Spellcasters

Chapter 11

Blaise groaned as he struggled to sit up. He tried to focus his eyesight but everything had a hazy outline. His head throbbed as if someone was beating a spiked hammer into his ear. As the fog cleared, Blaise saw his brother sat on a stool reading a large dusty book.

"Why do you even bother?" Blaise peeled the damp cloth from his forehead, tossed it aside and slumped back to the floor.

Dragin slammed his book shut. "I like to think of myself as a civilised human being. Just because we disagree about certain things, doesn't mean I'm going to leave you in the street to die."

Blaise scoffed. "You, civilised?" Memories flashed in front of his eyes. A vicious monster tearing down city walls with its tentacles and tearing throats out with its claws. "Who's the one who lost control and destroyed half of Slayhold?"

Dragin's face drained of colour. "That was an accident."

"Accident or not," said Blaise. "You're still the biggest disaster in the family."

"If you hadn't tried to take control of Victorfall, none of us would've been cast into the abyss. I think that makes you the walking disaster."

"Immortia would've done the spell sooner or later. I was trying to save our kind. If Arcan hadn't betrayed us-"

"If we hadn't sought out his powers in the first place-" Dragin paused. "All these what ifs. There's no point. It's done. Time to rebuild our lives. You need to stop hunting for power. It's not going to bring you happiness."

"I gave up on happiness long ago. I want revenge. No. I want justice for the way those scum treated us. If we worked together, we'd be unstoppable."

"I will not join you in this petty quest for-"

"Petty?" Blaise was on his feet in an instant. He swayed as if inebriated. "If we want to live in peace we need to destroy everyone who opposes us."

Dragin returned to his book, licking his fingers to turn the page.

"You can leave now," he said. "Clearly you're fine. There's nothing left to discuss."

"You'd abandon your own kind? And me? Your own brother. Would your sweetheart stay with you, if she knew what you'd done? If she knew how much blood you've spilled."

"Get out." Dragin pretended to be engrossed in his book.

Blaise moved towards the door but hesitated at the threshold. "I want you at my side. Like it used to be."

Dragin closed his book and placed it on a stand. "If you can find another one of those portals to take us to Selandris, I will accompany you. But don't think you're going to start getting into my head. I just want to get back to my son."

"Fine, fine. What about the woman?"

"I assume you mean Frida. She will likely want to accompany me."

Blaise smiled slyly. "How are you going to explain me?"

"No need," said Dragin. "You thought there were secrets between us? She knows about my part in the war. Still, Frida chooses to stand by me. She truly is the most loyal and forgiving person I have ever met."

"How sweet," said Frida from the doorway. Both men looked up. "You knew I was listening, didn't you?"

Dragin smirked. "Perhaps. But it's true all the same."