A Touch of Magic

Chapter Thirty Four

Chapter Thirty Four

Brikwood

The entire way to Night Cast's castle, I felt something was wrong. I couldn't stop thinking about my last interaction with her. The fear in her eyes was evident. But why? Wasn't she married to SteelHeart? The feeling wouldn't leave me even as we approached the castle.
"Is everybody ready for this?"
Demetry asked. We all nodded. I turned to Evergreen.
"Be safe."
She smiled at me and squeezed my shoulder. I wanted to say so much more to her, but now was not the time for love confessions.
We entered the castle through a back door. We climb the stairs in silence. At the top of the staircas, there was a wooden door. Orcs were guarding every window, every door. Once we stepped through this door, the battle would begin.
I swallowed. My mind raced. My thoughts flew from Evergreen to Night Cast to survival. Demetry kicked the door open, announcing our presence.
I noticed three things immediately. Orcs were running forward with spears to kill us, SteelHeart was running down the second flight of stairs drawing his sword, and Night Cast was nowhere to be seen.
While orcs may have giant spears that are extremely sharp, their weakness is in the thinness of their flesh. A deep enough cut will detach a limb, or if you're lucky, a head. So that was my immediate command.
Everyone quickly followed suit, and soon, three orcs were already down. I was making my way towards SteelHeart, who seemed to be waiting for me.
When I finally approached him, he surprised me by giving me his hand. I shook it reluctantly.
"Brikwood, my wife has informed me of your previous services. I think you should serve me now. I can promise you many more benefits than she ever offered you."
This confused me greatly.
"I don't understand."
He led me away towards another part of the castle. I followed reluctantly. I could hear a loud screaming behind me, but I didn't turn back. Only when we passed by the staircase did I stop.
A strange sound could be heard coming from above. It sounded like a combination of moaning and crying. Someone was trapped up there!
Instinctively, I pulled out a small dagger from my pocket and implanted a deep cut into SteelHeart's back. By the time he had his sword on his hand to strike me, I was already up the stairs.
The top level was a series of doors. I let my ears lead me to the door where the sound was coming from. Locked. I placed my ear against the door. Someone was definitely suffering in there.
I thrust my dagger into the lock and kicked the door open. Then I nearly dropped it from the shock of the sight in front of me. But not before I bolted the door shut with my dagger and shoved a fainting couch in front of it. I did this just before the footsteps in the hall reached the door.
I turned to meet the eyes of Night Cast, naked in a large canopy bed. Her black dress was carelessly thrown to the side. She appeared to be bruised to a larger extent than I'd seen before. There was also her face. She had most definitely been the one I'd heard crying.
How strange it must be for her in this situation. To be completely helpless. I contemplated the dagger in my hand and began approaching the bed. She inched away from me, avoiding my eyes. I began to raise my dagger, already thrilling in the thoughts of causing her just as much pain as she had caused me.
The fear in her eyes from when I had last seen her flashed through my mind. SteelHeart had aggressively shoved her around the corner. That was the first time she had ever shown fear. Now here she lay, naked.
This disturbing thought stopped me in my tracks. I slowly lowered my dagger and tucked it securely in my pocket. What had he done to her?
I found myself sitting on the edge of the bed, an unwelcome wave of empathy washing over me. She deserved none of it. Moments ago, I aimed to kill her. No, here I was. My words came out angrier than I had intended.
"What did he do to you!?"
She looked away as tears began flowing again. I felt my hand ball into a tight fist.
"I'll kill him!"
It wasn't an offer. It was a decoration. I began to rise, but I felt a clammy hand grab my pocket. I sat back down. She was facing me now, a look of hopelessness and grief in her eyes. She inhaled shakily.
"Kill me instead."
I reached for my dagger, and she closed her eyes. It clattered against the stone floor as I tossed it aside. She opened her eyes in shock.
"Isn't that what you want? I killed your family!"
She turned away again. I nodded.
"I know. I found out a long time ago."
I sighed.
"I've already discovered the consequences of killing anyone. Never again."
She turned back to face me.
"I'm sorry, Brikwood."
It wasn't an apology anyone could fully accept straight away. It was the kind that healed on time. I took her hand and squeezed tight.
The door flexed as loud banging could be heard on the other side. He was here. Fear returned to her face in an instant.
"Jump out the window."
I commanded. Her mouth dropped open as I threw open her window and motioned for her to jump. She nodded and dove out into the woods.
The door fell open, and I came face to face with SteelHeart. I drew my sword without hesitation. This was my real fight.