But the chains had weakened me and the wounds on my wrists and neck were deep.
I winced in pain, and she managed to get hold of my hand.
She dragged the dagger across my palm and looked over to the priest.
He nodded and stepped into the circle with us.
Over the noise from outside the circle, the priest now shouted:
“Ashar’il venyr oskalar!
Vorithiel neth kaelith or’en,
Dathen sylae, velru asmarith.
An’daru ithir ven eirith,
Kalasai thrond uln’rithar!”
“The chains of thought are bound!
Through forgotten words, we claim her mind,
By will and shadow, the truth is unmade.
Let the essence of wisdom grow,
And her power deplete!”
Her power.
Herpower.
She was harnessing her own heka.
* * *
Maelis
Theo’s head shot up.
“No, Maelis!” he breathed, fear and confusion written all over his face.
The priest kept reciting the verse, over and over again.
I took his hand in mine and as our blood mixed, I said, “Let’s fulfill the prophecy, Theo.”
And for the last time I whispered:
One breath. One act. One choice.
Do good. Stay clean. Hold steady.
I could feel the vibrations in the air, power crashing down into me. Pain erupted in my chest, making me fall back, but Theo steadied me with his hand.
He was screaming now.
“No, stop this at once. You are killing her!Maelis, put an end to this!”
