Blood Magic's Bond

Ch 16: The Extraction Ritual

Calder had spent the last hours of darkness before the sun rose, pouring over books that made absolutely no sense to him. He had demanded access to the Magical Archives Library, determined to find another way to extract the demon from Tasha and destroy it. Nothing was going to deter him. He would find a way no matter what it took.

But time continued to pass, and the runes in the books were foreign to him, and when the King at last came to him with his face grim, the Prince’s heart clenched.

"Calder..."

"I just need a little more time." He grabbed another book and ripped it open.

Josnen put a hand on his son's arm. "Calder, Errant would not be swayed. And his reasons are sound. I am sorry, but the ritual will proceed. There is nothing more that can be done."

His blood went cold. "No."

The King's hand tightened on his arm. "They are preparing her now."

He thought his heart would rip through his chest. “But it isn't sunrise yet."

“It’s about to be, and Errant isn't risking you making an attempt to free her."

Calder didn't care what Errant was preparing for, he would do whatever he had to do to stop them. Slamming the book shut, he tore around the large table toward the door.

“Son, there's nothing more you can do. Please, I beg you, don't put yourself through watching this."

Calder stopped. “You wouldn't leave Mother's side. This is my fault and I won’t leave her to face it alone."

The King sighed after a moment and nodded. “We should go then. They’ll be beginning soon."

The reality of the statement was like a stone in Calder’s stomach, and all he could do was nod before heading out the door.

The two made their way as quickly as possible to the War Room in silence, Cal’s mind a whirlwind of thoughts. He had always had a plan, knew how to strategize ahead for every possible scenario. But this… he was completely out of his element, lost, scrambling in a way he’d never known before now.

As they entered, his eyes scanned the room. Errant was there, along with Zephyr and the blonde witch from the woods. But the Grand Sorcerer’s face immediately darkened in suspicion.

"Your Majesties, I am sorry, but I cannot allow the Prince's presence to disturb the ritual."

Errant had always been bold in his speech towards the King. It was part of why he held the position he did; There was a level of respect between the two because of it. And usually, Calder would revel in their almost foolhardy rivalry. But this time... this time he was relieved to hear his father push back without an ounce of leniency.

"You forget how far your command can go, Grand Sorcerer. If the heir to the throne wishes to be present for a ritual, you have no authority to deny him."

Errant breathed in frustration. "Very well, but I am allowed to request added security for the safety of those performing the ritual."

Calder's teeth ground into each other, but again, his father lashed back with a fierce authority.

"And that security is to be reserved for the subject of the ritual, not the witnesses."

"We have already taken extra steps to secure the sorceress, but if the Prince cannot control his emotions, he risks harming her as well as us."

Calder couldn't contain himself anymore. "What the hell do you mean you’ve secured her?”

Errant finally turned his gaze to the Prince. "You do understand what this ritual entails, Your Highness, do you not? Restraining her is the only way to ensure she doesn’t cause undue damage to herself."

It was out of pure protective instinct that Calder took a step toward the sorcerer, and Errant raised his hands, no doubt ready to cast a defensive spell if need be. But the King’s grip on his son’s shoulder stopped him before any of that was necessary.

"Calder!"

"You see your majesty?” said Errant. “His emotional attachment is too great not to interfere."

The King sighed as he looked between his Advisor and son. "Very well. I will have my personal guards on hand, and should he attempt to interfere, he shall be removed.” Calder opened his mouth to speak, but the look from his father silenced him. “If, however, you or any of the Magical Advisory attempt to subdue him in any capacity before the guards have been given the chance to intercede, and only if their intervention is necessary, I shall strip you all of your titles and banish you from my kingdom. Do we have an accord?”

Errant considered the terms and finally gave a shallow nod. “So be it.”

“Good.” Said the King, motioning to one of the guards at the entrance, who bowed and exited the room.

The doors to the garden opened a moment later, Bryn and an older woman Calder had never seen before, entering from outside. "She is ready, Errant." said the woman, and Cal felt every fiber of his being tense.

Soon after, the group entered the garden, Calder flanked by his father’s guards. Errant had been wise to insist on the added security, for when his eyes fell on the stone table, everything in him screamed in fury.

There, on the cold slab of rock, stripped down and naked for all to see, lay Tasha, her hands and feet restrained with chains and, no doubt, magic. Her eyes were closed but Calder could see her chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Tasha!" He took a single step toward her but felt one of the guards grip his arm and stopped.

Her eyes flashed open, and a sadness filled them as they landed on the Prince, a sadness that broke his soul and crushed his resolve.

He saw her lips form his name, but no sound came from her mouth, and he turned on Errant. "What the f**k have you done to her?"

The sorcerer looked at him as though the answer was quite obvious. “Her words have been silenced to prevent her from casting, as is customary for any mage who is to be stripped of their powers."

