Sekhmet

Chapter 15

Chapter 15
Souls
Louis

Louis pushed himself away from the table "calm down" Finley stressed reaching a hand out to hold him "if the ward is broken it means something strong attacked him, god level magic a spirit or something similar."

Louis stumbled with the overwhelming return of his magic; he poured a lot of it into that ward and the moment it broke all that came rushing back to him "he's somewhere near Arcon I can feel it" Finley held Louis's forearms "you mean he's alive?"

Louis glared "if my magic did its job then yes. He is."

He pulled away pacing around the library table "we need to find a way out of here" Finley clasped his hands together thoughtfully "you could always lie to your brother again" Louis heard the snide remark and shook his head "no, Diana can read people's emotions remember? I'm a good liar Finley but not that good".

Louis turned to the books, of all places maybe this had the answers "read" Louis said

"read? Through all of this?" Finley gazed up at then endless stories of books

"yes as much as you can. There could be an answer here." Louis began frantically digging through the books "we have get out of here and find Darcy."

"We?" Finley's calm expression took on a curious surprised one "we are including myself?"

Louis rolled his eyes at him dumping a pile of books onto the table "yes you." He paused staring at Finley with a concerned gaze "you want to stay?"

"Hells no. I just didn't think I could" Louis' frown deepened as he stepped closer to Finley instinctively holding his shoulders and pressing his forehead against the older man's.

Finley reciprocated pressing forward and crossing his arms. They use to do this a lot when Louis was a child, Finley would hold the toddler in his arms and press their foreheads together to calm him down, to let him feel his magic. "

"She's gone Fin, she can't keep you here. Come with me. I mean it's not like you can stand anyone else around here"

"And if Charlie finds that I help you escape?"

"You said you could reach me anywhere" Louis repeated his words back to him "plus you walk around like you could handle his entire squad like it's nothing."

Louis felt Finley's body shake as he chuckled "don't doubt me child... perhaps I'm not use to the idea of freedom" Louis knew those words carried more story to them. He knew Finely's job to protect Louis was according to Finley the closet feeling to freedom he's had, but he was hardly free. Neither of them was until they got out of here.

"When was the last time we did this?" Louis asked feeling Finley's old magic wash over him, there was a familiarity to it but also a wildness. A young soul thumping against the confines of an old body.

"Mmm I think you were fourteen? You were getting frustrated reading a passage from one of the textbooks because of your-"

"my speech impediment" Louis finished for him pulling away

"can't believe your parents let you grow up this way" Finley joked his white moustache twitching into a smile

"hey you're the one who raised me, remember?" Louis turned back to the books "how should we do this?"

Finley uncrossed his arms "well, if we are going together than I might have a way"

Louis eyed him "what exactly?"

"This realm doesn't have restrictions to my kind of magic, after all it's designed to keep solid objects here."

Finley picked up the thick book 'the family of Pyramus' and folded back in the scroll "I could break a small opening in the fabric of this world, and we could leak into another. Not the mortal plain that would be too risky for someone like you" he gave Louis a pointed look "but another magical realm. More specifically" he held the book to Louis "Elders."

Louis took the book but scowled at the pages "you want to go to Elder? What about Darcy?"

Finley dusted off his palms "you said he was alive and near Arcon, chances are he isn't alone" Louis wanted to argue but he could see the logical points Finley was making. They could break through the fabric of this realm, bend it to make them appear in Elders, and from there travel to the mortal plane safely, assuming Elder doesn't hate Louis.

"It could work"

"it will work" Finley corrected

"it's the best bet we have for confirming what that book says, as you said. It could sway the war" Louis gripped the book tightly. He could still feel the remains of his and Darcy's magic quietly merging together, that ward was the only thing keeping him hidden. Now anyone or anything could find him.

"Let's do this" Finley nodded pushing the table out of the centre, Louis shoved the books aside clutching the large one to his chest. Finley took his free hand the both of them standing in the middle of the moonlight, Finley made a gesture for Louis to close his eyes, he did.

"let your magic flow, it'll feel like your falling don't fight it. Let my magic carry your being through and we should be fine" Louis opened one of his eyes "should?" Finley forced it closed gently with a finger "shut up and let me focus" Louis rolled his eyes behind his eyelids and waited.

It was silent for a moment before Louis felt a rush of magic coat over his body, warm, tingly magic. Finley's magic. The best way to describe it was standing beneath a warm shower, Louis felt suspended in the air before everything rushed back into him.

———

Charlie

He watched Louis and Finley's bodies morph and shift until they disappeared completely, his finger twitched as he tapped it against his inner arm.

Diana stood beside him watching him closely "I told you"

Charlie didn't reply he turned around stepping through a rift in the darkness back onto the marble floor of the palace

Diana followed him "what should we do?" He strides down the throne room magic zapping into his fingers making him flex his muscles, his neck twitching.

"Want me to kill them?" The words made Charlie's eyes shine blood red; he spun around so quickly Diana stumbled back.

"Touch him I'll forget you are family" his hands gripped her throat pulling her up into the air, Diana struggled her pale nails breaking the skin over Charlie's wrists.

"Charlie" Loki appeared by his side; he glanced up at Diana in indifference. Loki didn't care about anyone, not unless it was Devin.

"Charlie" he repeated till he dropped Diana, she fell to the floor gasping "what?" His voice dark "Arcon has hit back"

Charlie's expression changed dramatically from one of anger and anguish to surprise "oh? And what did the Princess retaliate with?"

"She evacuated some of the hidden settlements in Vari" Loki explained as Diana picked herself up rubbing her throat "oh great, a peaceful move"

Charlie hummed his magic bubbling in him desperate for release "where is Devin?"

Loki's gaze hardened "creating. Why?"

Charlie stepped towards the window looking out at the city and the ocean on the horizon "how will we retaliate?" Diana asked and voice inside Charlie coaxed his thoughts.

"Do it"

"Fetch me their souls."