Deafening silence filled the Inner Chamber. For a few moments, it was as if time itself had stopped. Everyone just remained standing there like statues. Then, Lance yanked the Blade of Equilibrium out of Chancellor Quill’s neck.
Blood spurted through the air from his severed artery.
With his mouth still hanging open, Quill managed to turn slightly to stare at his Binder. His hero. The young man who was supposed to save Eldar from dark mages. Utter disbelief shone on Quill’s face.
Then his knees buckled and he collapsed to the floor with a thud that echoed between the gold-infused walls. Wet gurgling came from his mouth as he lay there on the ground while blood poured out and stained the white floor red.
That broke the spell.
Constables and students and parliament members whirled around to stare at the insane scene before them. Gasps rang out, and a few of them even jerked back in shock. Lance just stood there, looking down at his dying Chancellor. Blood ran down from the golden blade in his hand and dripped on the floor beside him.
When Godric Quill had stopped twitching on the floor, Lance dragged his eyes back up and locked them on us instead before speaking in a calm and confident voice.
“We accept the deal.”
Wicked satisfaction pulsed through my body, and I couldn’t stop the grin that spread across my lips.
It had been a long shot, and I hadn’t known if it would actually work. We had all been fully ready to fight our way through this chamber, but I had always kept Lance as a sort of impossible back-up plan in my mind.
Ever since our journey to the dark mage mountain in Castlebourne, I had gotten the feeling that Lance wasn’t as sure of his beliefs anymore. That he had begun to see the world a bit differently. So every time I had run into him since then, I had tried to fan that flame of doubt. To make it grow into a raging wildfire that would burn through his hero complex and all the grand destinies that had been forced upon his shoulders since he was a child. So that one day, when we needed it, he might be the final drop that tipped the scale in our favor.
“Lance,” Leoni gasped as she stared at her friend while shaking her head. “What have you done?”
Lance held our gazes in silence for another few seconds before shifting his attention to her. “I’ve saved us. I have saved our city from the stubbornness of old men.”
“You killed him!” Desperation flooded her voice, and she flung out an arm and stabbed a hand in our direction. “Why would you do that for them? Why?”
“Because I’m tired of fighting!” Something snapped in Lance’s blue eyes. He threw his arms out, making blood fly from the tip of the blade and splatter the white stone farther away. “Going into battle isn’t as glamorous and heroic as everyone makes it out to be. I don’t want to fight anymore. I don’t want to see any more people I care about die. I don’t want to see any more one-handed dark mages who have been banished from their homes. I don’t want to see any more children living in misery because they happened to be born to dark mages. I don’t want to hear about another bright young man committing suicide because he was forced to give up his plant magic that could have brought the world so much joy if he would’ve been allowed to keep it.”
On Callan’s other side, Henry flinched slightly at the mention of his brother.
“I’m tired of killing people just because they refuse to let us steal from them.” His eyes were wide as he swept them over the gathered crowd. “That’s what we’re doing, isn’t it? We’re taking something that’s theirs against their will. Doesn’t that make us just as bad as them?”
“It’s not the same!” Leoni protested.
“Then where are we supposed to draw the line? Huh? Is taking other people’s magic against their will the right thing to do? Or is letting parts of the population live without magic the right thing? I don’t know! I don’t know which side is good or bad anymore. But here is what I do know. Our city is on fire. Our people are dying. And every single person in this room is going to die too if we keep this up.” His gaze slid back to me. “And I am not prepared to watch innocent strangers and people I care about die just to protect our right to steal someone else’s magic.”
Ringing silence descended on the room.
Our side exchanged a glance and a nod.
“Ben,” Levi said, his voice booming into the tense silence. “Take the others and go tell our people to stand down.”
The students on the front lines heaved a collective sigh of relief. Some of them even collapsed to the ground.
“Captain Olsen,” Marjorie said. “Take your constables and do the same.”
“Yes, Vice Chancellor.” Captain Olsen cleared his throat. “I mean, Chancellor.”
Boots pounded against the marble floor as all five rows of constables jogged out of the room. Once they were gone, Levi’s dark mages disappeared too.
The students had all struggled back to their feet and were now clustered together on the left side of the room. Both they and the parliament members cast uncertain glances between us and each other.
Callan jerked his chin. “You’re free to leave.”
They hesitated for only a second. Then they hurried out of the Inner Chamber as well. We remained standing in front of the door, so that they had to walk around us to get out.
Once they were gone, the only people who remained in the room were the six dark mages of Eldar, Paige and Henry, Levi, and then Lance and his three friends.
Lance was still gripping the Blade of Equilibrium in his right hand as he walked up to stand between Jessica and Darren. Leoni stood a little to the side, casting wary glances between us and them.
I locked eyes with Lance. “The blade, please.”
He said nothing. Only watched us with an unreadable expression on his face. Then he heaved a deep sigh and closed his eyes.
The golden blade began to glow.
We all tensed.
Opening his eyes again, Lance swept them from face to face, holding each of our gazes for a second. I frowned slightly at him.
With a tired smile on his lips, he raised the blade and drew it along his left palm.
