Guardian of Calandria | ✔️

Chapter Fourteen

          Kira's body was aflame, or at least that's how it felt. She sat up, screaming. Her fingers clawed at her arms, nearly breaking the skin. There were no flames, no smoke, and no sign of the fire tearing through her. Blurred vision kept her from making out if she was still in Addrick's house and her screams drowned out any other sounds. She tried to stand, up but someone pushed on her shoulders to force her back down while someone else pushed on her stomach. Everything hurt. From her toes to her hair follicles, there wasn't a single speck of her that didn't burn with pain. Moisture in her mouth dried until she thought she was swallowing sand.

The hands on her shoulders were weaker than the ones pushing on her stomach. When she tried to sit up again, they struggled to keep her in place. When her vision cleared, Myra leaned over her, pushing the full weight of her body onto Kira's shoulders. Gray hair hung in her face, sticking to the sweat coating Myra's cheeks. Kira opened her mouth to speak but only screams escaped. Her hand turned so the back pressed against the ground, her fingers curled up. Energy pooled in her palm, sparking bolts of lightning from the tips of her fingers. Something in her mind told her to launch the power at Addrick touching her stomach. Myra moved one hand from her shoulder and gripped Kira's arm.

"I know yer body is telling ye to fight him, but ye have to resists. It isn't ye who wants this to stop. Let his power in ye."

Kira turned her head and looked at her hand. An energy ball spun in the center of her palm, bolts of lightning curled around themselves. A voice in her head, telling her to burn Myra's hand. It hissed and snarled at her when she didn't comply. She looked to Myra. The older woman continued to hold her arm and her shoulder, watching the magic build in Kira's palm. Kira's fingers twitched as she tried to curl them over the ball, but they wouldn't listen. A tremor shook her arm the more she tried to close her hand until finally her fingers cooperated. They closed over the energy, snuffing it into submission.

"It's not working, Myra." Addrick's voice sounded sharp, piercing her ear drums. She looked to him. A glow surrounded his hands, spreading into her stomach where they pushed on her. "I got rid of the unfinished bind, but I can't get the other two."

"Keep trying, Addrick."

Kira wanted to beg him to stop. Stars speckled her vision anywhere she looked. It seemed impossible, but the pain increased. The screams returned. Kira arched backwards as another voice called her. This one told her to kill Addrick. She closed her eyes, ignoring the violent shouts in her head. Her legs kicked against the ground, her body trying to wriggle free from their grasp. One hand reached for Addrick, wanting to burn his flesh, but it couldn't lift far enough from the ground to reach him. Weight pulled on her bones. She opened her eyes again. His gaze moved from her stomach to her face. Kira opened and closed her mouth, trying to formulate a plea. Wrinkles creased his brow when he closed his eyes. A growl rumbled in his throat before he pulled his hands away. The moment his hands released from their touch, the pain went with them. Kira rolled on her side, pulling her knees to her chest, and cried.

"It's not working. My Guardian magic isn't enough and it's hurting her."

"Yer letting yer feelings for her cloud yer judgment."

"Nay! I'm not. Look at her, look at the pain this is causing. Blood magic isn't like other magics and worse yet, it's a bind made with blood magic. How do ye expect me to be able to erase that? Binds in general are nay impossible to get rid of if the caster is still alive—"

"Don't give me a lesson on binding magic and blood magic, lad. I know how they work more than ye do." Myra sighed. "I'm going to go consult the other seers. Perhaps there is something else we can try."

Kira heard Myra gather her belongings before slamming the door as she left. Addrick shook Kira, but she refused to unravel from the tight ball she tucked herself into. He lay on his side in front of her, one arm curled around her waist when he slid closer. She opened her eyes to look at him. Gray eyes met her gaze, staring at her. Wrinkles had smoothed back to invisibility. She wanted to stroke the soft fresh buzz of his hair, but even to that required more effort than she could muster.