Whispers (Book 3 of Wielder series)

Chapter 26 - Wielder

Alie's hand filled with the familiar weight of the blade that had chosen her. Her palm warmed with the strong pulse of its magic. Her fingers tightened over the soft leather binding that wound around its hilt. Strength rushed through her. Life renewed her.
   She felt like a different person. No longer would she let others kick her to the ground. No longer would she allow anyone to humiliate her. No longer would she struggle to survive.
   As she exhaled a deep, delicious breath, the frozen time around her rushed back to its normal speed.
   Dark power from seven different foes rushed for her. She plunged the Ultimate into the ground at her feet, shooting out a blastwave of magic that destroyed every attack. The Phantoms racing into the arena fell back. Those slipping through the arena's cage recoiled into the bleachers. Commander Sole lifted an arm to his face to shield his eyes from her burst of light.
   But Jea, she left alone.
   Alie sent out another wave of magic to immediately follow the first. It formed a large dome around her and the armored Phantom, locking everyone else out. The dome remained opaque, allowing the others to watch. But they wouldn't be able to do anything else. Not unless they found a way to cause her magic to shatter.
   Unfortunately for them, that was extremely unlikely. Alie had been deprived of magic for so long. Now she was more sensitive to it than ever. She wouldn't let it slip through her grasp again.
   Jea's helmeted head turned back and forth, quickly taking in the magical shield that locked her in with Alie. The Phantom's stance widened. Her grip on Commander Sole's crystal sword tightened. "You won't get away with this," she warned, though her voice wavered with uncertainty.
   Alie pulled the Ultimate from the ground, casually and confidently taking up a fighting stance of her own. "Watch me."
   Jea launched with all the speed she could muster. If Alie had taken her eyes off the Phantom for even a second, she would have been run through. But magic was on her side. The Ultimate moved her forward, and she surrendered to its pull. The two blades crashed together with a horrible clang.
   Alie knew the Phantom didn't stand a chance. If she wanted to kill her, she could. It would only take a matter of a few simple steps, a few quick jabs, a small sweep of her feet. But Alie was not a killer. Nor, she determined, was she one to pay back a wrong with a wrong. She wouldn't play with the Phantom like the Phantom had played with her. She would end this as swiftly and cleanly as she possibly could.
   The only trick was getting close enough to do it.
   Alie moved forward with grace, swinging the Ultimate to catch every one of Jea's attacks. Though she pushed the Phantom back step by step, she never struck any attacks of her own. Every move she made defensively. While Jea struggled to regain the upper hand, Alie studied the woman's bond.
   The Evil's bond strings wound around Jea like a series of ropes attached to a marionette. In the lens of magic, they looked like glowing crimson strands ringed with black energy. They spiraled up her arms. They twirled around her legs. They circled her torso so tightly, Alie wondered how Jea could even breathe. While Michael's bond had existed as a thread, the strands around Jea looked more like thick ropes. Cutting just one of the strands would definitely loosen the Evil's hold on her, but it wouldn't break her free.
   She figured she couldn't just cut random strands if she wanted to win this battle. The Evil bound to Jea would be no simple blob. It could easily replace any strands she cut through. If she wanted to succeed, she would need to sever the Evil from Jea completely, and then kill it as swiftly as possible.
   Because if she let it know what she was planning, it would either make her task that much harder, or try to flee.
   Alie let magic guide her. She circled the Phantom, trying to catch glimpses of her from all angles. No matter what direction she looked at it, though, the bond appeared inseparable from Jea. She couldn't even see the Evil that powered it.
   That's when it dawned on her. Michael's Evil hadn't yet formed the symbiosis relationship with him when she'd cut the thread that connected them. But Jea clearly had. The Evil was somewhere inside her.
   Alie's stomach flopped. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea, after all.
   Jea faked left, successfully managing to plunge her blade past the Ultimate. Alie sidestepped just in time. The crystal blade hissed through the air as it rushed past her face.
   Okay. She'd played defense long enough.
   With a magically-powered determination, Alie stepped into a series of attacks, watching to see how Jea would deflect them. Their swords clashed over and over as Alie drove her toward the wall. Maybe if she could pin the Phantom into a corner, she'd have a chance to determine how to sever the bond.
   Realizing Alie's intent, Jea caught the Ultimate against her own sword. Then she held the locked blades in place long enough to shuffle off to the side, forcing Alie's back to the wall instead.
   "Nice move," Alie grunted, pushing Jea back.
   Jea snorted behind her helmet. "I won't give you a chance to try it for yourself."
   "Won't need to," Alie grinned. She jabbed for Jea's waist. Their blades clashed again. "You know, I really don't like that helmet."
