“Complicated.”
Then Lander shoots her in the head, and she drops to the floor, unconscious.
“She’s strong.” He snaps an anti-magic cuff to her wrist, then secures her hands behind her back with plastic ties. “I’m glad you’re okay,” he adds.
“Thank you for the help.”
The air reeks of my burnt hair, and irritation prickles. Bloody fire mages. If Lander had not dropped her, she would probably have burned herself out anyway; rage-fuelled magic never lasts long.
I glance over to make sure Lander is all right, and see his hands: red, burned. They must hurt like hell.
Without thinking, I step forward, cup his hands in mine, and send a cool wave of magic through him. The burns ease, the angry red fades; his skin knits together.
“You can heal?” he asks, startled.
I shrug. I can master most things mages specialise in, if I put my mind to it. The effects of the ley line—and of my transformation—have been fascinating.
A throat clears behind us.
Knox stands a few paces away, a jacket thrown over a plain T-shirt. His gaze skims the molten crater and scorched ground.
“Is it over?” he asks.
“For now.” I nudge the unconscious fire mage with the toe of my boot. “I found a missing coven member. Sorry about the mess.”
“Lucky all of us,” Knox mutters. “You did it. I’m guessing the circle’s gone and the remaining paperweights—” He glances towards the buildings. “I can’t feel them any more.”
“Riker has been very enthusiastic.”
He studies me more closely, hesitates, and when he spots Meredith—still breathing—disappointment flickers across his face.
“I see our friendMeredithis still alive.” His voice is flat. “What are you going to do about the coven’s knowledge of the unwilling soul magic spell? It can’t get out.”
My stomach tightens, but I hold his gaze.
Lander stands a few metres away, checking his phone, with Dayna and Jill beside him—close enough to hear if we raise our voices.
I keep mine low. “I could not let that spell survive,” I say. “Not in notes, not in heads. Not again. It is like… pages torn out of a book.”
Silence stretches. The wind tugs at my hair, carrying the smell of smoke and sea.
Knox’s eyes lock on mine—sharp, knowing.
He exhales, shoulders dropping. “Good.”
“You are not… angry?”
“Oh, I’m furious,” he says, “but not with you. Theycame into my home, tried to rip out my soul and use it as a spare part. I’ll never stop being angry about that. But what you did—” He shakes his head. “Thank you.”
He steps closer, lowering his voice further. “They’ll drag you over the coals for it, you know—the Council.” His gaze flicks to Lander and back. “Some will pretend it’s about ethics. Mostly it’s about control.”
“I know.” My throat is dry.
“For what it’s worth, you won’t be standing there alone. I’ll testify—publicly, on record. They touch you, they’re touching every paper mage who ever signed our treaty.”
Emotion pricks, sudden and sharp. “Thank you.”
“You saved my people,” he says, jerking his chin towards the cells. “You saved me. This is me returning the favour. And, Harper?—”
