I just nodded as Lorik lowered his shadows and sent an electric wave into the
wildweaver’s chest. My focus shifted to the crimson dragon. Without hesitation, I conjured a massive flame, just like I’d practiced to slow down the illusory magma dragon. The dragon tried to launch itself into the air, but my flames surrounded it, slowing its movements. I poured more fire at the dragon enough to immobilize, though not kill. My hope was to weaken the parasite’s magic, which drew strength from the creature.
After a couple of heartbeats, the dragon was covered in flames and forced to the ground. I kept my hand up to maintain the sphere of fire around the creature as my eyes found the wildweaver weakened and wrapped by shadow ropes tightened around his whole body. Lorik was able to restrain him while I weakened the dragon.
“Who let you in?” Lorik asked the wildweaver as he got closer. He didn’t respond, just laughed again. Lorik threw shadows in his face and removed his horned mask in a swift motion. His face was sun-kissed, his hair dark brown, and he shone with the last light of the day. He looked young, around a decade older than us, as I suspected when I first saw him beyond the veil. The wildweaver smiled at us, amusement tangled with evil rising on the parasite’s expression.
“It seems your dragon studies helped your Sunheart lover to slow my dragon and my magic, Lorik. But it's not going to work out.” The wildweaver’s eyes fixed on Lorik, then me. The parasite not only knew my name, but also Lorik’s. Then, the word hit. Lover.
I felt my face pale at the use of the word as the wildweaver continued.
“You don’t know, do you, Solenhart?” He said with a grin as Lorik’s shadow tightened around his body and his throat.
“Don’t even look at her,” Lorik screamed again. “Respond to me. Who let you in, parasite?” The wildweaver ignored him again, his gaze still on me.
“He spoke into your mind. He found you in the middle of the forest. He found you just by feeling your emotions and your scent,” the wildweaver said between short breaths. “The original curse of the Gods has started crippling in your mind. I can see it all in your eyes.”
Lorik screamed again for answers, but the wildweaver kept speaking.
“What would your treacherous court say about it, Solenhart? The lover’s curse that makes people mad as their minds and bodies become one. Perhaps I don’t need to kill you after all; they might kill you for me anyway.”
I looked at Lorik, who didn’t meet my gaze, then back at the parasite. The flames I had on the dragon falter just under a beat at his words, but I couldn’t let him get into my head. It was all part of his agenda. I kept the fire strong around the dragon.
“You will not touch her,” Lorik’s words cut more than steel. Death and rage mingled together as he shot an electric wave into our enemy. Blood fell from the wildweavers nostrils as he spoke again.
“So possessive that intense love bond between Sunhearts and Moonveils.” He paused to breathe.
“You think you have me, boy, but you won’t win. You forget you are just a child to me. I have been in this war for centuries.”
“Centuries?” The word slipped from my lips.
“There is so much he hasn’t told you, Solenhart. And so much he can’t tell you,” the wildweaver chuckled. “If you must know, I am immortal.”
My magic faltered again for a second, but Lorik’s dark gaze held me as he said into my mind. “Don’t let him get into your head. He can still be killed.”
I kept my faction magic strong against the dragon as the yellow sky began to turn into light blue and violet. The night was coming.
Lorik’s eyes went back to the wildweaver as he sent another electric shock into the parasite's body.
“I’ll ask one last time. Who let you in?” Lorik’s voice was commanding, trying to coerce the truth out of the wildweaver. Lorik was using so much magic and was not able to fully recharge. And yet, he didn’t look depleted.
“You can’t mind-bend me, even with the sun and the moon helping you, even with you truncating my magic from my dragon. I am too strong for a Moonveil and Sunheart. I am magic itself.”
The wildweaver smiled wickedly.
“Perhaps you should have warned your lover what awaited her,” he said with a laugh.
“Then again— You can’t.” The wieldweaver added with a drop of sarcasm. Lorik’s shadow tightened around the enemy again.
“I’m running out of patience, Trivian,” Lorik purred.
A low gasp slipped from my mouth. Lorik knew the wildweaver’s name.
“There is a lot I need to explain.” Lorik’s voice inundated my whole mind. Was he able to read my thoughts?
“Sometimes,” Lorik said again, his gaze still on Trivian. His lips weren’t moving. “I have never lied to you. Never will. Do you trust me?”
I didn’t think, didn’t speak for what it felt like a minute. My logic and my mind said not to trust him. Lorik knew the name of our enemy, and our enemy knew him, too. What else was Lorik hiding?
