Chapter 25

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

K ormac left to handle the threat outside and Fionna could have sighed with relief. At least he wouldn't be here to see if she failed. Fionna feared they'd made a mistake. The thing nesting in Lomar's body oozed confidence despite being wrapped in magic to keep him from moving.

The creature remained undaunted, a slight smirk on its lips. "You're just delaying the inevitable. Come to me, and it doesn't have to hurt."

"Whatever you want of me, I refuse to take part."

"Such a strong spirit. It will taste ever so sweet when I break it."

She ignored its words, recognizing it taunted to delay and distract. She pulled some items from her satchel: An iron spool, which she clutched in one hand, and a stone jar with its lid, which she set on the floor.

"What's this?"

She didn't reply but pulled out her silver-bladed scissors. A deep breath in and out dropped her into the trance-like state she needed to see Lomar's aura. It remained bound in those dark threads, a tight yet undulating weave seemingly impervious except for one miniscule spot. She located the tiny gap and reached for it with her scissors, wedging them in.

Snip.

"What are you doing?" Finally, some alarm entered its voice.

She ignored it and concentrated on the loose strands she'd created with the cut. She grabbed one and could have hissed at the cold that radiated from it. Ignoring her discomfort, she wrapped it around the iron spool and began twisting, rolling and turning the spindle, removing the dark thread bit by bit.

The creature didn't like it.

"You waste your time, witch," it hissed.

"Then why are you complaining?" she muttered as she kept spinning. The weave around the body remained thick, but already showed slight gaps. Lomar's inner light began to shine through those cracks, only for a moment before the thread she held jerked.

The spool tore free from her grip. It hit the floor and she scrambled for it, cursing under her breath to see some of her progress undone as the thread rewound around the body. She grabbed hold of the spool to halt it, grunting as she tried to regain control, but the dark thread fought.

It shouldn't have been possible. Threads were meant to be gathered and woven into spells. They didn't react. Only this one acted different. As if it were alive.

For a moment, her confidence faltered, and she feared she'd made a grievous error. Was she inadvertently giving the possessor what it wanted?

No. She refused to believe that and besides, it was too late now. She'd begun the process, she had to finish.

She strained to turn the spindle, only to gasp as it almost tore loose from her hand again. Her concentration cost her as her binding on Lomar slipped.

He lunged and slashed with his fingers, his unkept nails sharp enough to tear across the skin of her arm. Blood seeped, and the tang of copper and a bite of pain hit. Of more interest, she noted the silvery and pink threads rising from her wound.

Could her blood help like it had with the ogres?

She wove her seeping essence, giving herself strength. She fed some to her feet so they would firmly anchor. Once steady, she pulled and twisted, grim-faced but resilient. Thread by thread, the dark disappeared from around the body and light began to shine through, muted compared to most auras she'd seen. Understandable given what had happened.

The voice had ceased speaking and thrashing. Lomar stood still, eyes closed, head tilted back, as if resigned to his fate.

With the lack of pushback, the spindle rolled faster and faster until the thread ran out. It took her a moment of swaying on her feet before she realized she'd done it.

Lomar's body was clear. She quickly dropped to her knees and dropped the spindle, undulating with darkness, into the jar. She sealed it, not just with its lid, but smeared it with blood, then magic, encasing it in a shield that blocked it from escape. As she finished her weaving, the jar stopped rocking and went still.

She'd done it.

Too late it occurred to her to keep an eye on Lomar. Movement had her recoiling, but it was just the man kneeling before her, head dipped, whispering, "Thank you for freeing me. But you shouldn't have bothered with the effort. It would have been kinder to kill me."

"I couldn't do that to Kormac."

Lomar's lips tightened. "He showed me too much kindness."

"Because you're his friend."

Lomar looked aside. "A friend who betrayed him, his country, everyone. He should have executed me."

"Would you really make him live with that?"

"What other choice is there?" He eyed her with a tortured, bloodshot gaze. "You could do it."

Kill a man on his knees who showed deep regret? "There are other lands," she stated, rising with the jar. "Places where you can start over."

"I don't deserve to, though. The people I killed won't get a second chance."

Scree!

A sharp cry from outdoors had her saying, "If you really want to die, then you could start by helping Kormac with whatever beast is outside."

The suggestion brightened his expression. "That would be a fine way to die."

As he grabbed the nearest dagger and ran out, she took a moment to tuck the jar in the satchel, exhaustion setting in. The unravelling of the curse had taken more effort than expected. But she'd done it. It was possible to remove the curse.

Pity they'd not acted sooner. The bodies lying around hurt her heart. More victims to this thing that possessed. A monster that needed to be dealt with before it hurt more folk.

With ginger steps, she made her way outside in time to see a large, feathery body plummeting right at her. Her tired body didn't immediately react, but Kormac did.

