryly. "All of them?"
"Half of them. Kari, Terry, Kimber, Logan, and Rodi. The Caretaker Coven of Protea."
Reagan snickered and Storm grinned. "I like that." The Gladiolus Cultivator was as comfortable in his own skin as he was in his armor. "I got Kari to go skyclad with me for a ritual."
Tasia tucked her tongue in her cheek. "Did you ever actually finish the ritual?"
"Eventually."
"Okay, I'm linked," Theo announced. His cerulean eyes had become nearly orange with his magikry. "This flame now burns in the physical and metaphysical. It connects life to death and burns in the space between."
The others fell silent and turned their attention to what he was doing. The flames danced and waved in the center of them all as images and shapes formed and faded like ancient memories. "Everyone link hands," Tasia said and held her own out. "This will let Theo anchor to all of us and should form a barrier strong enough to keep out Minstrel should he want to try something. Not even he could punch through all of us."
They all linked hands tightly, and Theo sent his mind questing through the murky area between life and death known as limbo. Not quite another dimension, not quite another plane, limbo was where all who died went to determine their future. People without power usually tended to disperse entirely into the cosmos, though some got reborn. People with power either immediately got reborn, or they moved beyond to the Realm of the Gods to live an afterlife. Cultivators and Caretakers could get spit right back out in the living world if they had not fulfilled whatever need there had been of them, though it made it no less painful and terrifying to see one die even if they had a role left to fill. The little question of what if always lingered, and it lay on their remaining team to ensure good triumphed over evil so they could return.
However, limbo had another quirk to it. It could allow the deceased to leave as ghosts. For whatever reason, those ghosts almost always ended up on Aster—most blamed their flower and element alike for its rebirth properties—so all Rulers had Ghost Sight to see and communicate with their invisible subjects. Ghosts had relatively limited reach into the physical world though they could interact to some level. Only those with Ghost Sight could see them, though anyone sensitive enough could sense them. A ghost could also lean on an Aster Ruler's gift to appear to others. That was what Theo hoped to have happen here.
It took hardly any time to find the little girl who had appeared to him before. He saw her instantly, as if she had been waiting. Sabirah, please come speak with us, he asked the little ghost gently. You are safe with us. You know we could never harm you.
There was a pause before the little girl nodded and smiled. Theo heard Emily take a startled breath and opened his eyes to see Sabirah's ghost hovering over the top of the flame. "Hello, Sabirah." He smiled. "Are you afraid of us?"
Sabirah shook her head. You will save me. I feel safe near you.
"How do we save you?" LeAnn asked. "Do we need to save you from Minstrel?"
Saving him saves me.
Tasia and Storm's eyes sharpened as their pattern master minds kicked into active. "There is a way to save him short of destroying him?" Tasia asked softly.
Sabirah hesitated. To save him, you need to destroy him, but destroying him won't save him. She floated closer toward Tasia. I like you too, you know. A lot. You make me feel really good. I feel happy and safe.
Storm's eyes sharpened like a knife. "Order. Not Light. Not Dark. True Shadow, the order between the two." He slumped over suddenly, and only Reagan and Racine's grips on his hands kept him from falling on his face. "Owie . . ."
Tasia did not take her eyes from Sabirah's. "Is that it? You and Minstrel are both somehow touched by Chaos energy, and you are drawn to me as a force of order?"
Sabirah tilted her head a little. Kind of but not really. I can't talk anymore. He's looking for me. She bent and kissed Tasia's cheek. I like Anna. I wish I could've had a mommy like you.
She disappeared, and the flame suddenly turned a disgusting shade of color. Frantic energy began to pound at the outside of the circle and screamed like a madman. "Stay strong!" Tasia ordered. "Don't let go! He won't get inside!"
The team tightened their grips. The circle writhed as it struggled to keep out the malevolent force battering it. Then, suddenly, a more powerful draconic force swept through the air and forced the madness out. It was not the power of Tasia's familiars for they were downstairs protecting the Caretakers. It was a force not unlike Tasia's, though.
The dragon power swirled around the room wildly to clean every corner of every trace of Minstrel's presence. It then suddenly circled around and shot into Tasia's chest. She dropped her Coda form disguise involuntarily, and dragon-scale shaped birthmarks appeared over most of her body as her pupils contracted to small diamonds. Before anyone could say anything, the force tore back out of her body and knocked all of them out.
