Page 111 of Staff of Nightfall

“It’s long gone. A friend took it; I don’t know where. He might have thrown it into the sea for all I know.”

Kirven’s eyes flashed. He clenched his fists, his shoulders scrunching toward his ears. He relaxed and his expression returned to bored neutrality. “You’re protecting him with your life when that’s not necessary. Standing over him, placing yourself in harm’s way, when he can’t die because you already protected him with your bond.”

When he said it like that, it did sound stupid. Shecoulddie. “I won’t let you hurt him anymore.” She looked at Nolan. At the blood staining the ends of his sleeves and splattered on his shirt, trousers, and boots. Regulus’ blood. Guards’ blood. Father’s blood. Anger and sorrow kicked at the inside of her chest, a caged and wounded animal that wanted out.

“Why?” Her voice broke. She hadn’t meant to say that. It just came out.

Nolan’s cocky, unconcerned façade cracked. For a moment, she saw regret in his eyes. Then it was gone. “I’m sorry. He shouldn’t have gotten in my way.”

His careless words hit her like fists. Her emotions built, threatening to crush her. Adelaide willed back her tears.No. Not now. You can’t fall apart right now.She saw the green light out of the corner of her eye too late. She’d been too focused on Nolan and her hurt to stay on guard. The blast knocked her sideways, throwing her several feet from Regulus and the tree. She grunted as she hit the ground.Stupid!

Nolan held his sword to Regulus’ neck. Regulus glared up at Nolan but didn’t try to move. Cautiously, Adelaide walked closer, her hands at her sides as Kirven watched her with an impassive expression.

“Ready to talk?” Kirven stroked his beard. “Or should I have Carrick find out if your precious Hargreaves can regrow limbs?” Nolan stepped on Regulus’ right hand and held the sword at his wrist.

“No!” Adelaide held up her hands submissively. “I’ll talk.”

“You owe me, mage.” Kirven crossed his arms. “Your lover’s bond caused my spell to rebound and cracked the opal in the Staff of Nightfall. I could, with some effort, replace the opal. But I fear the damage runs deeper than that. Your friend may have taken the staff, but it was already useless to me. You owe me a replacement weapon.”

“I can double-check under my bed, but I don’t think I have another staff imbued with sorcery lying around.”

Kirven rolled his eyes. “I had something else in mind.” The look in his eyes, the sly half-smile, and she knew. A lump grew in her chest. “You.”

She swallowed. “I’ve already given you my answer.”

“Carrick, remind her what’s at stake—but nothing that might not heal yet.”

“No, wait—” She reached toward Nolan and Regulus, but Nolan jabbed the sword into Regulus’ side. Regulus groaned and Adelaide stumbled forward, grabbing at her own side and biting her tongue against the pain. Nolan pulled the sword further down into Regulus’ hip. Adelaide moaned and fell to her knees as Regulus screamed.

“Stop!” She struggled to stand. Nolan withdrew the sword. Regulus’ blood dripped off the blade and she turned her face away.

“You took my greatest weapon from me,” Kirven said. “One I worked for nearly twenty years to find and reassemble. You owe me a new weapon.”

Energy drained out of her to heal Regulus. A new thought occurred to her. The warning in theCompendium:“drained of magic until they perished.”Might she reach a point she couldn’t heal Regulus, even with the bond? Would Regulus die if they kept this up? Wouldshedie? She needed to find a way to stop them, and soon.

Adelaide shoved her hands toward Nolan. A blast sent him flying. She ran toward Regulus, but Kirven put up a green-tinted barrier between them.Fine. She conjured a sword and turned toward the tree. With all the strength she could gather, she brought the sword down on the chains.Please, work.The glowing sword of magical energy carved deep through the chains and the blackened trunk. With a clatter, the chains fell to the ground. Regulus leapt to his feet and lunged at Kirven as Adelaide ran around the barrier.

Nolan intercepted Regulus before he could reach Kirven. His blade protruded from Regulus’ back, glistening crimson in the sun. Pain tore through her body. Regulus bent forward, and Nolan’s stone-hard face appeared over his shoulder. It was too much. The pain, the sight of Regulus impaled on Nolan’s sword. The fact it felt like watching a repeat of Nolan killing Father.

Adelaide fell to her hands and knees and dry heaved, her stomach clenching. Nolan tossed Regulus down next to her. The retching stopped, but her entire body trembled, and tears wet her face. Her energy drained further as Regulus healed. Her fists closed around grass. Dirt rolled under her fingernails. This had to stop. She couldn’t take much more. She raised her head.

Kirven cocked an eyebrow. “Have you figured it out yet?” She nodded.

Regulus grunted as he sat up next to her. “Figured what out?” He rested a hand on her back. His touch comforted her despite her hopelessness.

“Tell him.” Kirven jutted his chin toward Regulus.

“Tell me what?” Regulus gently pulled her up until she sat back on her heels.

The realization of Kirven’s plan made her heart twist with guilt. She met Regulus’ eyes. His anger melted, replaced with concern. She took a shaky breath and tried to force her hands to stop trembling. “I’m running out of energy...out of magic. To—to heal you.”

Regulus’ face went slack. “What does that mean?”

“You really are dense,” Kirven cut in. “Magic, like energy, gets used. You run, you have to rest. You use magic for any reason, you have to rest. Hargreaves, you get hurt, your bond heals you by stealing magical energy from Belanger. With no time to rest, she’ll run out. And when she does,” he smiled maliciously, “one of three things will happen. One, the bond will break, and Hargreaves will die. Two, the bond will leach off Belanger’s own life until she dies. Or three,” he shrugged, “you’ll both die.”

Her headache returned, and she closed her eyes against the throbbing behind her forehead. Regulus grabbed her hand. She felt his confusion, his fear. Then his sadness. His guilt. There had to be a way to win. If she could just get them to leave Regulus alone long enough to defeat Kirven, then maybe they would stand a chance.

“There is another option, though,” Kirven said.

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