Keep it up. We need to drain her,I push into Vyraxis’s mind.
I could devour this abomination.
No, we need her. Hold steady.
As you will it,she replies reluctantly.
I place a hand against her foreleg, grounding her. The connection between us thickens as I allow her to draw from my magic. Our power hums in tandem, becoming steady and tireless.
Millicent’s arms begin to tremble. Blood spills from her nose. Her form falters for just a moment, her stance widening.
Finally. The first signs of exhaustion.
Vyraxis continues her relentless assault, pausing only to inhale. My own reserves are waning, fatigue creeps through my limbs, but I hold the line.
Millicent drops to one knee. Her shield sputters from the onslaught.
Enough. Rest.
Vyraxis halts her flame, but her posture remains taut, guarding me like a living wall.
Rest,I repeat, softer.
As Millicent crumples, collapsing onto all fours, her breath hitches in strained wheezes. Vyraxis finally concedes. She rises into the sky in a single beat of her wings. High above, she spins once, then dissolves into a ribbon of onyx mist.
I cross to Millicent, crouching beside her.
“Someone’s tired,” I murmur.
“I…am not anything,” she rasps with a brittle voice. She slumps onto her side, curling into the grass like a wounded animal.
I wait, let her breathe for a few minutes. “Millicent.”
When the tremors in her limbs still, I brush hair from her face, tucking damp strands behind her ear. I slide my hand under her cheek and tilt her face toward me. Her tired eyes look up at me. Relief floods over me when I see them.
It’s blue. Soft, familiar.
“There she is,” I breathe.
I gather her gently in my arms, settling her against my chest. Her body folds into mine without resistance, and she lays her head beneath my chin. The magic within has quieted—for now.
Exhaustion settles in. “Are you hurt anywhere?” I ask, voice low.
No response. Her eyes close. Her breathing deepens as she melts in my arms. She’s already asleep.
Kalix joins my side as I begin walking.
“There are a few dead bodies in the kitchen; the Duke’s down the hall—what’s left of him.” He glances at Millicent, eyes tight with confusion and uncertainty. “Maybe I was wrong. Maybe she isn’t just a witch with a dark side. Maybe she’s the very thing people fear, the reason they burned so many of them.”
I pull her closer.
“If she should be killed for this, then so should I.” He knows the horrible things I’ve done.
Kalix sighs and rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah. I don’t mean it.”
We walk in silence the rest of the way to the carriage.
Kalix takes the reins when our driver turns up missing. Probably fled, and I can’t blame him.