Haeth finally let the Caretakers go, and they rushed upstairs in a mass. "Holy hell!" Kari yelped. She slapped a hand over her eyes. "Damn it, why are they naked? And why didn't you warn us?"
Kimber was no less startled. Terry, Logan, and Rodi did not bat a lash at the scene and just moved to where their mates had fallen. "It's what we do sometimes. They were contacting a ghost," Logan explained, "so they wanted to show her they came with open hearts and souls. You can't tell me you two haven't been naked for a ritual with Storm or Theo."
"Group nakedness will take a little more adjusting to," Kimber grumbled.
"I've been naked in locker rooms with two dozen people of all genders. This just surprised me, okay? I expect naked in a locker room, not an attic!" Kari made her way to where Storm was and gratefully took the blanket Rodi had conjured so that she could cover him up; his skin already felt and looked cool. He seemed intact but definitely paler than usual.
"They'll be fine." Rodi held Tasia against his chest and listened to her even breathing. Her mind was a wild whirl of static, and he felt the dragon blood in her body burning. The darker scales over her mocha skin seemed more stark than usual. He had no idea what was happening; she did not feel as if she was asleep so much as she might be in a vision. He reluctantly put her down gently and tucked a blanket around her. "Let's get them all covered so they stay warm."
Kimber and Kari had recovered their footing fast and helped the other three get the rest of the Resurrection Cultivators covered with warm blankets. Kimber knelt to tuck the blanket more firmly around Theo and said, "We better let the others know. They're probably already halfway here though." She sent a wary look at Tasia. The sorceress somehow did not look human any longer. "What exactly happened to her?"
"It's a long story, and it's hers to tell," Rodi said simply.
"They are safe," Haeth told them as she landed on the edge of the trunk against one wall. "We will protect them. You see to explaining to the other Caretakers what happened." She ruffled her scales lightly. "You lot are such worrywarts sometimes."
Terry grinned despite himself. "Do admit that our team of Cultivators has given us more reasons than most to be always worried." He reluctantly left Beth and headed down the stairs followed by the others. Judging by the slamming front door, Chance had already gotten there. "Don't go up there," he called. "They're naked."
"What?!"
Tasia found herself standing in the middle of a solid expanse of gray. The setting was oddly familiar, though this time she could see little sparks fluttering across the ground. The power she had felt had been equally familiar. She found no surprise as she saw the tall form of Tananeen walking toward her. He looked the same as she had last seen him, though perhaps healthier and happier. Being restored to his true shape as well as being reunited with soul mate had done wonders for him. "Heck of a greeting, old man," she told him in exasperation. "Knocking us all out!"
"You were linked, fledgling. If I got one, I'd get the others, and if I hadn't knocked them out they would have seen me and gotten real issues. Even Cultivator witches might be intimidated by the King of Dragons."
She snorted. "And people wonder where I get my arrogance from."
"You come by it honestly, to be sure." He stopped in front of her and gently rested a hand on her shoulder. He stood an impressive seven inches taller, surpassing even Sabin for height. His waist-length white hair hung in a ponytail over his shoulder where light strafed across it to reveal a rainbow of other hidden colors. His eyes looked the same, a white-multihue. "You face a mighty battle soon, Anastasia."
"Please. Tell me something I don't know."
"Do not hesitate in opening the door," he told her quietly. "It will make sense when you are there."
Her eyes sharpened. "Racine said it must never be opened."
"It should not be opened by anyone except you. You also cannot do what needs to be done unless it is opened." He stepped back and then reached out take both her hands. He turned them palm up and a pair of gray leather gloves appeared in her hands. "Take these. They are a gift of your heritage. They will channel your arcanistry right to your hands. This will give you far more potency with or without armor."
She closed her hands around the gloves. "I thank you for them." She tilted her head. "You didn't need to go to this much trouble to give me these." Her eyes twinkled. "Or were you just showing off, old man?"
"My granddaughter takes after me," was all the mighty God of the Skies said as he slowly faded away.
Tasia opened her eyes and found she was still lying on the floor of the attic. Her hand slowly curled into a fist, and she found herself holding a familiar pair of leather gloves. The legendary Gloves of Channeling. She had heard of them before, but she had never thought to own them. They had belonged to Anastasia Courimay, her own ancestor and the originator of the Faith. It seemed fitting that they land in Tasia's hands now.