He was suddenly beside her, whisking her out of the way and shielding her with his frame against the fort walls as the beast swooped by.

Kormac pushed from her and eyed the sky. The giant bird swooped back, aimed right for him, and Kormac readied, his hand gripping the sword, muttering, "Its feathers are made of metal and impervious to my blade."

"It's some kind of roc," she replied. Another legendary beast. "You'll have to aim for its gullet or eyes."

The bird didn't give him a clear shot, though, coming at them feet first, forcing him to stay in place until almost the last second. It partially turned and Kormac used that opportunity. He flung his sword, and Fionna, still weak, managed to give his weapon the guidance it needed to slam into an eye, right into the brain.

The roc hit the ground hard. The dust and the rattling of her teeth took a moment to subside.

"Are you okay?" Kormac murmured in the aftermath.

She nodded before saying, "Where's Lomar?"

"He escaped?"

"Not before I freed him from the spell. He seemed keen on having whatever you fought kill him."

Kormac gave her some space and glanced around. "I wondered what distracted the beast, giving me the right opportunity to strike." He left her side to skirt the carcass and pulled his blade from its skull. Only then did he yell, "Lomar, where are you?"

No reply.

"I think he's gone," she replied. "I don't sense any living threads but our own." Which she no longer trusted since she'd not realized there were people hiding inside. Blame the darkness for hiding them. In better news, the gloom she'd sensed upon entering the fort had dissipated.

"Gone where, though? I should go after him," Kormac stated.

"If you do, he will demand you kill him. He was very upset you hadn't."

Kormac's head dipped but not before she saw the pain in his expression. "Because a proper warlord would have."

"There is nothing wrong with showing mercy to those you love."

"Is it mercy, though? His actions will forever haunt him."

"But at least he's alive with a chance to atone."

"Argh." Kormac yelled to the sky, releasing some of his anguish before his shoulders slumped. "At least part of our mission is done."

"But the biggest part remains. We need to find a way to seal this thing away from people."

"You know how?" he asked.

"No, but I might find the answer in that cave. The writing within was probably meant as a warning, perhaps even instruction."

"Damn Khaal for unsealing that tomb."

They re-entered the fort, and Fionna wondered why until Kormac began dragging the bodies into the courtyard. Grim faced, silent, he piled them into a pyre with her aid. Not that she could move many as most were too heavy and her magic was all but useless until she recovered her strength.

Once he had all the bodies removed, he bowed his head before the somber mound before lighting a torch and tossing it on the pile. He didn't stay to watch them burn, though.

He turned to Fionna. "We should find a secure place to camp for the night."

"Can it have a bed?" she practically pleaded.

His lips ghosted into smile. "I think that can be arranged."

He chose the former garrison commander's room, but not before stripping the bed and piling fresh linen on it. He also barricaded the door. The window had bars, but she still set some wards to warn them if anything approached.

With exhaustion tugging at her limbs, she collapsed on the mattress and slept deeply, so deep, she didn't hear him leave the bed, but smelled his return as it involved food.

She stretched and squinted at the morning light streaming through the slitted window. As her nose twitched, sat up and smiled at the tray Kormac placed on the bed. "Did you cook?"

"Aye." He appeared embarrassed. "It's not chef quality but it will fill your belly."

He'd managed to toast the last of their travel bread and the freshly caught rabbit tasted delicious. By the time she finished eating, she hummed with energy.

"That's better," she exclaimed. "I'm ready to tackle that cave."

"Should we?" He sat on the bed beside her. "Perhaps we should contact your queen and request support."

She shook her head. "I don't know if we have that kind of time. Whatever afflicted Lomar is most likely seeking new victims to possess."

"It can try but I doubt it will succeed. No one goes into that pass."

"Usually, but what if it can somehow entice someone to go? It's too dangerous. Something must be done before it infects again."

Kormac sighed. "I'm aware of the threat it poses, and trust me when I say I don't want it to hurt more of my people. But I also know Lomar called you the key to its escape. I don't think we should take that chance. Not without backup."

She chewed her lip. "You're afraid by heading to the cave, we'll give it exactly what it wants."

He nodded and if she looked at it logically, she knew the right thing to do wasn't to run headlong into that cave. If it wanted her, the smartest thing was to move far, far away.

"Very well. We head back to the citadel and wait for the witches to arrive."

Relief filled his face. "It's only a short delay. Maybe we'll be able to find the journal Loff stole while we wait for them."

A journal that might explain more about what they faced. "We'll head out shortly in that case, but first there's something I must do."

"What do you need?" he asked, ready to fetch it.

"I need you."

Needed to know what it would be like to be with him fully and completely. The upcoming battle with the thing in the cave might very well kill her, and she didn't want it to be as a virgin.

Before she could lose her nerve, she leaned over and kissed him.