“Possibly. I’d be able to help a lot more if our magic was responding. What happened? It’s like a new moon. I can still feel my power, but it’s like it’s been cut off from Aslendrix.” She doesn’t shift her attention from Calix, and then, giving up on magic, she binds his arm with the cloth.
“The Usher. He has this little trick where he seems to block out our magic.” I just didn’t know the full extent of his ability when I left. He used it to stop me when I took Selina’s power, after my encounter with Novandia. He stopped Fenix with it, too, so I assumed he could cut off our connection to Novandia, but here in Kirrasia, it’s clear he can cut off Aslendrix’s power, too. If he can, his trick will take out his own army, who are Kirrian and draw from Aslendrix. Which means the cards he’s playing have Novandia’s magic and are more powerful.
“And your brother? What can he do?”
My eyes skit around to find Ten, and I watch as my friends help Calix, a welcome change from when Fenix tortured him, and he had no one to help. “He can stop you from moving, freeze every muscle in your body, and then manipulate and control you, without your consent.” The vision of watching Ten stalk towards me is the dark shadow in my mind, reminding me why we can’t let him win. “He’ll overtake your body, basically.”
“No one can do that,” Raiden’s voice holds the disbelief I once had.
“He can.” Ten’s voice is grim.
“If he’s here, I need to protect the stone. I need to go.”
“The forest. It’s got the easiest river crossing.” Kalan sheathes his blade and leads the way.
“Stone?” Raiden asks.
“The Transference Stone. That’s what he’s coming for.”
“If your brother is that powerful, and we don’t have our magic, won’t we need more than just, well, us?” Kyra asks, and I’m glad for the distraction from the Transference stone.
“He’s got to get through the Warriors and the other fighters. We’re the last line.” I say this. I hope this. But I’m not even sure I believe myself.
“Optimism isn’t your strong suit, Ever. Have I ever told you that?”
I smile at my friend. Apparently, Kyra doesn’t buy it, either.
Kalan leads us through the Variscite Forest. There are no paths or clear routes to take, but at least there’s still a glimmer of light. The sky is ominous, but the Usher can’t banish the sun completely, or he’ll lose his connection to Novandia. And the forest is much kinder with even a shard of daylight.
“Kalan. Tell me you picked up my brooch and didn’t leave it on the table where you left it.” I regret leaving it, now.
He makes a small chuckling sound, at odds with his usual gruff exterior. “In case this was our path. Here.” He pulls out the golden piece of jewellery. It was always too nice—too special—to risk taking it outside or anywhere, for that matter, until I bundled it in my bag and brought it here, back where it came from. It’s a fitting circle that it now returns, and I’m placing my trust that it will, in fact, protect us, at least in here.
I take it from Kalan. “Thank you. Seems we might need it after all.” I squeeze it in my hand before slipping it under my vest top to pin it to my shirt for good luck.
As we go deeper into the boughs, I can feel something’s changed. The air is still and thick with anticipation. But something is different from when we came through the day before last. It’s cold. The air is chilled.
“Anyone else feel that?” I ask.
“It’s certainly not comfortable. What’s happening?” Kyra questions.
“Can he control the elements?” Lyle looks at me.
I shake my head. “No. He’s a Natural. A healer. He healed me. One of his inner circle, Selina, controlled the sea, water, but I took her magic,” I answer. “I didn’t meet many others.”
“Well, someone is shifting the weather or pulling it. They’re strong, powerful, and they still have their magic,” Kalan grumbles.
Another experiment, like my brother and Selina?
“You knew them, Kalan. Any other people the Usher might have, hiding out, able to do this?” Lyle accuses.
“No. None that I saw.” He doesn’t break pace or raise his voice.
With the shadowy light struggling to penetrate through the forest canopy, we reach the river. It was bad enough in the darkness. Now, with the air growing colder every minute, it’s terrifying.
“Let’s get to it,” Kalan hustles us, holding out his hand on the edge of the bank. Raiden goes first, her whole body tensing up as she wades into the water up to her waist and across to the other side.
One by one, we cross. Ten holds out his hand, but I don’t take it, regardless of what he said before, and he goes first, cursing under his breath.