She carefully sat up and looked around. It was morning now and sunlight poured in the attic window. Her friends were still asleep wherever they had fallen. Her sixth sense told her that all ten Caretakers waited downstairs somewhere or another, and some were not feeling very patient. She rolled up to her feet and put her clothes back on before scooping up her gloves. She tucked them into her back pocket as she cast an awakening spell over her friends. It would negate the effects of Tananeen's spell and bring them back around soon enough.
When Rodi saw her coming down the stairs, he leapt to his feet and rushed over to snatch her into his arms. You scared the hell out of me, he told her telepathically.
You had too much hell anyway. She pressed closer against him and closed her eyes for a moment as his arms tightened. Even after as long as they had been together, she could not stop marveling at how utterly secure and safe he made her feel. Only his arms could bring her true sleep, something she never obtained on her own. She knew the wonder of his presence would never go away, and she was just fine with that. I'll be okay.
"What happened?" Logan asked from where he sat on the couch with Silas and Gail. "We felt the madness hit the house and then the dragons had us locked inside a circle so we were safe. On the heels of that came a very powerful dragon power that wasn't theirs."
Chance looked at Tasia. "They don't know?" he asked her.
She smiled wryly. "It's not easy to drop it into casual conversation."
"Great gods, he knows something about you we don't?" Terry asked dryly.
"Allister and Pallas know too. And possibly Silas and Gail." She shrugged one shoulder. "I'm the descendant of Liena Vanguard, as you all know, but what you didn't know is that Liena was Tananeen's daughter."
"Tananeen," Kari repeated. An odd look filled her eyes. "Isn't that the name of the God of the Skies and King of Dragons who is also their Guardian?"
"Correct."
Silence. Then, carefully, Kimber asked, "Let me get this straight. You're a sorceress and a True Shadow Flower Element. You're also a Lead Defender—for two worlds—as well as a Dual Cultivator overall, and a Mystic. And you're part dragon?!"
"Isn't she amazing?" Silas asked cheerfully.
Tasia just shook her head. "So is Logan. Dragon blood never leaves a lineage. We're honestly not really human even though our dragon ancestor was ten thousand years ago. The genetics are just that strong. The form you saw me in is actually my natural one. This is my Coda form, alternate form if you like. It's an unconscious spell of protection. It has to be consciously canceled, which is why no one has ever known. I don't intend it to be common knowledge, and may never have told any of you if my hand had not been forced."
Her brother stared at her. "Including me?"
She shook her head again. "No, I intended to tell you when it was important. I knew you could handle it in a way many, many others of relation to us could not." She grinned. "Also, you know, your wife already knows about this."
"Of course she does," he muttered. "I guess we add you teaching me the tricks of our dragon blood to the list of other training you're giving me. I assume I'm in a Coda form as well. Might be interesting to see how I look without it."
"That can be done." She huffed out a breath. "I'm taking a walk among my apple trees for a bit. I need to clear my head. The others should be down shortly, and I suggest having coffee as they might be vaguely hungover from the forceful sleep." She saw Terry and Kari both holding up mugs and had to grin. "You do know them well."
* * * * *
Cashlin was sitting on his throne and staring broodingly into a mirror when Minstrel walked into the room. Cashlin paid him little heed. Minstrel's madness still grew by leaps and bounds, and he wasn't inclined to do anything to provoke it onto him. As long as Minstrel stayed focused on the Resurrection Cultivators, he didn't care about anything else.
He wanted the Iris Defender dead. He wanted to choke the life out of her himself. It burned inside him that he could not have the revenge he craved. He had absolutely no doubt in his mind that the only reason he continued to live was because she wanted him to suffer. She would find a way to reach him when she was ready to issue judgment. Judgment! Could she really be Karma itself?
Minstrel watched him and then began to bounce up and down lightly on his toes in a way that made his hat jingle lightly. He still felt very angry with the Resurrection Cultivators for trying to talk to Sabirah, but she had seemed so happy that he had decided not to kill anyone and instead just give them a scare. "Hey guess what? Guess what, guess what?"
Cashlin turned a narrow-eyed look on his brother. "What?"
"I think I figured out how to make it so you can kill Tasia!" He began to walk in a figure-eight shape back and forth in front of Cashlin as the other man stood in shock. "See, all we have to do is lock up her power somehow. I mean, I'm pretty sure she could kick your butt in just a fight, but you could cheat and use your power or something. You've got some good evil stuff."
