Colorless

45 - Saturated

Nell's hold on Keir was failing, and Rinian wasn't getting back up. She knew, without knowing how she knew, that he was still alive, but he lay unmoving on the floor.

Keir turned to her. His calm mask, streaked with black blood, was beginning to break. Anger and exhaustion shone through between the cracks.

"You won't be able to kill me," he said. His voice was beautiful and soft, but it made Nell's stomach roll in disgust.

"We'll see." Her stomach was tight in an unfamiliar way, and the magic moved and tensed under her skin like a creature living in her torso that had just awoken. But it was tiring, and for the first time since receiving her new power, Nell felt exhaustion. It drew the will from her limbs and hung off her eyelids. Her legs shook from the strain of standing, and her hands cramped from the push of magic. "Rinian!" she tried to shout, but her chest was too tight.

The only thing keeping her standing was the buzz of electricity under her skin. It held her in a fog, clouding the pain.

"You should say your last prayers to God," Keir's hand shook as it fought her magic.

She was more frozen in place by her magic than he was. If she let go of him for even a moment, he'd kill her, but she was so focused on keeping her hold that she couldn't put her effort into choking him. She just stood there as he slowly fought her magic, her mind searching for a solution.

When, at last, she accepted that there was no answer, that there was no way to kill him, one thing became very clear. She had to save Rinian. She'd died once before. If there was any reason for her second chance, it was to preserve the life of someone else. She could no longer be content with struggling and failing and relying on others. She had power now, and she had to do something with it. Killing Keir had been her first idea, but it had been rash and ill-conceived. She'd never been a fighter and having power didn't make her one.

An eerie calm washed over the room. The hairs on her arms stood on end.

Nell let go just as the first spark of electricity sprung from his fingertips.

The ease and speed at which her body moved still amazed her. It made her feel as though outrunning lightning was possible. It swiped at her arm. Bright jolts of electricity shot under her skin and through her shoulder. Her neck twitched as her muscles convulsed, but it didn't slow her down.

Rinian didn't move when she tripped over his legs or when she threw him over her shoulder and ran toward the door. He did groan slightly when a burst of powerful wind slammed them both against a pillar.

Nell knew what was coming when the atmosphere changed again. She pushed Rinian away from her just before the lightning struck her back. It punched through her, snapping under her skin and tearing through her muscles. She stumbled.

In the silence following the thunder, Rinian gasped. "Nell?" He coughed once.

"I'm here. Stay down."

Lightning struck again. It shoved her forward, nearly knocking her off her hands and knees, but she fought against the force.

Rinian's face blurred. The ringing in her ears intensified.

Another strike made her arms crumple. Her forehead smacked against the stone floor, but she caught herself on her elbows. It took a couple of seconds before she realized that Rinian's mouth was moving.

Nell squeezed her eyes shut for a moment as if that would clear the ringing in her ears. "What?" she said.

"If I could just..." His voice was still muffled. He had pushed himself up despite her order to stay down. His gaze was locked on Keir.