Chapter Twenty-eight

Then he felt it. A raw surge of power humming in the air. “I will not be a victim again.” Damion’s hand left his sword and started to make the signs in the grass to call up the void. He wasn’t used to having to use magic and the void at the same time, but he called a shield up around himself and Trishia for protection, afraid of what her magic might do. He hadn’t seen her lose control of it yet, but he’d heard the stories.

“Helpless girl, you’ll always be a victim of the strong.” He advanced, and the wind blew around them. Horrifying screams went up through the dark parts of the forest and ground shook. “What the—” the brigand never got to finish. A bright, fiery light consumed the forest around them. The trees burst into flame and the wind couldn't stop it. The men screamed as a fiery tornado wrapped around them.

Damion fought to keep the damage at bay. Pulling her magic into one place. The light around them was blinding, but he could feel Trishia screaming through his mind as he held the shield around her. Widening his ruins, he worked to keep his nihility magic surrounding them. With Trishia in the middle of everything, he had to focus more on her shield than his own, and he could feel the singe of heat on his skin.

“Volencia, enough!” The men’s screams had long since faded. And he couldn’t see her now, the wall of fire had them cut off. “Volencia! They’re all dead!”

“I can’t!” She cried back.

“Pull the reins in! Demand it! Close your fists and push it deep!” He tried to close the distance around them, which was difficult holding both magics in place, and having to continually maintain the abys, even trying to close it around her. “You must! I can’t—” He tried to push himself up, abandoning the ruins in the dirt to try to open the void in a bigger capacity through the air. It didn’t help, without a grounded ruin, he was losing power. The fire was starting to lick at his skin and he could feel himself losing control over his magic, if that happened, Trishia didn’t stand a chance.

She screamed from within the flame, “It burns!”

Volencia must have heard Trish, because she started to reign it in. She was chanting something, though her words were lost. The fire started decreasing more quickly, and soon Volencia was panting, standing in the charred remains of the forest. Trishia was on her hands and knees, the edges of her hair singed, her dress dirty and wet with sweat, and one of her arms bore the marking of a burn along its length. She was sobbing as she collapsed into the soot.

Damion let his magic go, calling one back and forcing one out, letting the abys that has swallowed the outer rims of her magic go slowly so that it didn’t crumple in on them. Then it was done. And both staggered. Damion tried to make his way to her, but she was in better shape and ran at him, wrapping him in her arms. They feel to the ground in a heap.

“I’m so sorry!” Her hands roamed over him. “You’re hurt.”

“I’m okay… you need to check on Trishia.” Her mouth covered his, kissing him deeply. His hands went to her hair, giving himself over to her. When he pulled away, she whimpered. “I was right.”

“About what?” Tears were falling down her cheek.

“You are incredibly brave.” She opened her mouth to argue, but he swallowed her words with a deeper kiss. When they broke apart again, he nodded behind her, “Trishia. We need to help her.”

Volencia pointed behind him, “Damion. We’re not alone?”

“What the?” A man walked into the forest, staring at the destruction around them.

“You help her, I’ve got him.” Damion got to his legs unsteadily, as Volencia rushed to Trishia, clinging to each other. He could feel the easy magic Volencia called forward to heal her wounds and felt proud.

“What did you do?”

“Nothing, actually. But you will meet the same fate if you don’t get out of here. And make sure you leave our horses, or we will find you.” The man looked around wildly, “You won’t find them. They’re all dead.” The trees hadn’t even had time to fall they’d burned to ash where they stood. That’s how intense the fire had been. No mortal body would be left in this aftermath. The brigand backed away, tripping, dragging himself through the ash. Getting up, he fled in the opposite direction of their horses.

Damion looked at Volencia and Trishia and decided to give them a moment. So instead, went to collect their steeds bringing them to stand beside them. “We should be leaving soon, it’s already much later than we wanted it to be.”

“You’re kidding right?” Trishia stomped her feet. “We almost DIED. This is ridiculous!”

“We’re not dead. And if we stick to the path, we’ll be fine. We’ll meet no more out laws in the forest.”

“Right, just ghosts and monsters.” Trishia countered, watching Volencia shuffle off to vomit again.

Damion lifted Volencia into her saddle, then went to offer Trishia help up. “We’ll bed down early. Besides, it’ll be more dangerous on the road back the Thambair than it was earlier.” Damion argued, but she shook her head, arms over her chest.

“We’re all hurt. Let me take my Highness home. Please. I don’t want to do this anymore.”