   "Why not? Most people like the look of their own face." Jea spun and kicked out, blasting a wave of dark power that would have knocked Alie onto her back if she hadn't also shot out magic of her own. The two energies clashed in a thunderous roar that made the air tremble.
   "It's not that," Alie said once it settled. She struck out again, not giving Jea even a moment to recover. "I just prefer to see the face of anyone I'm fighting."
   Jea chuckled, deflecting skillfully. "You sure you want to look into the eyes of the one who kills you?"
   "Who says you're going to kill me? Last time I checked, you were the one on the defensive."
   "Maybe I'm letting you think you're winning to tire you out."
   "I doubt it." Alie had defeated the emperor. There was no way a single Phantom could defeat her when magic thrummed through her blood like it did now.
   Jea's physical form vanished into a cloud of dark smoke, which dissipated and reformed behind her so fast, Alie barely spun around in time to deflect with the Ultimate. "I see," Jea taunted, disappearing and reappearing again in an entirely new place. "So you think you'll be the one to kill me."
   Alie blocked the attack, then issued a series of jabs that had Jea stumbling back to parry them. "I'm not going to kill you today," she promised.
   Jea tilted her head. "Then what is your plan?"
   Alie grinned. "It's a surprise." She sent out a wave of magic, hoping to catch Jea and prevent her from popping in and out of her physical form. Golden light streamed in all directions. It crackled against the shield Jea threw up at the last second. As soon as the threat passed, Jea dissipated once again and reappeared so close, Alie could see the dirt stuck to her cheek in the reflection on the Phantom's helmet.
   Grunting, Alie threw out another wild wave. This time, she managed to graze Jea in the leg. Where it struck her armor, the magic bounced away like light on a mirror.
   "Magic reflective armor," Jea taunted. "Nice, huh?"
   Well. That would certainly make her job that much harder. Alie refused to let that deter her, though. She threw out wave after wave, watching the way Jea sidestepped, jumped over, or let her armor reflect each one.
   She searched for a moment where the Evil within her seemed to separate from the woman she'd been before the bond. But the two moved as one. For all Alie knew, they were one being.
   If she couldn't separate them, how was she going to cut the bond between them?
   A blast of dark power shot like a bullet through her shield. Alie whirled around, stealing a moment to reinforce its weak spot and keep everyone out. Luckily, only one of the Phantoms had managed to squeeze past her power in that split moment.
   Unluckily, that Phantom was Ilex. And he looked absolutely murderous.
   "I've got this," Jea told Ilex, as the blond-haired Phantom walked purposefully toward them. Dark power swirled around him with so much force and energy, it hummed. The shadows didn't just flow from him - they were him. They licked at the air like midnight black flames, hungry for something to burn.
   Ilex wore no armor. He wielded no weapons. But by the way the shadows danced around him, Alie knew he didn't need them. If anything, armor and weapons would probably slow him down.
   She angled herself toward him. Jea was dangerous; but Ilex seemed ten times worse.
   His bonds didn't wrap around him like Jea's did. They snaked through him, twisting like veins down his arms and legs. They tangled over his torso, knotting firmly around his heart. They pulsed with every breath he took. She knew there would be no saving him.
   She began to back up. The two Phantoms advanced slowly, weapons and power raised. "Push hard," Ilex directed, his power sweeping around to pin Alie in. "Don't hesitate to take the kill."
   Jea nodded. Then they both attacked.
   Alie barely held her ground. Her magic fought against Ilex's power. The Ultimate clashed with Jea's sword. Though she moved with incredible speed, she feared what would happen if she wasn't fast enough. Neither Phantom would show her mercy. They would run her through at the first opening she gave them. So she fought hard to make sure they couldn't find one.
   But she knew she couldn't keep defending herself forever.
   Magic answered her call. It always had; it always would. With a burst of light, she slammed all of it into Ilex's chest, throwing him backwards. It likely wouldn't be enough to kill him, but it would set him back a few seconds.
   Jea's head whipped around, watching him fly back. "Ilex!" Her cry crackled with worry.
   For a split second, Alie noticed a shadow standing behind Jea. It looked exactly like her mirror image. It pulled back from her, tethered only by the ropes of the bond and a thicker rope that connected it to Jea's heart.
   Alie's own heart beat faster. That was the rope she needed to cut.
   Ilex came flying back, fury burning hot upon his face. His shadows sliced into her magic relentlessly. It wouldn't be easy to push him back again, but she had to if she wanted Jea's link to expose itself.
   So she grit her teeth and fought with everything she had.
   It wasn't enough. Power pounded her shield from all directions. Ilex fought like a whirlwind. Jea popped back and forth so quickly, Alie felt dizzy just trying to keep up with her.
   This couldn't last.
   Ilex seemed to notice her struggle. He pushed even harder, driving her up against the arena wall. Alie strained against his power, her whole body trembling with the effort.
