Land of Light and Shadows

Chapter 61

Chapter 61

"Shields.  Now," Lyv growled out, eyes still locked on Corliss.  "The only ones she wants is us."

Hands up, her own ward slammed in front of them, circling back and above to cover them fully.  Bridget was next to put hers up, then Cleo's with her shadows for extra reinforcement, followed by another from Lyv for good measure. 

As soon as Corliss speared her own dark magic forward toward them, aiming straight for Lyv, it shattered the outer ward like it was nothing but a thin layer of glass.

Cleo cursed.  "What do we do?" she asked, glancing over at Lyv as Corliss sent another spear of magic toward them, creating a tiny crack within Cleo's ward, skittering her shadows away.  It was the first time she'd ever heard fear coloring her tone.  "Lyv, what do we do?"

Think.

Think.

Think.

She thought back to as much as she could to the beginning of this journey into the darkness, through every spell and enchantment she'd read in the grimoire.  Of course, after having lost Jai, they now knew minette spider venom was lethal not only to the person poisoned with it, burning straight through their magic, but it could also destroy the dark magic, too.  There was plenty around them, but as soon as the creature holding the weapon was destroyed, so was it. 

Darkness.

Lyv's hand rested on the breast pocket inside her jacket where the large, obsidian stone that once held every bit of darkness within their world and Laria's. 

How could they destroy the darkness without destroying everything else around them?  Or at least push it from the person burdened with it? 

Mik. 

She'd done it for Mik, used her light magic, her healing magic to push back against the darkness which once held him in an iron grip.  The first time, the ward of light had billowed out around them in the Ethran desert, allowing them to see that short glimpse at the male he really was, before it rushed back into Lyv.  But if she were able to spread that light all throughout Escarral, all throughout their world...

Then maybe she could push it into the obsidian stone vessel and out of Corliss for once and for all.

It would take a hell of a lot of magic, though.  More than she'd ever managed to use at once.

Still, she wanted to give Cleo back her mother, give Bridget back her sister. 

And yet she still thought back to Mik.

How he knew what Corliss would do to him, had prepared to save his own light magic by keeping it in another stone, hoping and praying that one day he would have it back. 

But Corliss...Corliss didn't do that.  She hadn't had time to think that far ahead, not after she'd gone fully dark after she'd lost not only Meron, but Cleo and Adeena as well.

Maybe, just maybe, the spark that made Corliss herself wasn't gone.  Maybe she had a bit of her light magic left, enough for her to survive what was about to happen.

Another spear of dark magic finally shattered through Cleo's shield, leaving only Lyv's and Bridget's.

"We have to get a hold on her with magic.  I think...I think we'll need both light and dark to do it," Lyv told them, her own already ready and waiting, circling her arms and twining through her fingers.  "We have to keep her down long enough for me to push the darkness back into the obsidian stone that held it before.  Without her own magic, though...I don't know if it's possible if there's nothing left.  I have to try, though.  I have to.  I don't know how long it will take, how much magic I have to use, and I...I need your help with it all."