A licking feeling of fear ran up my spine, and it must've shown on my face because he immediately grabbed my other hand and pulled my hands against his chest. "I don't mean that in a bad way, love. Being immortal has always been a lore in Hexarium. Only one mage has ever achieved immortality, and that'syou. I would've never expected to fall for you and end up bonded to live out eternity with you and my shield brothers."
"Fall for me?" I grasped hold of his scarred hands with mine.
A snapping of a branch broke our conversation as a figure emerged from the depths of the rose bushes, emanating an aura of crackling flames. There was a clear sound-proof barrier cast around as well, a normal spell for an assassin.
Bastian's grip on me tightened, and his body went completely rigid.
A fire mage in a robe with flickering embers and a skillful presence stood before us. He was there for us--another assassin sent to kill us from the lovely and secretive bone mage, I was sure.
The glow of his eyes burned like an inferno, reflecting just how skilled he was with the element he wielded.
The only difference was that it seemed likethismage was fully aware of his own actions, not being controlled by the bone mage.
My vision shifted, and I confirmed my theory with my spirit magic. The fire mage was working with only his spirit in his vessel. "How did you find us?"
"Got a tip. You lot have really pissed someone off. My grievances are with the potion mage, but I promised I'd finish youalloff." The fire mage closed the distance, flames erupting from his outstretched hands, casting a fiery glow upon the surroundings.
Even the glow wisps had moved away from the mage.
The blossoms themselves recoiled, petals wilting from the heat as the air crackled with raw fire magic. Sparks danced in the velvety night, casting an eerie illumination around us.
Bastian didn't move, and the way he looked at the mage was as if he was frozen in the past.
"What grievances could you possibly have with Bastian?" I snarled, pulling my hands from his and stepping in front of him.
The mage's eyes darkened, and the flames around him intensified. "Considering he killed my clan, a lot."
That accusation seemed to snap Bastian out of it, and he stepped beside me, fists shaking uncontrollably at his sides. "Youkilled my family!"
With a swift motion, Bastian slipped a few potions from his rune, uncorked a vial, and released a swirling mist that shrouded our forms. The mist shimmered with a myriad of colors that were beautiful.
Even in the midst of confrontation, I had to admire Bastian's potion magic.
The fire mage snarled, launching a searing fireball toward us both. "You should've been killed with your fathers!"
Bastian conjured a shield of iridescent liquid from another vial, the surface rippling with protective enchantment. "I don't care what kind of revenge you are seeking. Your grievance is with me.Not her."
The ball of flames smacked into the shield with an explosion of flame and magical energy. The impact shook the cobblestone path we stood on, sending the plants around us into a dance.
"I'm a mercenary, and I was told to kill her, too. So she dies. I'll just take great pleasure in killing someone you care about." He conjured a fiery tendril to snake forth, reaching for Bastian with scorching intent. "And then, I'm going to burn you alive like I should've. I shouldn't have just scarred your pretty hands. I should've maimedallof you."
"You could've, but you didn't. I swear to the spirits themselves, if you hurt even a hair on her head, I'll make youwishyou were dead." Bastian hurled another vial at the oncoming tendrils.
It shattered, exploding upon contact. Sparkling liquid fire sprayed in all directions as the potion engulfed the fiery tendrils, consuming them entirely.
I could've easily extinguished the fire or knocked that asshole's spirit into the afterlife, but after seeing the raw fury emanating from Bastian, I knew this washisfight. I wouldn't intervene on his closure.
Plus, hearing him so protective of me left my legs feeling like jelly.
"Your fathers wereweak.And you are just like them!" Rage engulfed the mage in the form of flames. The heat and orange glow flickered on Bastian's determined expression. "I willburn you."
"Not if I do it first," Bastian croaked the words, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Burn in the afterlife with your clan."
He reached into his rune, pulling out a triangular vial I hadn't seen before, and tossed it at the feet of the fire mage. A torrent of flames exploded from the vial, attacking the fire mage with brute force.
A wave of sweltering heat smacked into us as the mage lit up. Even the fire mage's fire control didn't stand a chance against whatever Bastian had in that vial.
His screams echoed through the garden, but his body turned to ash as his spirit departed.
