Song of Blood and Reign

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"No."

"Lyv, you have to."

"No, I'm not...I'm not going to do that to either of us. I can't."

"You have to, because I figured it out. How to get the cuffs off."

"No."

Mik reached for her, taking her face in his hands as he leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers. Lyv's hands covered his as she closed her eyes, tears still falling. "You have to," he whispered again. "You have to, Lyv. This is the only way. The conduit magic...it comes straight from Corliss. Did you know that? The obsidian stone doesn't just harbor that magic in me, it's a siphon in and of itself. A way for her to channel her magic through me. And her magic is the only one that can break them."

Lyv was still silent, curling herself into his chest then as his arms wrapped around her.

She didn't know his magic came straight from Corliss, but it made sense. He – the conduit – had always been the one to do Corliss's bidding, all the way back to the start of Guinevere planning to take over Escarral over two decades before.

It scared her, siphoning Corliss's magic into herself. She'd seen what that magic could do, what it made Lyv do when it had control over her. She was already hesitant with the dark magic that was now beginning to intertwine with the light. She knew she could get a good hold on it, had already began to. But if she brought Corliss's dark magic into her...what would that do?

"I can't," Lyv whispered to Mik, hugging him tighter. "We have to figure out a different way. All I need is to get out of this cell and I can get us out of here. There's a way out from..."

But Mik was pushing her back with his hands on her shoulders, searching her face, pain flashing in his hazel eyes. "I know your scared, Lyv...but this is the only way," he told her again. "Even if we got out, Corliss still has a hold on us, can still call us back to her against our will. Then she will allow that darkness to take you over again. She wanted to watch your descent, but from a close distance."

"Like hell she is."

"Then do something about it."

His tone was challenging, making Lyv meet his gaze.

Sure, she was scared. She had every right to be.

But she trusted herself. Trusted him.

Trusted in the future she had a glimpse of when Dessa and Elys appeared.

So, she reached forward for his hand, torchlight glinting off the gold of her cuff, and grasped his hand, iron blistering his skin.

As soon as their palms met, Lyv could feel the dark magic dormant just below the surface of his skin. It was a darkness she'd only felt when dealing with Corliss, but it made sense for it to be the same that the conduit held.

She only needed a little and nothing more. Just enough to melt the cuffs from their wrists, to free them from this cell.

She would take nothing more.

Mik nodded once, meeting her determined gaze once more. "Ready?"

"Ready."

Lyv closed her eyes.

Took a breath.

And opened up a channel between them, just enough to siphon the dark magic within him and into herself.