“You may go back, if you must, Trish. But I need to go on. It’s the best we can do, the sooner we start, the better off we’ll all be. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone, I’m so sorry.” Volencia wiped at her cheeks, worried Trishia would return and tell her father everything. Knowing she wouldn’t stop her.

“Before we do anything, I need to know,” She looked straight at Damion, “are you a demon?” Damion took an affronted step back, staring at her. The problem was, he didn’t know how to answer that question. Not without saying too much. “If you’re not, then tell me, why do your eyes turn all black? Why do you start to look like one when danger arises?” Her eyes were hard and calculating, as she stiffly made her way between him and the Princess. “I love her. She is my future Queen, and I would lay my life down this very moment to protect her, from you or herself.”

Damion nodded, stepping back. “I wouldn’t have it any differently. Trish, we both respect and love you. I’m not perfect. I never will be. But you deserve to know that I love her too.” He looked away, uncomfortably. Messing with the saddle packs of his horse. “I have magic that works differently from most. I know that you have very little magic at all… and it will be hard for you to see mine in action. From what I’ve been told, no one else has both magics. There are two. Creation and Nihility. Do you know what that means?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know magic.”

“May I explain?” As she nodded, he let out a breath of relief. “Okay. So, you know the magic you’ve seen the Princess do, the King, her mother, and many others, yes?” She nodded. “Have you ever seen Gregron, who is the only one in Thambair that I know of who has Nihility magic, use it?” She shook her head. “Okay, that makes this harder…” His brow scrunched, looking for an explanation being denied him.

Volencia coughed. “It magic and anti-magic, Trish.” She explained. “Most people have magic. Anti-magic is hard to come by, but you know the Captain of the Guard? My father’s most loyal… he has Nihility magic himself. My beloved Damion, he has both. According to the laws of magic, it shouldn’t be possible… yet, here we are. When his eyes turn dark like that, he’s using Nihility magic. It’s only as scary as it is because it’s so rare. He would never hurt us. Not you, not me. I trust him wholly with this. We wouldn’t be here now if he hadn’t. My magic earlier would have killed you. The only reason I knew I could use it was because I knew that he was close and would protect us. You know I have a problem controlling my magic.”

Trish nodded. She knew, better than most. She’d picked up more of those pieces than anyone else as the Princess desperately tried to gain hold of it.

“I know you know. I want you to trust my judgement on this. He protected and save you in a way I couldn’t. He’s not a demon, but a hero, Trish. His magic works in mysterious ways, to everyone. He’s a once in a millennia exception. There are no records of a mortal being able to hold both magics.”

Damion grunted, looking at the sky. It was definitely getting later into the afternoon, and they needed to start riding if they wanted to get to Samanthia by nightfall tomorrow. “Either way, we need to go. Are you coming with us? If so, she can answer any of your questions on the way. If not, we’ll move forward and you can go back, at your own peril.”

“Damion!” Volencia scolded. “That was too forward.”

“Was it?” He countered, “We’ve waisted over an hour here now. And we still have to get through the forest. We’ll be lucky if we hit my safe spot for the night now, let alone having time to put up camp. You’re not the first to think me a demon for my magic, and I doubt you’ll be the last. However, we are running out of time.” He even wondered; would they be safe if he lost control? Volencia had no idea how bad it could get.

“And yet, I watch you break her heart again and again.” Trishia cried. “Day in and day out. I don’t see those as the action of a hero.”

Damion stopped messing with his saddle bags and looked down at his boots. Volencia seemed stuck on words. “I’m not trying to hurt her. I’m trying to protect us both. I know she told you of that first night. That someone else possessed me.” Trishia’s eyes widened, and he knew that she hadn’t understood it well, “you know that’s the man she thinks she’s in love with. She wants to rescue him from whatever prison he’s in. She gave her heart and body to him that night.” He couldn’t wait any longer. He went to Trishia’s mare and started unloading what he would need.

“What are you doing?” She asked, putting her hands up to stop him.

“Freeing you. You’re welcome to follow or go. We’ll hold no grudge either way.” When her hand covered his, he almost growled at her. He was glad he didn’t.

“I’m going with you then. No need to change my horse. If you’d be kind enough to help me up?” Her hand gently caressed her mare’s neck. “I’m sorry.” She said over her shoulder raising her hands to help pull herself up as he boosted her. “I didn’t realize when she looks at you she see your face but loves another. I can’t imagine how hard that must be. Especially since you’re falling for her. I don’t envy you.”

Damion grunted “Hmmhn.” Without growling he left her sitting her horse. Volencia was sitting atop her mare also. He clambered onto his steed and started off. Willing anyone who wanted to follow to do so.