Rune Mage [Fantasy/Adventure | Book 1 +2 | Complete]

Chapter 94: The Half-Blood Mage

The exhaustion dragged her limbs to the ground, but Seiren struggled through, each haggard breath razing through her lungs and each step sending a shudder through her aching body. But the thought, over and over again, of Jarsdel killing her father kept her going. Butterworth's taunts rang clear in her head. He was right: Mother didn't want her and now she didn't have Madeleine. She was all alone.

But not powerless. The flash magic tingled on her fingertips. Her magic reserve replenished at a slow but steady rate. She patted her cloak pockets. She'd spent a lot of her runes already. Spare paper lay in every pocket with enough chalk, but only about one or two rumpled blue runes remained. She bit her lip. If she stopped to draw more runes now, Jarsdel would get further away. But if she wasn't prepared--

Her train of thought was interrupted. A cloaked figure limped up the stairs towards the light. She saw red. A crackle of energy danced at her hand and she threw it forward. It soared with greater velocity, most of its energy fizzling out as it flew. It hit the wall beside Jarsdel, sending deep cracks spidering across its surface before the wall came crumbling down.

He turned and caught his feet on the uneven ground, landing on his rear. He grimaced as Seiren stalked over.

"You're stubborn, Nithercott!"

Seiren didn't waste time on pleasantries. This man had evaded her clutches for too long. Fury coursed down her arms, setting the surface of her flesh aflame without burning her. The magic coalesced in her right arm and she swung. Jarsdel threw out a handful of caustic dust and they sizzled away on contact with her flash. He tsked and threw his arm upwards. A wall of rock erupted in front of Seiren. Her fist smashed into it, charring the surface and sending a shudder up her arm. She screamed, ignoring the pain and vaulting over the wall before diving straight for Jarsdel.

With fluidity unexpected for an injured man in his forties, he spun and kicked her in the stomach.

Pain exploded in her abdomen. Stars flew across her eyes. Seiren crashed into the wall he'd summoned with burst and crumpled onto the ground, the air smacked out of her. Pushing herself up with her elbows, she was met with a crack of sound that knocked her head back. Eyes watering and ears deafened, she could only groan, the sand particles on the grey stone steps moving in and out of focus. Cold sweat drenched her.

"Maybe now you'll behave yourself." Jarsdel tutted, shaking his head and kneeling a few steps above her, keeping a safe distance. He stood straighter, with more colour in his cheeks. He was only pretending to be that injured. "It's only because of Kristen you've lasted this long. Now, if you are a good little girl and stay out of trouble, then you won't come to any more harm."

"Go to hell," she rasped.

"You can yak away. As long as you sit your pretty self down. Although..." He glanced at her trembling state. "I don't think you're in any position to behave in any other way."

He eyed the steps leading up to the palace.

"Time is running short. It's time to get into the core of the palace. Kristen is waiting."

"Why...?" Her voice faltered. The exhaustion caught up with her as the adrenaline wore off. Her limbs weighed like lead. Much as she wished to rip off his face, she could just about maintain breathing in and out. Even the muscles between her ribs hurt.

"It took a lot of effort to extract you from those idiot state mages." He sniffed, glancing at her.

She stiffened as he stooped beside her, expecting another hit. He grabbed her by the scuff of her neck. The material stretched over her throat, making her choke. He slung her across his back like a sack of meat and carried her up the steps, her top end dangling downwards and blood rushing to her head. The world spun. Breathing became difficult. She bounced with each of Jarsdel's steps.