Cashlin could not help but be intrigued. "And how do we go about sealing her power? It won't be an easy feat. Her arcanistry is said to be infinite, isn't it?"
"Sure sure but we just have to take advantage of her honorable nature." Minstrel beamed. "You challenge her to a duel, offering her a chance for her judgment and for your vengeance. Tell her you'll fight her in place where both your powers will be useless and you'll both fight unarmed. A perfectly fair fight. I'll restore your power partway through the fight and you can beat her!"
"Are you certain this would work?" Cashlin asked warily. "What if this supposedly 'powerless' place prevents you from giving me my own power back? I imagine it will have to be extremely potent if it can seal a sorceress."
"Well, duh, I'm going to make it myself. I can use all of the evil power you've collected, like I have been so far. Super useful, that stuff." He rolled his eyes. "You go challenge Tasia and stuff using that transport thing I made and I'll get to work."
Cashlin weighed the pros and cons mentally, but the idea of finally killing the Iris Defender was a tempting lure. Anticipation filled him as he headed out of the throne room. He hadn't had a decent fight in a long time.
Minstrel watched him go then began to giggle softly to himself. He wrapped his arms around himself and began to rock back and forth on his feet. "See? See, Sabirah? You'll get your wish. Your brother won't hurt anyone else again soon."
* * * * *
Tasia had only just reached the edge of the orchard on the eastern side of her land when she felt someone unwelcome cross into her territory. More than unwelcome, the presence felt downright evil. She paused and listened intently. Someone came up behind her, and she whirled to throw a shard of ice like a dagger toward the intruder.
Cashlin barely blocked it in time. "It's a wonder you have any visitors with an attitude like that," he told her pleasantly. She merely stared at him with icy sorceress eyes, and he realized she would not respond to any taunts. "Very well. I'll get to the point. I'm here to offer you a fair fight."
"Fair." She lifted a brow. "I was unaware this word was in your dictionary. How are you defining it?"
He spread his hands in an offering gesture. "Just the two of us in a place that will seal both our powers. No weapons, no magic, no majik. Just a fight. You can even inspect the place before we fight so that you can be sure it is not a trick."
"I insist on bringing someone with me to ensure the fight remains fair," she told him calmly. "You can hardly deny that request."
As he knew the Resurrection Cultivators to be made of morals and honor, he did not object. He could handle any of them if they came into the ring. They too would be rendered powerless. "Very well. We will fight in the same place where your father died. It is fitting, is it not?"
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Did you pick the place, or your brother?"
"He did." He lifted a brow with a smirk. "What, afraid the memories will be too much?" He disappeared on a nasty laugh.
Quietly from behind her, Rodi said, "Minstrel is setting him up for his death."
She turned to look at him. "Yes, he is. I don't know what he told Cashlin, but Minstrel has read enough about majik to know that I will be stronger in a place where I hold emotional attachment. My blood fell there and I have walked that route enough times to leave traces of my arcanistry behind. Protea's land literally holds a piece of me there. No matter what attempt is made to enchant the space to block access to all powers, it absolutely cannot work on me."
He slid his fingers into her loose hair and smoothed it back from her face. "Minstrel is doing it for you," he said softly. "We both know it. In his mind, this must be some sort of gift to you, for being strong enough to give him pain."
"Who am I to turn down such a gracious gesture? It's past time I enacted judgment on Cashlin for his crimes against life." She leaned up softly kiss him and felt his majik tease her heart. "I want you to go with me. You are by far the most powerful with majik, and more skilled with a weapon. As my Caretaker and husband, you too will be made stronger there. The others would actually be at risk of being sealed, but not you. Ironically, this is the one time where the person without armor is safer."
"And nothing would keep me away," he countered dryly.
She just smiled. "I wouldn't have said anything if there were trees near there for you to hide in."
"Hush." His hands slid down her back to her hips, and he lifted a brow as he found the gloves. "Those feel powerful. What are they?"
"You'll see."
They arrived at the scene for the fight before Cashlin did. It wasn't hard to see where Tasia's blood had fallen on the ground. A vast expanse of clover had spread to cover that space, and it even bloomed now. Where Arthur had fallen could be seen as well, for tiny wildflowers had grown where his blood spilled—not unlike what happened if Haeth or Striker got injured. Seeing it, Rodi said, "He really was a descendant of Liena as well."