   From behind him, she imagined a giant glob of magic swallowing him whole. It caught him off guard, absorbing him in his own little golden bubble that cut off the shadows he wielded.
   Alie didn't waste a moment. As Jea glanced at her fellow Phantom, the link between her and her Evil pulled taught.
   Alie struck with the speed of a lightning bolt. The Ultimate swept fast and hard toward the link, slicing cleanly through it. Then it swept up, plunging into the shadow's chest and ripping it apart, destroying it in one swift, merciless motion. Power boomed like thunder. A shockwave swept everything back, knocking her and Jea onto their backs.
   Ilex broke through the bubble that contained him with a torrent of dark power. It ate up all magic that hovered directly around him. His wrath burned even hotter than before, and all of it was directed straight at Alie.
   She formed a shield around her, allowing the large one that surrounded the arena to disappear in order to protect herself. Panting, she slowly pushed herself onto her elbows, searching through the glow of magic and the darkness of Ilex's power to Jea's still form, and the dark puddle of dead Evil that pooled beside her.
   The Ultimate's magic thrummed through her hand and up and down her arm. It had struck true, of that she had no doubt. Its magic rejoiced with success.
   But had Jea survived?
   She waited with bated breath, holding a hand up to her shield as Ilex beat down heavily upon it. He wouldn't be able to break through. He was strong, but thankfully not that strong.
   The other Phantoms rushed into the arena. One dropped to Jea's side, reaching down to check for signs of life. The others immediately joined their power to Ilex's, trying to break through her shield.
   Alie winced. One Phantom she could block. But five?
   She focused all her energy on keeping the shield up, even while her gaze locked unblinkingly on Jea's very still body. The Phantom beside her tore the helmet from her head. "Jea," he called, pressing his fingers to her pulse. "Jea!"
   Fear wrapped tight fingers around Alie's heart. What if she was wrong? What if destroying Jea's Evil had killed her?
   Commander Sole dropped into the arena. His footsteps were slow but steady as he approached. Alie had never seen him so furious. Power billowed behind him like a sail, consuming all light around him. Magic shrank back from him in droves.
   Alie trembled. "Come on, Jea," she pleaded. "Wake up."
   Once the commander reached her, she'd be dead. He was done with games. He was done with tests. She had done too much, gone too far, and now he would ensure she could never rise up again.
   A cough broke through the roar of power that pounded her shield.
   Alie's heart launched into her throat. She turned once more toward Jea, praying for a miracle.
   Slowly, the Phantom began to stir.
   Relief washed over her. Her head bubbled with light, giddy joy. Jea lived. She'd survived the separation. Her Evil was dead...
   And she was free.
   Jea sat up with a start, lifting a hand to her chest where the Ultimate had swept through the link that bound her. She blinked rapidly, wide eyed and panting, and stared at Alie in shock.
   Her eyes remained a delicious shade of chocolatey brown.
   The woman trembled as she rose up to her knees, then her feet. "What did you do to me?"
   The Phantom who had knelt to check if she lived frowned at her. Then his gaze swept up and down her, and across her face. "No," he breathed in disbelief.
   Jea's shock began to melt into fury. Her hands bunched into fists. Her lips pushed together in a scowl. Her trembling turned to full on shaking. "What did you do?"
   Alie struggled to keep her shield intact. Her own breaths panted with the effort. "I saved you," she said, a small smile brightening her face.
   Jea just stared at her. Tears pooled in her eyes, then spilled in streams down her cheeks.
   "How did she do that?" the other Phantom asked, his own face paling. He took a step back, horrified. "How did she..."
   "I broke her bond," Alie stated. "I set her free."
   Shock resonated on each of the Phantoms' faces. One by one, their power over her shield began to lessen. They glanced to Jea, checking to see if it was really true. One of them fell back, shaking his head in disbelief.
   Bit by bit, the power attacking her slowly stopped. Alie held her shield in place, waiting until every last Phantom, even Ilex, dropped their attack. Then she finally rose to her feet. Pride swelled in her chest. Despite all the odds, she'd really accomplished the impossible.
   The Phantoms looked at her, then at Jea, then back at her. No one seemed to know what to make of what she'd done.
   She smiled at them. "It's okay," she promised, taking a chance by dropping her shield. "I helped her. I can help all of you."
   "That," said a dark, furious voice behind her, "will not be necessary."
   Before she could think, Commander Sole's power swept over her in a force so relentless, no amount of magic could save her from it. Her consciousness tumbled into absolute darkness. She screamed into his void. Her voice echoed endlessly around her. 
   Her grasp on magic vanished. The Ultimate was torn from her hand. She tumbled into the abyss of his curse, clawing and thrashing all the way down.
   But no amount of thrashing could save her.
   Not now that he wanted her dead.