He swung the door open and stepped out into floral infused air. After twenty-four hours, nightfall had finally graced the Land.
He paced down a stone walkway through the dark botanical garden.Vines coiled around ruins.
He passed underneath an archway with dangling eucalyptus flourished with black roses. Eventually, it led him into a lemon tree orchard. Mint mingled in the air as he breezed by.
Who was Everett?
An iron gate came into view. The scent of fresh herbs stifled the citrus.
Finnian entered the threshold, his sights set on the back of Cassian’s head, his light shade of hair reflecting in the moonlight.
He sat on a stone bench and peered across a bed of sage and rosemary to a winding stream. The silver streaks pierced through the canopy of branches above and glistened on its surface.
Finnian raised his hand, and a flame struck in his palm.
Push him.
He threw his arm out and the flame burst into an inferno, demolishing the greenery in its trajectory. Its hot gust stung Finnian’s cheeks. A hellfire of violet and tangerine devoured the bench, obscuring his sight of Cassian.
What will he truly do?
Finnian clamped his fingers into his palm and the current of fire choked out.
Will he fight with me?
His heart hammered in the base of his throat. A thick veil of smoke rose from the charred remains of the garden.
Harm me?
As it swept away in the breeze, Finnian could see the bench was now empty.
The skin of his nape prickled with gooseflesh. A nefarious energy dropped behind him, and he whipped around, arm cast out.
Before he could activate any spells, Cassian grabbed a hold of his wrist and forced his hand down. “Enough of this.”
“Unhand me!” Finnian fought against his grip, ripping his hand away.
Cassian allowed him to do so, frowning. His brow furrowed over his gaze, heavy and pained as it sifted all over Finnian’s face.
He did what I said.
Finnian glanced around at the grove—the tranquil brook embedded in hawthorn trees, patches of hemlock, the vines of passion flowers ensnaring the iron fence. A peaceful sanctuary for Cassian to sneak off to and find solace.
Push him more.
Another flame flickered to life in Finnian’s palm, and he sent its stream towards the flowers scouring over a row of basalt stone.
“No!” Cassian yelled.
Finnian blinked through the ripples of smoke as the flames torched the white blossoms gazing up at the moon.
Moonflowers.
Cassian strapped an arm around his waist from behind and tugged him off his feet.
The flames sputtered out. Finnian cocked his elbow back into Cassian’s ribcage. The vibrations of his grunt rattled through Finnian’s backside as he pushed off him, breaking through his arms.
Finnian drew up his hand. Energy materialized into the shape of a celestial dagger, tangible and solid in his grasp. He whirled around and his other palm came down on Cassian’s chest, shoving him back.