"He was." She smiled wryly. "I got a direct line to her and an indirect. It's probably why I am so powerful. Among other reasons," she added half to herself. This war had made her begin to deeply suspect some things about herself, as well as things she felt Shanae had never told her. Only time would reveal if the pattern was complicated as she thought it may be. She did not quite yet have enough information to be sure.
A circle of gray flames sparking with black and white lightning suddenly appeared in the grass and cut off a good portion of land. She felt entirely unsurprised to see that the circle was large enough to encompass the entire area where the flowers and clover grew, and that it in fact put the largest concentration in the center. Well, I never was a flowers and chocolates type. I have all the flowers I want, and the other is terribly blasé.
You liked them when I brought them.
Yes, but you were groveling.
Justifiably apologizing, not groveling.
Their mental teasing stopped as soon as Cashlin and Minstrel appeared on the other side of the circle from them. Cashlin pointedly removed his armor and sword and handed both to Minstrel. He wore plain slacks and a tunic underneath.
Tasia could fight wearing anything. She had not bothered to change out of her denims and sweater. She called up her sword and handed it to Rodi and then also handed him her bracelet with her Masks. She then tugged her gloves out of her back pocket. "Do you have gloves?" she asked Cashlin. "They're better than bare hands for fighting."
He pulled a pair of leather gloves out of his pocket. "Minstrel said the same thing." He pulled the gloves on as anticipation hummed inside him. Seeing that she had brought Rodi reassured him even more. The other man had proven highly skilled and strong, but he would become useless in a ring that stifled all power. Cashlin stepped into the ring first, and he felt every drop of power he had ever claimed or stolen simply evaporate. It unnerved him greatly to suddenly return to being powerless.
Tasia's caramel eyes mocked him. "You would-be evil overlords are all the same. Take away all that evil magic and suddenly you're useless." She walked into the ring and felt a surge of strength in her blood, physically and in her arcanistry alike. The sparks inside her seemed to even get a bit more potent as well. She locked it down personally. Cashlin did not deserve a quick death, and she rather wanted him to see how epically he had failed. "I can't say I've ever been entirely powerless, but I've been helpless. I learned to push through and find whatever I needed—that's why I'm still here, and my enemies are not."
"Not for long, little girl." He shot at her with a sharp kick toward her head. She blocked with one hand and shoved him away so hard that he had to flip around and land on his feet. A chill went down his back. He hadn't realized she was that good. "I see why you are their leader."
"I am their leader," she said softly, "because they asked me to be." She shot forward on the offensive without waiting for a response. A battle cry emerged from her voice that momentarily froze her enemy in fear. He could not block her, and her foot slammed into his stomach to plant him flat on the ground. She merely lifted a brow at the shock on his face. "Nothing can stop a Mystic's voice, little boy."
He staggered up to his feet. That one blow felt as if it had ruptured something. Pain radiated from inside to the out, and he tasted blood in his mouth. One single blow. He did not stand any sort of a chance against her in any fair fight. "Minstrel!" he barked. When there was no immediate response, and his power did not return, he shot a shocked look at his brother. "Minstrel!"
"Hmm?" Minstrel had been sitting on the grass nearby, and he looked up from the book he had been reading. "Sorry, I'm busy." He held up a familiar novel. "This is really good, Cold Steel. I think I'm a new fan. I'm going to go buy all of your others too."
She inclined her head. "Thank you." She sent a savage smile at Cashlin. "You're on your own, honey. It's just you and me. And since you were intending to cheat, I guess I will change the rules." She lifted her hands, and rainbow-gray arcanistry seethed around her fists. The gradient felt and looked both powerful and beautiful. "Minstrel lied to you. This place doesn't make me weak. It makes me strong."
Cashlin looked into her caramel eyes and knew he stared Judgment in the face. He whirled to run but slammed into the ring of flames. It repelled him backwards where bits of black and white lightning ate at his skin and clothes. "No! How?!"
"Once a circle is cast, it cannot be broken." She had come up behind him without a sound, and he froze. "Let's play, Cashlin." She grabbed him by the back of his shirt, turned, and hurled him across the ring. He slammed into another invisible wall and fell to the grass.
He slowly regained his feet and watched in shock as she cut the ring open with a gesture. It disappeared from the grass, and he felt his power return in a rush. "Why?" he demanded. "You wanted a fair fight."
