Blood Magic's Bond

Ch 35: The Reconnection

Calder thought back to the last night he had shared with Astasha before hell had literally been unleashed. She had held his hand over her scar and told him to feel the energy coming off of it, the energy around it, to pull it to him. She had shown him how to use it to create a magical tether around her wrist. He had seen the flames reaching out for each other as they made love. More than anything though, he could feel the connection they shared, the life force that beat inside one another.

The reason he felt despair when he thought her name wasn't because of what he had seen, it wasn't because he hadn't been able to protect her; it was because part of him was dying, the part of him that was her. It was being slowly consumed by an evil only she could fight, and he knew he had to reach her, to reconnect the two halves back into a whole so that she knew she wasn’t alone, that it was safe to wake up, that he would never leave her side again.

He didn't care that everyone was staring, wide-eyed, slack-jawed, as cold fire curled from his fingertips toward her, reaching into her through the scar that matched his own. His only focus was the energy he was sending out to her, on making her know he was there and that he loved her. He concentrated on trying to pull the fire within her toward himself, to join their flames together once more so that maybe, it could help her banish the darkness she was lost in.

"Please, Tasha, I'm here." He whispered. But as the blue fire reached into her, there was nothing in response, no glimpse of the burning amber of her spirit.

A crease formed on his forehead as he focused even harder. He used everything in him to push and pull, search and find, feel and give. "Tasha, leave death behind. Come out of the darkness, my love. We have so much living left to do. I can't do it without you."

He didn't know if he had actually spoken the words or just thought them so hard they sounded in his head, but for the second time since his return, he found himself pleading with the love of his life to come back to the land of the living. He had failed her, not once, but twice, but he forced himself to shut away his own dark thoughts, and concentrate on the light. He wouldn’t fail her again.

Something stirred in his stomach, an ache. Was it longing? Or pain? Or fear? It didn't matter what it was. All that mattered was that it wasn't a feeling of his own.

He knew he was pushing himself harder than he should, but he didn't care. She was in there, waiting for him to pull her from the depths, to help her breathe the air again.

Using all the energy he could muster, he sent every feeling of love and care and peace he could toward his sleeping beauty.

And then he saw it; the tiniest thread of gold reaching back.

His breath caught and he gently urged the little flicker, watching as more slowly emerged. They turned and twisted into his own and relief washed over him.

But it was short-lived.

Astasha's eyes shot open and fear and terror hit Calder like a tidal wave. Her emotions knocked him back, as arms of dark flame shot out from her scar, swirling around her, lashing out at every person in the room, save him. The other sorcerers reacted swiftly, shielding all those present from the attack. But it didn’t cease.

As Calder recovered from the wall of emotions that had struck him, he realized Astasha was screaming, her arms thrown out as the darkness and fury tore through her. He knew it would kill her, and so he pushed through the tornado of fire to reach her.

"Tasha! It's ok! The demon fled! You're safe! I'm here. Please!" His hands cupped her face, forcing her to see him. “Tasha. Look at me.” Her eyes found him and slowly the burning rage within them dissipated, the flames dying out. He wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair. “It's alright, my love."

Her screams faded into violent, heart-wrenching sobs as her hands grasped at Cal, her face buried into his chest. She shook as her cries echoed through the room.

"I'm so sorry." Tears came to his own eyes as he could feel the overwhelming anguish radiating through the woman in his arms.

By now, everyone else in the room had recovered and were watching, their expressions pity and sorrow, and something Cal couldn't quite discern.

"Your Highness, your injuries..." Terrin quietly tried to coax Calder to release Astasha.

"I don't care." He uttered in response.

He could see Errant out of the corner of his eye, hands out, no doubt trying to feel the damage inside the two of them. He looked to his new Earth Mage with his brow furrowed before stepping gently toward the couple.

"Your Majesty, Astasha’s injuries are still vast. We need to act now before more damage is done." Tasha was still sobbing into Calder's chest, clinging to him as if her life depended on it.

He knew Errant was right though.

"My love," he whispered gently into her ear. "I promise no one will hurt you. They're trying to help. Please, let them, for me. I’ll be right here. I’m not leaving your side.”

He didn't know if she had actually heard him, but slowly, her shoulders slowed their heaving. The woman in his arms never ceased to amaze him as he heard her take a deep breath and felt her gently nod her head.

He looked up at Errant and gave a gentle nod of his own.

Slowly, Cal moved away from her and let Zephyr guide her with his magic back onto the cot. His fingers were laced with hers, never letting go. Josnen placed a chair by her head and Calder sat, his father's hand on his shoulder. He could suddenly feel pain throughout his entire body, but he pushed it away. Tasha was the one who mattered now.

She looked up at him, her body still shaking, but her breathing was focused. Her eyes were full of so many emotions he had never wished to see in them, but he clenched his jaw, determined to keep his composure.

The sorcerers went to work immediately, checking and tending to the fragile Fire Witch. She flinched every time one of them touched her, but Cal never broke eye contact, reassuring her with every fiber of his being that she was safe.

As he watched her, it was as if they were seeing each other in a whole new way, like they never wanted to be out of sight of one another again. They had been given another chance. For whatever reason, they had been allowed to live to see each other once more after they were certain they would never see one another again.

Allowed to live.

The demon’s words came back to him like water released from a dam, cold, icy water, that sent chills down his spine.

'It seems you shall keep your flesh for now, precious Prince.'

It had let them live.

But why?

How was it they were still alive when death had been so imminent?

He could see in Astasha's eyes that she was wondering the same thing.

But despite the nagging curiosity of what had happened, nothing mattered more than the fact that they were alive and together in that moment.

At last, the sorcerers finished their work, and Errant's voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"I wish more than anything I didn’t have to ask this of you, but we woke you both for a reason. The demon might have fled for now, but there is no knowing when it could come back. And while I would pray to the Gods and Goddess that neither of you would ever have to relive what happened, we need information only you can provide.”

Calder shared one last silent exchange with Tasha. The nod of her head was so slight, no one else would have noticed. But he knew she understood, that she knew what had to be done.

He broke his gaze with her and turned to the Grand Sorcerer. "What do you need to know?”

Errant looked to the King, who took a deep breath. "If you are not ready to speak about it, Sorceress, I understand. But if you can, we need to know everything that was said and that happened in the clearing. Any detail that could help us prepare for the fight that is sure to come."

Calder’s gaze moved to Astasha. He could feel the fear and turmoil inside her, but there was something else as well… hatred, anger, and a determination.

She looked up at the King. "I’ll tell you what you want to know, on one condition.”

“If it is within my power to grant it, I will,” he responded.

A darkness flickered in her eyes as Calder felt her fear melt away into something much stronger… a need for revenge. “That I will be the one to burn the flesh from its body when we stop the f*****g bastard."