Nethermost Realm: Prisoner of Arlunn

Chapter 49

"No!" shouted Ehina, moving forward. Kyran's eyes immediately went red and looked at her.

"Stop!" Rian commanded Ehina, holding up his hand.

She faltered and stopped. He gave her a forbidding glance. She could see Kyran clearly. He'd almost lost control of Kyran in that moment. But he reached back in his brother's mind. The power had to be used up.

This time Rian used a spell that he knew, a simple healing spell. He formed it, speaking the incantation, then he allowed the spell to go over to Kyran, using Kyran's energy. "Cast," he commanded. Kyran cast the spell at the guard.

Ehina watched in horrified fascination, as did Barris and Arryk.

The guard blinked and sat up, but not very far nor very fast.

Rian breathed a sigh of relief. It was working. He could undo what Kyran had carelessly done.

Now Kyran's mind had begun to calm down. His eyes no longer glowed bright red, just a dull red. The stolen life-force he'd taken from the guard was almost used up.

With the remaining energy, Rian prepared a low level armor spell for Kyran. "Cast," he said.

"Kothar solis," said Kyran, casting the spell.

One more should do it. Rian helped Kyran prepare the deflect blade spell.

"Shakli kan!" said Kyran, setting the blade turn spell on himself.

"You see?" said Rian to Kyran, now that the energy was all used up. "It's all right."

Kyran still trembled slightly from the ordeal, but he was unharmed. He smiled wanly back at Rian.

But it had been close. Rian hugged Kyran; and Kyran hugged him back tightly. "I missed you," said Kyran, close to tears.

"I missed you, too," said Rian.

"What is going on?" demanded a voice. Rian stood. It was Genesse, the Matrizar of Arlunn, standing in the doorway with two castle mages. Emmara stood behind her. Seeing Genesse out of the palace was rare, a condescension for her, Rian was sure. How long had she been standing there? Had she seen Rian casting spells with Kyran?

Rian took a few steps towards her. "The guard is alive. I believe he will recover."

She drew closer, followed by the mages and Emmara. She stared at Kyran, then gave Rian a withering glance. "You knew he could cast magic spells?"

It was an accusation. It was impossible to lie to an Arlunni. Genesse would know if he tried it. Of course, he hadn't wanted any of them to know Kyran could cast.

"I helped him cast those last few spells. He didn't do it on his own," argued Rian. But by the look on the Matrizar's face, that wasn't any better. Rian had heard that magic-spawn were like blank books—had he written on that book? Did it count as making a claim on Kyran?

"You knew that the magic-spawn was tainted with the blood magic of Molan, and yet you entered his mind?" demanded Genesse.

Now Rian felt guilty. Kyran held great power and wasn't something to be trifled with. She disapproved. "I had to help him use up the life-force energy he'd taken, or else ...." Truthfully, Rian wasn't sure what would have happened. Now, he fervently wished he could lie, but what had happened here couldn't be concealed.

"Bonding with a magic-spawn is dark magic," said Genesse. "The dark magicks cannot be mixed with the life magicks that we practice. They aren't compatible."