Crisanta Knight: To Death & Back

CHAPTER 1 THE SPARE KNIGHT-3

I narrowed my eyes. “Well, I’m not sorry about this.”

My pinned hands burst with light as I summoned my magic, retaining my focus and reining in my emotions like Liza had instructed. Such control was difficult around Alex and Mauvrey. My feelings toward them were vindictive and strong, and using my powers under such emotional influence tempted the dark, corruptible nature of my Pure Magic Disease. But I could control my rage much better now. Defeating Alex and Mauvrey may have been personal, but it was also business. And that was what I focused on.

As my hands ignited with their golden flare, I concentrated on the trees closest to Mauvrey and Alex. I wanted them to come to life and swat my enemies away like irritating insects. But almost immediately after the magical aura sparked around my fingers, a horrifying pain shot up my arms.

I winced. It was like someone had jabbed butter knives in my biceps and forks in my fists. My magic glow faded. When it did, so did the pain.

Mauvrey smirked. “You are familiar with Stiltdegarths, are you not?” she asked. “Marvelous creatures. The Fairy Godmothers use their magic-reversing properties to remove powers from people. However, the blood of a Stiltdegarth works as a great agent for cancelling out magic. It is one of only three substances known to have that effect. Avalonian glass is quite rare. And Jacobee stone is hard to cut, so it is best for bigger projects like constructing prisons. Given your abilities, Arian cleverly had all our weapons forged in Stiltdegarth blood, including the wiring of my dual crossbow.”

I strained against the arrows and wire pinning me down.

“It does not matter how powerful you are,” Mauvrey continued, moving closer to me. “You will never be able to summon enough strength to use your magic when restrained by something forged in Stiltdegarth blood. The pain will be too great and your instinct will stop you every time.”

Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement in the bushes surrounding the clearing and a flash of a powder blue cape.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll said it again, Mauvrey,” I responded confidently. “I don’t need magic to beat you.”

“You are trapped, Crisa,” Mauvrey said, rolling her eyes. “What, you have another wand up your sleeve?”

“No, I have something better. Friends.”

Mauvrey and Alex whipped their heads around to see Blue, Jason, and SJ emerge from the forest. The instant they did, I used my restraints to leverage my weight and launch both feet into the air, roughly kicking Mauvrey in the chest. She stumbled backward.

SJ fired a silver portable potion. The orb exploded at Mauvrey’s feet, encasing her in a block of ice.

Alex managed to jump out of the way, but Blue and Jason did not skip a beat. Blue threw a knife, which Alex ducked. My brother drew his sword in time to block a blow by Jason’s axe. SJ fired a lightning potion. Alex dove under Jason’s swing and avoided the bolt. She fired again and he rolled out of the way, somehow managing to block, parry, and kick Jason. Our heroic, long-time friend from Lord Channing’s School for Princes & Other Young Heroes continued to spar with my brother as SJ launched potions at him.

“Need some help?” Blue asked, appearing by my side.

“Yes, please. My magic doesn’t work on these things.” I nodded at the restraints holding me down.

“Lucky for me, my kind of magic is much more powerful.”

“What kind of magic is that?”

Blue raised her trusty hunting knife. “The magic of brute force.”

My friend wedged the sharp blade of her knife between my wrist and the wire. She braced one boot against the tree and yanked. The knife sliced through the restraint.

Blue freed my other wrist as another lightning bolt erupted. Alex didn’t move out of the way in time for this one and he dropped to the ground. Jason rushed in. He twisted Alex’s arm behind his back and slammed one knee into my brother’s spine to hold him down.

I stood in front of Alex. My brother met my gaze with an expression filled with nothing short of will and fire. I was familiar with that look. Good and evil aside, defiance was one thing we’d always had in common.

Blue retrieved my spear and handed it to me. I returned it to wand form.

“Crisa, what do you want us to do with him?” Jason asked.

I felt coldness in my heart—the iciness that came when faced with someone you used to love, but who’d hurt you too much to ever be forgiven.

Alex was working with the antagonists. Alex had betrayed my parents. Alex had attacked our home. Alex was dating Mauvrey. Alex was my enemy.

“Let him go,” I said, the words escaping my lips before I thought better of them.

In spite of what he was and what he’d done, one thing surpassed everything else: Alex was my brother.

Jason thrust Alex against the dirt and stepped back, joining Blue and me.

“Seriously? You’re just going to set him free?” Blue asked.

“Not quite.” I gestured at the fourth member of our group. “SJ …”

My friend drew back her slingshot. Before Alex could get to his feet, a silver portable potion exploded in front of him and encased him in his own block of ice.

“Well, that’s appropriate,” Blue said as she gazed at the two chunks of frost. “An ice king for our school’s former ice queen.”

It was funny. But I didn’t laugh. I didn’t feel like laughing.

“Come on,” SJ said. “We must go. There are still many soldiers, and let us not forget Arian.”

Like I could ever forget Arian.

With one last glance at my brother—preserved like a handsome fossil for the time being—I turned and followed my friends through the woods. As we ran, Blue tilted her head in my direction.

“We probably should’ve killed them. It would’ve been smarter,” she said.

The words caught me so off guard that I tripped over a tree root. I picked up my pace to make up for the falter and studied my friend. Her eyes were full of pensive darkness.

“That’s my brother, Blue.”

“That’s our enemy, Crisa,” she said. “And villains like them don’t stay down. As long as they’re out there they’ll keep trying to kill us.” She gestured at herself, SJ, and Jason. “When you’re no longer useful, your brother will probably try to kill you too.”

My stomach knotted as my friend’s words sunk in.

A small part of me wondered if she was right. Arian, Mauvrey, Alex, and the countless other villains we’d encountered were relentless. It didn’t matter how often we beat them or escaped their clutches; they kept regrouping and attacking with greater force. It was what bad guys did. So was Blue’s assertion correct? Was it unwise to leave our enemies alive if they were just going to keep coming after us? Had I been wrong to let my relationship with Alex get in the way of my rational judgment?

I shook my head at such dark thoughts. I didn’t know if Blue was right. But I also didn’t know if I had what it took to kill someone, let alone my own brother.