Not Giving Into Fate

30- Breaking His Curse

"No, of course not. It's just that I know him and I want-"

"He is a patient of mine. I cannot disclose information to anyone because he has asked for it to be kept between us two. If he has told you whatever he has told you, then fine. But, I will honor what he wants now. Sir Pine, do you want Prince Adrian's help?" I ask, looking up at the knight.

He narrows his eyes at the Prince and shakes his head. "No. I've sought out a Master's help, not a Prince's."

"Now that's settled. I implore you, your Highness, leave now. The day has ended. Return home." I snap my fingers, sending him to the Driscol manor and shutting my door.

"He sounds... enamored." Sir Pine muses as I walk to my desk.

I huff and shake my head. "Please don't be ridiculous. He knows I'm engaged to his brother."

I sit down and look through my notes, ignoring Sir Pine's mutterings. I find the rune I drew on a piece of parchment and the incantation I've made that will hopefully lift the curse. I walk away from my desk, snapping my fingers and the furniture has momentarily disappeared from my room. Sir Pine turns silent as he watches me.

"Are you ready?" I ask, watching him carefully to see if there's any hesitations.

"I'm ready." He states firmly. I gesture for him to stand in the middle of the room which he quickly follows. I take off his gloves, revealing the black curse that stains his hand.

The only thing in my hand is a drawing chalk which I use to start drawing the rune on the floor. I speak the incantation as I draw around Sir Pine. He stands in the center of the room, silent as a statue. I continue with the rune, finishing the details and standing in front of him.

I don't stop the incantation as I grab his hands and push him onto his knees. He obliges and the room turns cold. I speak louder, adding a new phrase and the lights go off. The still air of my rooms moves until it rounds around us like a tornado. The air is frigid cold, but I hold his cursed hand.

My mana seeps out of me, acting as white light in the dark room. My vision turns white which I ignore by closing my eyes. This isn't normal, but I press on. As I near the end, something bites back at me, gnawing at me, scraping me.

Fear pulls my heart down to my stomach as I recognize this curse.

It's black magic. This is a black curse. This isn't a normal ancient curse as I thought it was.

Instead, the curse is pulling at my mana, my mana is being sucked into Sir Pine. I open my eyes, only seeing the visualization of my mana and Sir Pine's. I can see his is red, but there is black from where ours touch. I say one more line and something snaps inside of me. 

I buckle and lean forward, holding onto Sir Pine who screams as I yelp into his arms. With my new vision, I see the black has now taken over his body, pulling him into a ball of condensed black mana. I watch as it nears his heart, the red soon to be overpowered. He twists his body in a horrifyingly disgusting way, arms contorted to a shape that isn't normal. He screams in pain. 

I curse, straddling him as I push him onto his back. trying to straighten his curled back. He fights me, but he is too weak. I grab his chest, pushing both of my palms onto his heart and stopping the incantation and use a purifying one. As an Ancient Mage, I've learned how to pure one's heart from black magic.

I amplify my magic which is dangerous in this situation, but Sir Pine cannot die. I concentrate my mana into his, fighting the black magic. I yell loudly, putting in a last round of concentrated mana and watch the black secede from his torso, moving onto the other arm. I feel no push back and I know I saved him for the time being.