Before Calder could protest, Errant turned away, and the guards ushered him to where his father stood.

The other sorcerers made their way to the stones surrounding the garden, the older woman he didn’t know taking the position Astasha once held, and Calder cast his eyes around, desperate for a way to free her, rescue her, any way to end this, but without his sword, he had no way to take the guards, and even if he had, he was no match for five sorcerers.

And then, the ceremony was beginning, and the world seemed to shrink.

This couldn't be happening.

He had promised to save her, and he had failed.

His eyes turned to her. Even when facing death, she was beautiful and stoic.

There were words being exchanged, and actions being taken, no doubt formalities and elements of the spellwork of the ritual, but they were all distant and distorted. The only thing in his focus was Tasha.

Her eyes locked with his as the runes were drawn on her skin. Calder had never felt so hopeless, not even trapped inside his own head by a demon. There was nothing he could do other than comfort her, be there with her, show her she wasn't alone.

“I’m here, Tasha, I’m not leaving you.”

Despite his efforts to keep her focused on him, her eyes broke away as Errant brought forward the ceremonial blade that would cut her open, and potentially bring her end.

Gods, how he fought every instinct not to rush to her side, to smash apart the chains that bound her, and carry her away from all that was wretched and terrible.

“Tasha!” He called to her. “My love, look at me." As her golden eyes found his, there were tears in them. "Our love is stronger than death, remember? I love you, with every fiber of my being, I love you."

This couldn’t be real. He desperately wanted to wake up, her asleep in his arms, all of this some horrid nightmare and nothing else.

But the blade that lowered to her chest was very real.

He saw her mouth form the words 'I love you' and his heart shattered.

The knife cut into her flesh, and a pain like none he had ever felt before, seared through him. He could hear screaming, but hadn't realized he himself was yelling out in pain. He doubled over, as what felt like fire seared his flesh and made his vision blur.

Something was wrong. He could feel the blade in his chest, though nothing was there.

The screaming continued and he knew it was her. He needed to get to her, to save her. But the pain was overwhelming and Calder sank to his knees, clutching his chest.

"Stop!" His father's voice boomed across the garden, but he couldn’t raise his head to see what was happening. He was curled in on himself, grabbing at his chest. Was this his heart breaking? It had to be. He felt like he was being torn into, like some beast was trying to claw its way to his soul.

“Enough!” The King was by Calder's side, kneeling next to him. “Damnit, Errant you fool, can you not see something is wrong? For all your years of magic, look and tell me there is nothing happening!”

At last, the pain lessened some, and the Prince raised his eyes to see the Grand Sorcerer watching him, his face full of shock. A glow was emanating from beneath Calder’s tunic, like embers burning, and it was coming from the cut across his chest that was the only thing to show for his entire ordeal with the demon.

Errant quickly turned back to the barely conscious woman bound on the table. Through the blood seeping from the wound running between her breasts, the same faint glow could be seen from her matching scar.

Errant’s head snapped up. ”Bryn, Cordelia, we need healing herbs and water. Zephyr, unbind Astasha and get the Prince to the healing ward immediately.” His hands shot out over Tasha's chest as he began muttering under his breath, attempting to slow the bleeding with his magic.

"Grand Sorcerer, this has to be some sort of dark magic! We cannot—" the blonde witch was clearly upset, but Errant turned on her, his eyes like a storm.

"Do as I say or resign your post, Cordelia."

She bowed her head, jaw clenched and cheeks flushed, but hurried to the fountain by one of the stones.

The replacement Fire Witch was now by Astasha's side, her face grim. "Errant, this sorceress is emanating power I've never felt before.”

"Can you seal the wound, Helia?" There was worry in Errant’s eyes.

"Perhaps, but it would be safer for them both if we were in the healing ward," She responded.

Zephyr was by Calder, his hand outstretched. "Your Highness..."

But he pushed his arm away. "I'm not leaving her."

The Air Sorcerer looked to the King, who was still next to his son, and then to Errant, who sighed.

"We have to move her. Zephyr, can you channel for two?"

Calder forced himself to stand. His chest was burning and the pain clouded his sight, but there was one thing he knew; the ritual had come to an abrupt halt, and for now, so long as they could stop the bleeding, Tasha was safe, and he had no intention of leaving her side. "I'm fine, I’ll walk with her."

Errant was visibly exasperated but nodded. "Very well. Come, it will take all of us to get her to the healing quarters without causing further damage or risking the demon getting loose."

Calder had no idea what was happening but he didn't care. He was at Tasha's side, his hand taking hers in its grasp. "I'm here, my love. You're going to be OK."

She looked up at him, her mouth open as if to say something, but then her eyes fluttered closed and her hand went limp in his own.