Seren appeared unmoved by his plea or by Icarus, wracked in pain on the forest floor. Her magic, dark and potent, was her master and it demanded pain. As if in response, the wound on his calf pulsed angrily in time with the pounding of his heart.
“Seren, please,” he whispered, his strange eyes glistening. His voice was soft and coaxing as if he were talking to a wild animal. A lock of hair fell over his face as he struggled to keep Icarus from flaying himself open.
“Renny.” Ara let go of her friend’s arm and walked to Seren, strong and steady.
Despite the situation, seeing Ara walk without aid brought some peace to him.
She laid a gentle hand on Seren. “Come back to me.”
The calming effect was almost instantaneous. Seren’s feet landed softly on the carpet of dead leaves and her hair stopped whipping around wildly. The humanity in her eyes finally returned as she gasped, her hands fluttering to her mouth. Icarus’s pain-wracked body relaxed as he fell unconscious, Seren’s dark magic spent.
Cal let out a strangled sob as he took in Icarus’s mangled chest. The black veins of magic were already diminishing as his breathing grew steady, but his skin was in scarlet ribbons and his nails were torn and bloodied.
Seren took a tentative step towards them but stopped when Cal’s eyes shot up at her, narrowing with distrust. Seeing the humanity leave her eyes like that . . . he had not forgotten the history lessons his uncle had given him. Humans burned witches and wizards during the dark ages because of that lack of humanity, only when the vessel came into the world did they gain their humanity. Any witch or wizard who let their magic control them was at risk of losing what made them who they were. Seren was dangerously close to doing just that if she continued to let her magic rule her emotions.
“I can fix him, Calder,” she said, her eyes locked on Icarus. “I will fix him and then you will fix what you did to Bella and we will go our separate ways, the scales balanced.”
“Fix him?” Cal almost laughed but his ribs hurt too much. “You’ve barely any training. That blood witch back there has a better chance of fixing him than you do.” Cal gestured to the witch with the purple eyes watching everything with an odd lack of interest. “And as for Ara. There is nothing to fix.”
Ara stepped forward, her chin jutting in defiance. “I don’t need fixing. There is nothing wrong with me. I have never felt more in tune with my magic. Whatever Cal did to me allowed me to access levels of my magic I wasn’t aware existed. Perhaps I should thank him.”
A thrill shot through him hearing his nickname on Ara’s lips.
Seren made a sound of annoyance as she stepped by Cal but said nothing. She knelt primly next to Icarus’s prone form, her hands smoothing down her skirt, and examined him with a keen eye. The giant snake followed her mistress, eyeing Calder, ready to protect her if necessary. Eiridis and Horacio landed, leaves crunching under their talons, screeching their protest at the approach of Seren and her snake.
She pressed her hands to his chest, pushing the remaining shreds of fabric from his shirt away.
“Be careful,” Cal warned though he could tell she was being gentle.
“I am,” Seren responded through clenched teeth.
He watched as her magic skated over his brother’s skin and she grew frustrated when nothing happened.
“I’ll walk you through it, Seren,” he chided. “All you have to do is ask.”
“You’d let your brother die if I don’t?” Seren snarled. “Does it give you some sort of sick satisfaction to see me on my knees asking for your help?”
Cal shrugged. “A little bit.”
“Fine,” she snapped. “Help me save your brother’s life, Calder. Before I end yours.”
“Your magic did the damage and your magic can heal it. Use it to examine the path it took and then reverse them,” Cal instructed, sounding as if he were teaching a small child. “Isn’t that right, blood witch?”
The witch stilled, her mouth twisted in dislike at being addressed by him but when Seren turned to her she nodded. “He’s right, Seren.”
Seren’s magic probed Icarus’s shredded chest and Cal watched as his brother’s responded in kind, the stormy blue-gray intertwining with her black as Ara’s had done with his moments ago. The mutilated skin slowly knit itself back together and Seren’s magic retreated. Cal watched as Icarus’ magic clung to hers as if reluctant to let go.
Icarus’s eyes slowly opened. “Seren?” He lifted a bloodied hand as if to touch her face before pulling it back.
Cal watched their interaction with keen interest. Icarus was too weak to guard his actions, and his emotions were written plainly across his face. Seren meant something to his brother, though what he couldn’t say but did Icarus mean anything to Seren? He pushed the thoughts away.
“I lost control. I almost killed you,” Seren admitted, her voice low. The snake slid closer to her mistress and Seren reached out to stroke her familiar’s scaled head.
“In your defense, you were trying to kill my brother, which certainly would have been justified, all things considered.” He tried to joke, but he was wracked with a fit of coughing. His hand came away from his mouth bloody.
She leaned back as if struck and the snake hissed. Her dark eyes flashed between Icarus and Calder. “Brothers?”
Icarus appeared to realize his mistake. “Estranged. I had nothing to do with this lunacy. I promise you this.”
