Page 14 of A Bolt of Magic

“Lie down.” He looks up, and I follow his gaze. We don’t have much time. The sun is almost completely covered. The sky is darkening more and more by the second.

I do as Alaric instructs, lying on my side.

He takes the amulet, pulling it as far from my body as possible. My neck feels exposed. The cobblestones feel hard against my side. I glance up, and the hammer in his hand looks impossibly big. It’s well-used, just like his hands.

“I am an excellent marksman,” he tells me. “Breathe, relax. I won’t hurt you. Just make sure you don’t move so much as a muscle, and you’ll be fine.” He gives me a half smile. It’s tight, showing his nerves.

I swallow thickly. “O-okay.”

The shadows lengthen as the moon continues its path across the sun, casting an eerie darkness over the courtyard. Alaric’s hands are steady as he positions the hammer above the amulet around my neck. I can feel the cool touch of the chain against my skin, a stark contrast to the heat of anticipation swirling inside me.

Please let this work.

“Ready?” Alaric’s voice is surprisingly calm.

I nod, unable to form words, as I steel myself for what is to come.

As the moon fully covers the sun, a surge of magic is loosed. My skin tightens. Goose bumps break out on my arms, and all over my body. Prickles run up and down my spine. The surge hits, and I have to do everything in my power to keep from moving.

With a swift motion, Alaric brings the hammer down on the amulet. There is a great clang as metal hits stone, breaking through the gold. The impact sends a shockwave through me, a rush of magic colliding with my senses. It feels like lightning coursing through my veins. The pain is sharp, but thankfully, it is over quickly.

I bite down on my lip, fighting back a scream as the chain snaps and the amulet falls away from my neck. For a moment, everything is silent. The world seems to hold its breath.

I fill my lungs, my body buzzing. I’m free. I look up at Alaric, and he looks down at me.

It worked!

He was right.

I start to smile just as he falls to his knees, his eyes wide and startled.

“Alaric!” I yell, moving to a sitting position.

He gasps and falls into a crumpled heap on the ground. His eyes are wide and unseeing.

I smell magic in the air. I taste it, too. It’s thick and metallic.

I crawl to Alaric’s side. There is a faint shimmer around his body. When I turn him onto his back, I notice a black singe mark on his tunic over his chest where the bolt of defensive magic must have hit him.

No!

No! No! No!

“Alaric, stay with me,” I plead, my hands trembling as I reach out to touch him. His skin feels icy cold under my fingertips. Panic rises in my chest as I realize he’s not responding.

I don’t think he’s breathing.

I put my ear above his mouth. I don’t hear or feel anything. I press my palms against his chest, feeling for any sign of life.

But there is no beat.

His heart is quite still. His skin is ashen.

No! No! No! No!

Desperation grips me. I have to save him. That was the deal.

I can do it.

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