Ch 53: The Parting of The Prince and The Sorceress

Astasha could feel the chaos before she heard it.

Something was happening.

A commotion began outside the tower doors and she could hear voices shouting and armor clattering.

The water sorcerer and the guards set to watch her, exchanged worried glances. The soldiers took up their arms as the High Council member strode to the door and pulled it open.

A blast of fire met him, and though he was able to protect himself from the flames for the most part, he was thrown back.

Astasha used the moment to unleash her own magic, quickly subduing the knights who seemed to have no clue what was happening, and catching the water sorcerer off guard again. Tasha was supposed to be magically bound, and from the look on his face, he hadn’t suspected for a second that she wasn’t.

As he tried to recover, in strode Helia, her powers in full force, and the two worked together to overpower him.

Astasha had no desire to do the water sorcerer any harm, but as he slumped against the wall and slid to the floor unconscious, she couldn’t help feel a little satisfaction.

She turned to her fellow fire witch. “Helia.” But Helia looked to the door, and in rushed Calder, Talib on his heals, a set of keys in his hand. “Cal!”

The Captain tried to unlock the door, but was blocked by an invisible barrier.

“Stand back.” Said Helia as she raised her hands before her.

She was attempting to pull the spell back, but Astasha’s attention fell on the Prince. Their eyes met. This was it, their last chance. They both knew the implications should they fail. His face was set, determination and power burning through their connection.

“Astasha, help me.” Helia pulled her from the moment and she forced herself to focus. The two worked from opposite sides, and finally, managed to peel back enough of the baricade for Talib.

The door swung open and Astasha rushed out. There was no time for a lovers reunion though, and she knew it.

Cal took her hand, and the four sped out of the tower.

The guards that had been posted outside were nowhere to be seen.

“A diversion.” Said Calder in response to her curiosity. “But I’m sure by now Alaric knows that and is on his way here.”

“This way.” Said Talib as he pulled back a tapestry leading to an alternate passage. “I always hated that this was here, thought it would be dangerous if an enemy figured it out. Guess it’s a good thing I never had it barricaded.”

They hurried down the stairs and Tasha dared to hope, but it was snuffed out as they reached the bottom only to find their way blocked by none other than Errant.

Everyone stopped, and a moment passed in silence.

Of course he would be there. Only heads of the guards or advisories knew about the secret passageways all over the castle.

Calder took a step forward. “Errant, please.”

But the High Sorcerer wasn’t looking at him. His eyes were on Astasha. The look in them wasn’t what she expected though. And then she noticed that his hands were out, not to launch an attack, but in submission.

‘Go.’ She heard in her head.

Of course. He couldn’t very well stand aside and let them pass without being marked a traitor as well. It was all for show.

She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.” She said, but before she could pull her magic, Errant’s eyes moved to Helia, and a moment later he was blasted backward into the wall, knocking him out cold.

The older fire witch looked at her old lover for a moment with sorrow in her eyes before she turned to Tasha. “They already think you villan enough. We both understood what had to happen.”

And with that she walked passed the unconscious High Sorcerer and continued onward.

It suddenly hit Astasha how many sacrifices were being made on her account. “Helia, wait.” She grabbed the woman’s arm to stop her. “I can’t let you do this. If you continue to aid me—“

Helia held up her hand and shook her head. “I have no love for the ways of the advisory or High Council. It was only my love for Errant that brought me here, and now I know the part I am to play in all of this; to save you, so that you may save us all.”

“There’s no coming back from this.” She needed her to understand, but it seemed her mind was set.

“I have lived in the wind for most my life, at least now there’s a reason for it.” She gave Astasha a small smile and then turned. “Come on, we don’t have much time.”

With great caution, they emerged from the hidden stairway, and moved quickly through the halls to a side corridor which lead to the kitchens. From there, they made their way out of the servants entrance and into the cool night air.

They skirted along the castle wall away from prying eyes until they came to an area close to the forest, and then darted into the trees.

There waiting for them, were two horses, packed with supplies and ready for riding.

Helia wasted no time mounting one.

And then it dawned on Astasha. This was it.

Before she could fully process, Calder pulled her to him, his lips meeting hers in a frantic and passionate kiss.

“I love you.” He said as he pulled away.

“And I you.” She responded.

He touched her wrist. “I will find you, and we will defeat this evil, together. But for now, you ride East, and you don’t stop, no matter what you feel.”

She swallowed her fears, her doubts, her worries, and simply nodded.

Cal lead her to the other horse and helped her up.

“Right,” said Talib. “Stick to the forest for as long as you can. Once you reach Bracken, you’ll be out in the open so don’t stop. You’ll be pushing the horses, but once you get to the Creeve River, follow it South for about a league. You’ll need to find somewhere safe to cross, but there’s an old abandoned Guard Post you can hold up in to rest on the Eastern shore. After that, it’s at least a fortnight to the borders of the Land of the Dead.”

“There’s no way to know what will happen after this, but assume the High Council will be hunting for you.” Added Calder as he took Astasha’s hand. “Do not let your guard down for a moment, not until I reach you.”

“And if you can’t?” She hadn’t wanted to ask, but she knew it was a possibility.

He looked her in the eye. “I swear to you, I will be by your side before you reach the sacred stone. We face this together, remember?”

She willed herself to believe it, to trust that whatever was about to happen, this wouldn’t be the last time she would look upon his face. But she studied it closely for a moment, every inch of it so that she could remember it, remember him, the man she loved more than she should, just in case the Goddess wasn’t on their side.

“We must go, Astasha.” Said Helia.

She nodded but turned back to her Prince one more time. “Cal, promise me, whatever happens—“

She never got to finish.

Voices echoed in the night.

Their time was up.

“Sorceress!” Said Talib. “Go! Now! Or it’s all been for naught!”

The Prince and the sorceress locked eyes one last time. “I promise.” He said. She didn’t need to say it. He knew. “I love you Tasha.”

“I love you Cal.”

And with that, she spurred her horse and the two women rode off into the forest in the night.


**Author’s Note** *Hello Lovelies! Wow, it’s crazy to think that The Parting of The Prince and The Sorceress is fifty-one chapters after the initial meeting of the two! And there are many more to go, although you’ll have to wait and find out if and when a happy reunion is in order (no spoilers here!). I just want to take the time to thank each and every one of you who has followed our dear Astasha and Calder’s story so far. An author is nothing without their readers and I truly appreciate you all. I can’t wait to see what you think of the next fifty-one! Love & Light Everyone!