Berithdid not look at him.
“Youalways told me,” Isaac said, “that my father and I were ‘two souls sharing abody’.”
Berith’srobes hung loosely on his frame, as black as a necrotic scar.
“Wasthat a joke to you?”
Berithlowered his gaze, staring into the platform at his feet.His lips pressedtogether.The bald dome of his head reflected the golden light.
“Whatwere you thinking?”Isaac asked.“Every time you allowed yourself to be nice,what was crossing through your mind?Did you feelsorryfor me?Was itpity?Remorse?”
Hisuncle took a deep breath.
“I hadnothing.”Isaac’s vision blurred with tears.“Only you.Nothing else.Nofriends, no love, no experience.Nothing!Your kindness gave menothingbut hope!It would have been better if you’d killed me from the start!”
Berithshut his eyes.
“Youlied to me!”Isaac shouted, his voice hoarse and shaking.“You denied meeverything!You robbed me of my life!”
Thechamber fell silent.The two mages remained in place, staring at each otheracross the gloom and rust.Tension hung between them, like the reeking stenchof blood.
“Did mymother,” Isaac said, “really die giving birth to me?”
Berithrepressed a sigh.
For thefirst time in his life, Isaac snapped.
“It wasthe Archons’ order,” Berith said.“She would have interfered—”
Isaackilled his fire, spun through a new set of mnemonics, and loosed a burst ofsound directly at his uncle.In the few moments it took to cast, Berith piledall of his collected bones into a solid wall in front of him.When the soundstruck, it exploded through the fortress of bone like a hammer through twigs,spraying shrapnel, deafening the room, forcing his uncle back, shredding half adozen thralls into pulp and blood.
Zariacharged into the fray, barreling toward the stage.
As sheran, Isaac changed his cast again, forming a band of screaming wind.Hetargeted the elemental students on either side of the stage.Every hurricanewas flung like a whip, battering the students, flinging many to the side, theircasting of ice and fire flailing uselessly through the air.Between them all,Zaria continued to dash, breaking through the gap in their ranks, the tip ofher poleaxe held in a spearing thrust.With a burst of strength, she leapedonto the stage.
Behindthe ruins of bone, Berith shot his arm to the sky.
Abovehis head, the coffins on the ceiling began to rattle and shake.They wrenchedthemselves along their ancient tracks, the bones inside providing all thethrust.Suddenly, the coffins broke free from the metal, plunging across theroom like arrows loosed from a giant’s bow.Zaria kept charging.One missilestruck her on the shoulder, and the glass shattered in a spray, tearing intoflesh, the metal backing nearly knocking her from the stage.
Shesnarled, recovering.She kept advancing forward.Her animal legs chewed throughthe distance.
“Heel!”Berith yelled.
Zariaswung her axe.
Steelchopped.Bone splintered and flew.The sheer force knocked Berith to the floor.As she recovered from the swing, Zaria took another blow from a flying coffin,stumbling back as the ancient glass shattered across her body.She regained herbalance, snarling at the pain, raising her axe blade high.
All atonce, a swarm of bone flitted through the air, pulled from the grates of adozen putrid drains.They flew quickly, frenzied and rushed.Zaria hesitatedjust long enough for the bones to encase her, smothering her limbs, matting herfur, drowning her body in death.No matter how hard she thrashed and kicked andslapped, there was always a hundred more bones rushing from the depths of thefactory, thickening the cocoon around her.In moments, she collapsed to thefloor, screaming in pain.
Isaaccast his anti-necrotic light, sharpening the spell into a solid, brilliantlance.
“Stop!”Berith yelled.
Hisuncle struggled to his feet.A shrapnel of bone peeked from his ruddycomplexion, already beginning to bleed.The blow of Zaria’s axe seemed to havedislocated his shoulder.On the floor of the stage, the bones began to slitheraway, retreating just enough to expose Zaria’s head.She gasped desperately forair.
“Castagain,” Berith said, “and the pirate dies.”
Isaackept the white lance shining in his palm.If he loosed it now, the concentratedenergy would slice Berith in half.He had to do it now, before the thrallscould shield him.