Shock pulsed through me.
Blood welled up from the cut, but he only shifted the blade to his other hand and did the same thing to his right palm.
The moment that both cuts were in place, shimmering golden mist began to rise up from his palms. It was the exact same color as Lance’s binding magic.
I watched as the golden mist rose up into the air above his head and twisted there while more kept pouring out of his hands.
Once the flow from his palms stopped, the glittering mist swirled for another few seconds. Then it dissipated into the air.
Lance Carmichael had just given up his powers as a Binder.
Without a word, he held out the blade to his friends. None of them took it.
Amusement flickered through me.
“Not so much for sharing anymore, huh?” I said.
Leoni shot me a withering glare, but said nothing. The other two just exchanged a guilty look.
Candlelight danced across Lance’s features as he took a few steps forward. He still held the blade in his hand, and blood now smeared the gold and jewel-encrusted handle. Another ripple of tension coursed through our side. If he was going to change his mind and do something stupid right now, I might just kill them all.
But he didn’t.
With one last sigh, Lance tossed the blade at our feet.
It clanked metallically as it bounced a couple of times before sliding to a halt in front of our boots.
“I can’t bind magic anymore.” Raising his hands, he looked back at us and swallowed. “So I’m no longer a threat to you.”
There was a guarded sense of worry and uncertainty in his eyes as he watched us. As if he thought that we might still retaliate and decide to kill them all after all the trouble they had caused us. I had to admit, the thought had crossed my mind. But I wasn’t going to. I might be a ruthless villain, but there were limits. And he had chosen the right side in the end.
When we didn’t immediately reply, he pressed out, “Please. I don’t want to fight. I just want to live in peace.” He glanced back at his friends, and when he met our gazes again, there was a pleading look in his eyes. “Them too. Please.”
I swept a glance up and down our line. When no one objected, I shifted my attention back to Lance.
“You and your friends are free to go. And as long as you stay out of our way, no one will touch you. Now or in the future.”
He swallowed again and then nodded while relief blew across his features.
Twisting around, he held out a hand towards his friends. Jessica and Darren joined him immediately. After another few moments of glaring at us, Leoni grudgingly stalked after them as well.
Since we still blocked the door, they had to walk around us. Before they did, Jessica stopped in front of Sam. Her blue eyes locked on his gray ones with a sort of frank openness.
“Thank you,” she said. “For healing me.”
A small smile played over Sam’s lips. “You’re welcome.”
And with that, the four of them walked around us and disappeared out the door once and for all.
I swore I could almost see the relief and smug satisfaction thrumming in the air as the nine of us turned to face each other.
Bending down, I picked up the Blade of Equilibrium.
It really was a remarkably beautiful blade. Both the hilt and the blade were made of gold, and gleaming gemstones in red, blue, and green were set into the twisting hilt. There were inscriptions on it too. Something about equality or some sort.
With a villainous grin on my lips, I held it out to Levi. “Would you do the honors?”
He took it while a sly smile pulled at his mouth. “A deal is a deal.”
We all drew in a breath, and then apparently forgot to let it out again because we were all holding our breath as Levi touched his hands together and then shifted the blade so that it lay flat across his palms.
The blade began to glow with golden light, just like it had when Lance had activated it earlier. But this time, the color was a bit red-tinted, and the blade vibrated, as if it was angry. Or resisting.
Levi narrowed his eyes at it.
It shook even harder and the glow coming from within it turned an even angrier shade of red.
Then it stopped.
I finally let out that breath and sucked in a new one as the blade melted in Levi’s hands. The golden metal turned liquid and ran through his fingers to drip down on the floor. Gemstones followed it.
When the last of it had left Levi’s hands, all that remained was a now hardened pool of gold on the floor. Except now, it was dull and lifeless. All traces of magic were gone from it, leaving only ordinary metal.
“Well, I guess that concludes our business,” Levi said. Brushing his hands off, he looked between me and Callan. “Callan. Audrey. If you ever show your faces in Malgrave again, I will kill you. Or buy you a drink. If you ever feel brave or stupid enough to risk finding out which one it is, you know where to find me.”
Holding his gaze, Callan gave him a nod. “Thank you, Levi.”
The King of Metal only looked back at him in silence for a few seconds. Then a slight smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
“Traitor,” he said. It wasn’t a curse, or an accusation. More of a goodbye. He turned to me. “Poisonous snake.”
I grinned. “Asshole.”
Huffing out a short chuckle, he shook his head.
Without another word, the King of Metal turned around and strode out the door.
The rest of us stood there in silence for a while, looking from face to face.
“So, this… alliance we have,” Malcolm began. “Should we perhaps extend it?”
Sienna flashed us a brilliant grin. “I had a lot of fun. So yeah, sure. I’m in.”
“I can certainly see the benefits too,” I said.
“Agreed,” Callan added.
Grant shrugged. “I have never had any interest in war anyway.”
A short silence fell as we looked from face to face.
“It’s decided then?” Malcolm asked.
We all nodded. “Yes.”
“Ha!” Sam elbowed Malcolm in the ribs before shooting us all a smile. “I knew it.” A thoughtful look passed over his features. “Though, I’m not sure what that means for my future job prospects.”
