Ch 16: The Extraction Ritual

Calder had spent the last hours of darkness before the sun rose pouring over books that made absolutely no sense to him. He had demanded access to the Magical Archives Library and was determined to find another way to extract the demon from Tasha. Nothing was going to deter him, not the fact that even Astasha, one of the most brilliant witches of the time, hadn't found an alternative to blood magic, nor the thought that he had no idea if his father had been able to sway the High Sorcerer to spare her. None of that mattered. He was going to find a way no matter what.

But time continued to pass and the runes in the books were foreign to him, and the look on the King's face as he entered the room brought Calder's heart to his throat.

"Calder..."

"I just need a little more time." He grabbed another book and ripped it open.

Josnen put a hand on his son's arm. "Calder, Errant refused my request. Even when I told him I would replace him as High Sorcerer, he wouldn't bend. He said if he allowed her to keep her powers then there was nothing to stop others of magical blood from believing they could bend the laws to their will. Even if I were to revoke his position, this would be his final act as High Sorcerer."

Calder's blood went cold. "No."

The King's hand tightened on his arm. "They are preparing her for the ritual now."

He thought his heart would rip through his chest. “But it isn't sunrise yet."

“No, but it's about to be, and Errant isn't risking you making an attempt to free her."

Calder didn't care what Errant was preparing for, he would do whatever he had to do to stop them. Slamming the book shut, he tore around the large table toward the door.

“Son, there's nothing more you can do. Please, I beg of you, don't put yourself through watching this."

Calder stopped. “You wouldn't leave mother's side when the illness took her. This… this is my fault and I won’t leave her to face it alone."

The King sighed after a moment and nodded. “Then I will be there with you."

Calder knew his father was required to be there either way, but the sentiment still meant the world to him..

The two quickly made their way to the War Room in silence.

Errant was there, along with Zephyr and the blonde witch from the woods. Errant's eyes darkened in suspicion at their entrance.

"Your majesties, I am sorry, but I cannot allow the Prince's presence to disturb the ritual."

Errant had always been bold in his speech with the King, it was part of why he held the position he did. But this time, Calder was pleased to hear his father speak boldly back.

"You forget how far your command can go High Sorcerer. If the heir to the throne wishes to be present for a ritual, you have no authority to deny him."

Errant breathed in frustration. "Very well, but I am allowed to request added security for the safety of those performing the ritual."

Calder's teeth ground into each other but again his father spoke before he could.

"And that security is usually reserved for the one involved in the ritual, not the witnesses."

"We have already taken extra steps to secure the sorceress, however, if the Prince cannot control his emotions, he risks harming more than just her."

Calder couldn't contain himself anymore. "What the hell do you mean you’ve secured her?”

Errant finally turned his gaze to the Prince. "You understand what this ritual entails your highness. Ensuring she doesn’t cause further damage by thrashing around is a necessary step."

Before thinking about the consequences, Calder took a step forward and Errant raised his hand, no doubt ready to cast a defensive spell if need be, but the King stepped in front of his son before things could become worse.

"Calder!" Josnen silently pleaded with him.

"You see your majesty? He has too much emotional attachment not to interfere." said Errant.

The King shook his head. "Very well. I will call my personal guards to watch him, and should he attempt to interfere, I shall have them remove him. But if you or any of the Magical Advisory try to subdue him before the guards have been given the chance to intercede, I shall strip you all of your titles and banish you from my kingdom. Do we have an accord?”

Errant considered the terms and finally gave a shallow nod.

“Good.” Said the King and he motioned toward one of the guards at the door who bowed and exited the room.

The doors to the garden opened and Bryn and an older woman Calder didn’t recognize entered from outside. The woman approached Errant. "She is ready High Sorcerer."

A short while later the group entered the garden, Calder flanked by his father’s guards. Errant had been wise to insist on the added security, for when Calder’s eyes fell on the stone table, everything in him screamed in fury.

There on the cold slab of rock, stripped down and naked for all to see, laid Tasha, her hands and feet restrained with chains and no doubt, magic. Her eyes were closed but Calder could see her chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Tasha!"

Her eyes flashed open and a sadness filled them as they landed on the Prince, a sadness that broke his soul and shattered his resolve.

He saw her lips form his name but no sound came from her mouth.

Calder turned on Errant. "What the fuck have you done to her?"

Errant stopped and turned to face him. “Her words have been silenced to keep her from casting against those performing the ritual."

Before Calder could protest Errant turned away and the guards ushered the Prince over to where his father stood as the other sorcerers made their way to the stones surrounding the garden. Cal noticed the older woman he didn’t know heading towards where Astasha once stood, by the stone of fire.