"That was not fair. I want you to give me everything you've got." Gray rippled down her body as she shed her Coda form and dragon-shifted. The scales showing her heritage flowed over her skin warningly. Her eyes, now pentachromat, saw the world in ten million colors rather than one million. The landscape went richer, lusher, and more verdant. Cashlin did the opposite. He seemed to wash out entirely. "Don't hold back on me now. Where would the fun be?"
He gave a wild cry and lunged for her with his hands outstretched. Power ripped from him in a wild rush and cut through the air toward her. It was his most potent attack, and it had ripped apart the shields of Defenders as if they weren't there.
She absorbed it with all the ease a sponge might absorb water. His eyes widened in terror as he finally realized just how outmatched he was against her. He looked around swiftly for something, anything, to use against her, and he spotted Rodi. An evil gleam leapt into his eye as he lobbed a fresh attack at the male witch.
Rodi merely lifted a brow as he also absorbed the attack without any care or concern. Tasia made a derisive noise. "You are stupid, Cashlin. Did you honestly think he would be an easy target? No Cultivator chooses an inferior mate." Deadly power flickered through her suddenly gray eyes. "And no Defender tolerates their mate in danger. You've managed to finally piss me off. Nice job, dipshit."
He whirled and came after her with a powerful attack, hoping to catch her off guard. She merely stepped gracefully to the side and caught his wrist. She twisted his arm up behind his back, and the sound of bone cracking echoed very loudly amid the silence of the land. He gave an agonized cry as she released him and his arm fell uselessly to his side. "Where is your mercy?" he asked raggedly.
"Where was yours when you destroyed Starlight's life and killed her people? Where was your mercy when you stole her throne and still sought to destroy her, despite knowing it may doom Aluria? Where was your mercy when you encouraged murder to advance your ideals? When you reached out to embrace evil the way one should embrace a friend instead?" She reached out and yanked him off his feet with casual strength. "Give me a reason to give you mercy!"
His voice had frozen with terror. He could not look away from her eyes. The swirl of infinite power held him transfixed as much as her voice did. "Please," he managed to say.
She stared down at him and then dropped him. "Fine. Run, Cashlin. Run very far and very fast. If you do evil again, then I will kill you where you stand." She turned her back and began walking away. Her eyes met Rodi's, and he watched as she lifted her hands and began gathering an immense spell. He said nothing.
"You fool!" Cashlin spat as he gained his feet. He poured all of his lifeforce into his evil, determined to destroy her even if he destroyed himself. "Die!" he screamed as he hurled the blast at her back.
She turned gracefully and released her own spell. The two hit with a loud crack that split the land. Her power immediately overwhelmed his and obliterated it. Time seemed to stop for just a moment as his horrified gaze met hers. And her voice, though soft, seemed to echo as she said, "I gave you one last chance to reject evil, and you refused. I have no forgiveness for you, Cashlin. Let judgment be done."
The spell struck him with the force of a bomb and detonated. The light was so bright that Minstrel popped a pair of sunglasses on. When the light faded, Cashlin's body lay lifelessly on the ground. He looked perfectly unharmed yet he was still very dead.
"Oooh." Minstrel nudged him with a foot. "How'd you do that?"
"It's hard to describe, really. One of those arcane type things." She propped a hand on her hip. "Well, I guess this technically makes you king now, doesn't it? I don't suppose you'd be willing to negotiate a ceasefire and give Starlight back her kingdom?"
"Nah. Making her suffer makes Raven suffer." His gaze turned faraway. "My brother . . . he hated and hated and hated and it was nice. But then you made him afraid and it was better. It's so much fun to make people suffer."
"You do know that if you make people suffer, we're going to have to stop you."
"Of course!" He gave her a bow. "This was just my gift to you. I wasn't expecting you to give me a gift in return! I'm going to go try on my crown. I'll be back to play with all of you soon." Something sinister lurked in the corner of his smile. "We have so many new games to play."
As he disappeared with Cashlin's body, she felt a chill roughen her skin. She instantly turned and curled against Rodi, and she was comforted when he wrapped his arms and jacket around her tightly. Their Sight stirred equally at the same time, and they felt the same premonition that Racine had felt when she had helped destroy Minstrel's ability to dream. This event just past was a necessary thing, but it brought them one step closer to what made him tick . . .
And the heart of his madness.
©Stacy J. Garrett. Do not reprint or redistribute without permission.
Chapter 18 (May 18th, 2024)->
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