“We can live inside the walls of Eldar now,” I pointed out. “So you now have an entire city full of potential clients.”
“Oh. Ohh. You’re right!”
I chuckled. As did some of the others too.
Without having to say anything, the eight of us turned towards the door and began walking back out of the parliament building. Gray light fell in through the broken windows and painted the mess of shattered stone in gloomy hues as we passed through the Silver Hall.
“The problem with immediate accommodations still remains, though,” Malcolm said to no one in particular as we made our way into the corridor. “Since they burned down my mansion.”
“Shit,” Sienna swore. “I didn’t think about that.”
“You’re both welcome to stay with me for as long as you need,” Grant offered. Amusement twinkled in his eyes as he looked over at Sienna. “Yes, even you, my dear pyromaniac.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Callan asked Henry while the three of them began discussing Grant’s offer.
Henry nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
Keeping my voice low, I said to Paige, “So… nice move.”
“What move?” she said, her face the epitome of innocence.
I rolled my eyes. “You know which move.”
“Yes, well…” A hint of red crept into her cheeks as her gaze darted towards Henry. “He wasn’t really noticing my subtle hints, so I figured I might as well spell it out for him.”
A laugh rolled from my throat. “Oh you sure did.”
“Shut up,” she huffed, but happiness glittered in her eyes as she once again looked over at Henry.
Warm summer winds washed over us as we at last left the parliament building and stepped out onto the hill outside. Paige winked at me before sneaking over to Henry and sliding an arm through his. He blinked at her in surprise and then leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. My heart swelled in my chest.
The others began drifting off, walking back down the white steps and towards the city. But I lingered on the topmost step. Callan joined me.
For a while, we just stood there side by side, staring out at the city.
“So…” I began. “That went more or less according to plan.”
Callan chuckled and glanced down at me. “Yeah, I suppose it did.”
Another short silence fell.
“So this is it, huh?” I said. A flicker of both uncertainty and anticipation rippled through my chest. “This is the start of our new lives. In Eldar. Together.”
“Yes, it is.” He paused for a few seconds before adding, “Wife.”
I snapped my gaze to him. He was standing there right next to me, watching me with hope and a slight hint of vulnerability in his eyes. Warmth spread through my chest.
With a smile on my lips, I replied, “What do you say we finally make that official, husband?”
Joy sparkled like glittering fireworks in his eyes. But then he flicked a glance around us. “Here?”
I swept my gaze over the area around us as well.
Abandoned swords from the constables who had fled littered the ground between us and the parliament building. Small streams of blood had run out from the mass slaughter in the corridor inside, trickling out from the front doors. Ahead, the city was still in chaos.
Red flames burned through the buildings farther down from the hill, making plumes of smoke rise up towards the gray sky above. The raging fires cast the city in a hellish glow, and people still yelled down there while trying to put out the flames. Between us and the end of the main steps below the hill was a sea of dead constables. Limbs and blood smeared the white stones and turned the green grass red.
A wicked grin curled my lips as I looked back at Callan. “What could be more romantic than conquering a city?”
He let out a dark laugh. Drawing a hand up my throat, he took my chin in a firm grip and then leaned down to steal a kiss from my lips. “My vicious little poisoner, I’m so glad I didn’t kill you five years ago.”
I smiled against his lips. “Likewise, pretty boy.”
Another soft laugh escaped his throat before he released me and took a step back.
Steel sang into the air as he drew his knife from his thigh holster.
My heart began pounding in my chest as he held my gaze and then drew the blade across his palm.
“I, Callan Blackwell, swear by my blood and my power that I will love and protect you, Audrey Sable, for as long as I live. I will never betray you. I will share all of your joys and your sorrows, as I will share this life of mine with you.”
My heart felt as though it was going to burst. Swallowing the wave of emotions that surged through my chest, I reached out and took the knife from his hand.
While holding his gaze, I drew the blade across my own palm.
“I, Audrey Sable, swear by my blood and my power that I will love and protect you, Callan Blackwell, for as long as I live. I will never betray you. I will share all of your joys and your sorrows, as I will share this life of mine with you.”
This was it.
We had done it.
A blood oath.
He was mine. And I was his.
Love shone in his eyes as he looked back at me. “Wife.”
I smiled. “Husband.”
He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me deeply. The knife clattered to the stones beneath us as I released it and locked my hands around the back of his neck, answering the kiss and hoping that it could tell him all the things that I still didn’t know how to put into words.
Based on the way he tightened his arms around me, he understood. And shared the feelings.
When we at last drew back, I was thoroughly out of breath. My heart was slamming against my ribs and I felt as though I had just sprinted across the whole continent.
Drawing in a deep breath, I turned to face the city again.
Callan draped his arm around my shoulders.
For a while, we just stood there side by side, watching the burning city below.
We had done it. Chancellor Quill was dead. The parliament of Eldar belonged to us. And the Blade of Equilibrium was destroyed.
A villainous smile spread across my lips as I looked down at the city we had conquered.
The time for dark mages had come.