Suddenly the ceremony was beginning and the world seemed to shrink. This wasn't happening, this couldn't be happening. He had promised to save her and he had failed. He looked around, desperately searching for a way to free her, to rescue her, but without his sword, he had no way to take the guards, and even if he had, he was no match for five sorcerers.

His eyes finally fell back to Tasha. Even facing death she was stoic and beautiful. Her eyes locked with his as Errant brought forward the ceremonial blade that would cut her open. Calder didn't know what else to do other than comfort her, be there with her, show her she wasn't alone. “I’m here, Tasha, I’m not leaving you.”

Despite his efforts to keep her focused on him, her eyes broke away to gaze on the knife that would be her end.

Gods how he fought every instinct not to rush to her side, to smash apart the chains that bound her and carry her away from all that was wretched and terrible. “Tasha!” He called to her. “Look at me, my love." As her golden eyes found his there were tears in them. "Our love is stronger than death. Remember that. I love you, with every fiber of my being, I love you." Tears began to fall from his own eyes.

How could this be happening? He desperately wanted to wake up, her asleep in his arms, all of this some horrid nightmare and nothing else.

The blade lowered to her chest.

He saw her mouth form the words 'I love you' and his heart shattered.

The knife cut into her and a pain the Prince had never felt before seared through him. He heard Astasha’s cries, but hadn't realized he himself was yelling out in pain. He doubled over, what felt like fire searing his flesh and making his vision blur.

Something was wrong. He could feel the blade in his chest though it was nowhere near him.

Tasha was still screaming. He needed to get to her, to save her. But the pain was overwhelming and Calder sank to his knees, clutching his chest.

"Stop!" His father's voice boomed across the garden. The pain subsided, but he could still feel it throbbing.

"Your highness this is a ploy. Your son loves this woman and will do anything to save her. You must stay strong. We cannot risk this demon taking over her." Errant turned and resumed his work with the blade, causing Calder and Astasha both to yell out in pain again.

Cal grabbed at his chest. Was this his heart breaking? He felt like he was being ripped into.

“Enough!” The King was by Calder's side, kneeling next to him. “Damnit, Errant you fool, can you not see something is wrong? For all your years of magic, look and tell me there is nothing happening!”

Errant stopped and turned to the Prince, his eyes skeptical, watching for the slightest sign that this was a farce. But as he looked, Errant noticed a glow coming from beneath Calder’s tunic, like embers burning. It was the cut across his chest from the blade Astasha had used to transfer the demon into herself. The High Sorcerer’s eyes grew wide with shock.

Errant turned back to the woman bound on the table. Astasha was barely conscious. For most, the pain of having their chest carved into would have rendered them unconscious, but Astasha was stronger than anyone could have imagined. Through the blood seeping from the wound running between her breasts a faint glow could be seen, a glow coming from exactly where the scar matching Calder’s was.

Errant’s head snapped up. ”Bryn, Cordelia, we need healing herbs and water. Zephyr, unbind Astasha and get Prince Calder to the healing ward immediately.” His hands shot out over Tasha's chest as he began muttering under his breath, attempting to slow the bleeding with his magic.

"High Sorcerer, she is casting some dark spell on the Prince! Do not let her deceive—" the blonde witch was clearly upset. She had been more than pleased with herself in the woods. But Errant now turned on her, his eyes like a dark storm.

"Do as I say or resign your post, Cordelia."

She bowed her head, jaw clenched and cheeks flushed, but hurried to the fountain by one of the stones.

The replacement fire witch was now by Astasha's side, her face grim. "Errant, this sorceress is emanating power I've never felt in a fire witch before, not even in myself, in fact, not in any magical being I’ve encountered.”

"Can you seal the wound Helia?" There was worry in Errant’s eyes.

"Not without causing him more pain." She nodded toward the Prince.

Zephyr was by Calder, his hand outstretched. "Your highness..."

Calder pushed his arm away. "I'm not leaving her."

The air sorcerer looked to the King who was still next to his son, and then to Errant.

Errant sighed. "We need to move her. Zephyr, can you channel for two?"

Calder forced himself to stand. His chest was burning and the pain clouded his sight but there was one thing he knew; the ritual had come to an abrupt halt, and for now, so long as they could stop the bleeding, Tasha was safe. He had no intention of leaving her side. "I'll walk with her."

Errant was visibly exasperated but nodded. "Very well. Come, it will take all of us to get her to the healing quarters without causing any damage or risking the demon getting loose."

Calder had no idea what was happening but he didn't care. He was at Tasha's side, his hand taking hers in its grasp. "I'm here my love. You're going to be ok."

She looked up at him, her mouth open as if to say something, but then her eyes fluttered closed and her hand went limp in his own.


**Author’s Note** *I know this was a longer than usual chapter but it was too intense to break apart! I hope it kept you all at the edge of your seat! It was definitely one of my favorite to write so far… More on its way tomorrow! Love and light everyone!*