Twisting Every Way

Chapter 13

"Are you badly hurt?" she asked gently.

"I don't think so," he said. "Not any worse than I was before."

She helped him sit up and propped him against the wall.

"You said it's not too late," Emya said. "We can still leave."

"I said it wasn't too late for you to leave. I'm too weak."

Casting her gaze down, filled with anger and guilt, Emya silently scolded herself. If she'd realized sooner what now seemed so obvious, she might have saved him, but she'd been blinded by her grief and helplessness. She let her emotions consume her, leaving no room for anyone else. This didn't make the Shadow's predicament her fault by any means, but she'd been , even if she had little choice.

"I can't go alone," she said. "I was being rash when I ran away before. I didn't bring anything with me. I don't know how long I would have lasted."

That coaxed out of him a smile and a small laugh.

"Not long I'm afraid," he said.

"You've traveled though, and you know magic—better than I do, I'll bet. I need you."

The Shadow considered this, frowning. Through his exhaustion, a light of hope kindled in his eyes.

"Alright," he said after a few moments. "I will go with you. If we can make it to my people, they might be able to save me. If they can't, at least you will be safe with them."

Emya sighed with relief then took a deep, steadying breath as she resolved herself to do what she knew she must.

"I have to get the object from them, don't I?" she said.

"Yes."

A near-impossible task, as the Kings never let it out of their sight.

"I can't take it from them by force. I doubt I could trick them into giving it to me..." she mused.

"In my time connected with the object I've learned a little about it." He was interrupted by a coughing fit. Emya waited for it to pass. She imagined she wouldn't like what he had to tell her, but it would be their only chance.

"By the time I realized how I could use that knowledge to my advantage," he went on after a moment of slow, deep breathing, "I was too weak. From what I've discerned, the object wants to take power from the mage it connects with. It is not meant to give that power to someone without magic. I can only guess, but I think it is meant to be used to give that power to another mage. Regardless, I believe that the mage that the object is connected to has more control over the object that someone who is not. Since the Kings have no magic of their own, they can never be connected to it. I believe you could summon the object away from them, from a distance too."

"As long as I'm close enough to the object that I don't pass out," Emya said. He nodded.

Emya got to her feet, a plan already forming. She would need to prepare properly first.

"We can go to the edge of the village," she said. "But I don't know how to summon the object."

The Shadow, now visibly aggravated, huffed. Though it was not at her, she realized.

"If you were properly trained in the ancient language it would be so simple," said the Shadow.

"A magic language?" She'd heard of spells being cast with magic words, some words were even banned in the village because they were supposed to be magic, though she'd heard them uttered many times under angry or frustrated breath.

"Yes," he said. "It was created specifically for magic."

"Then teach me what I have to say!"

"It's not that simple, but we have no other choice. I will try to tell you what to say, but not until we are ready. Now go, prepare quickly, and return."