Page 116 of Staff of Nightfall

The sorcerer glanced back at him and hovered closer to the ground as his focus wavered. “Shut up, Hargreaves!”

Regulus strained against the chains.You’re so strong. Any strength I have at this point is yours. All yours.“Who are you!” He felt a strange draining sensation. Utter exhaustion hit him with the force of running straight into a stone wall. If he hadn’t already been sitting and chained, he would have collapsed. He sagged against the tree but kept his eyes on Adelaide.

Adelaide lifted her chin. Her eyes shone with golden light. “I am a mage!”

Regulus realized then he had never understood what it meant to be in awe. But as flames arched up behind Adelaide and unfolded into the shape of gigantic wings and blue light swirled around her feet and lifted her into the air, as a sword as big as the one he had carried as the Black Knight flashed into existence in her hands, he knew what awe felt like. It felt like his heart leaping for joy and plummeting to the ground in shock, somehow at the same time. It felt like his jaw hanging down like it had come unhinged. Like his mind struggling to comprehend what he saw. And awe felt like an overwhelming flood of pride and love as Adelaide soared toward the sorcerer, her wings of flame trailing behind her.

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ADELAIDE PULLED THEsword back over her head as she leapt, propelled by her magic and Regulus’ faith in her. Kirven’s face went white. He raised his hands, conjuring a barrier as he looked up, but he had misjudged where to place it. She passed over his barrier as she came back toward the ground. Kirven raised trembling hands. He created a shield just above his head right as she swung her sword down. The impact of the sword against the shield make a crack as loud as a thunderclap. Kirven’s shield stopped her sword from cutting into his skull but couldn’t stop her momentum. Shield and sword slammed into the top of his head. He crumpled and fell.

She landed on the ground next to Kirven’s still form. Adelaide dropped the sword, her sudden burst of energy spent, then turned from Kirven’s body toward Regulus. Regulus looked pale, but he grinned. Relief and joy bubbled up inside her as she ran to him.

“That’s myshiraa!” Regulus sounded like he was cheering for the champion at a tournament. “That’s my mage!”

She laughed and wiped a tear from the side of her nose as she dropped to her knees next to him. She hastened to remove the shackles. The moment his arms were free, he wrapped them around her and started kissing every inch of her face.

“You did it. You did it. I knew you would.”

For the first time in what felt like forever, the tears that snuck down her cheeks were tears of joy.

He pulled her close. “My mage.”

“My mercenary.” She kissed his blood-covered scar. He brushed his fingers through her hair, but then his gaze darted away from her face and his eyes turned stormy. “What?”

“Carrick.” Regulus scowled.

Oh. Right.Her heart sank. She didn’t want to deal with him right now. But she stood anyway and held her hand out. Regulus took it, and she gasped.

“Reg!” As he stood, she gripped his forearm. It was still stained rust-red from smeared, dry blood, but... “The mark...it’s gone.”

Chapter 42

“What?” Regulus pulledhis arm out of Adelaide’s hands and looked closer. She was right. No black lines traced an intricate knot on his arm. The mark was gone.

“How...what—what does that mean?” Adelaide’s voice trembled. “He...Kirven called it a lover’s bond. Why...?”

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