Page 15 of Bound By Honey

The ground rose, shattering the thorny vine and filling in the gap, instantly covering it in a thick sheet of ice once again.

It was becoming clear that the Charming Four and the dark mages were evenly matched. The fight raged on, and neither side seemed to be gaining an advantage. Sage could see the looks of determination on both sides and found herself holding her breath.

Asher seemed to be controlling the earth beneath him, moving it to trip their enemies or shield himself from their attacks. Seeing an opening, Colby used his powers to create another thick ice vine, which lashed out at one of the dark mages, shattering his shield and causing him to drop to his knees.

As the battle continued, the Charming Four started to gain an edge. The four mages worked together seamlessly, using their talents to counter and outmaneuver the dark guild members.

She started to suspect that when the group was tucking within their mound and were unable to see, Sawyer was directing the group. Small changes in the ice below his feet always happened just before they attacked, almost as if he was sending and receiving signals from his ice that covered the arena. There were only slight changes. Sometimes the ice became clouded, others it looked as if a reflection of light flashed across the surface, but it always happened just before the guild made a move. Sage had to admit, they were impressive in a fight.

With a roar, Colby sent a blast of wind and ice at one of the dark mages, knocking him to the ground.

Prince Finn took this opportunity to launch a firewall at another enemy, while Sawyer used his earth magic to create a wall of spikes and trap a third dark mage.

They worked together to systematically destroy their opponents, turning the tide and leaving the dark mages reeling.

As the crowd's energy shifted, her excitement grew, knowing it was only a matter of time before the Charming Four defeated the dark mages. She cheered along with the rest of the crowd, urging the Charming Four to victory.

The two female dark mages leaped into the air and fired black smoke at the Charming Four.

Sawyer threw a dome of ice over them to block it, but it was too late. The smoke expanded within the enclosed space.

It was pitch black.

No one in the crowd could see anything.

The light from Prince Finn's flames suddenly filled the dome, instantly melting the ice and evaporating the black magic. Fire rolled over the mound and filled the arena before disappearing.

Shock seemed to fill the room, everyone sitting in silence, before the crowd erupted into cheers.

Every member of the dark guild lay on the ground unconscious.

When Sage looked at the Charming Four her excitement at their victory was dampened. Prince Finn was unconscious and Asher and Sawyer were carrying him out of the arena.

Freddy nudged her. "Let's go. I need to help them."

Sage followed Freddy down some stairs, leading them to a set of hallways. They entered a room and Sage closed the door behind them. Prince Finn lie on a bed with the rest of his team surrounding him.

"He hasn't woken up?" Freddy asked as he hurried to check Prince Finn.

"Not yet," Asher said, glancing from Freddy to Sage."What's wrong with him?" Sage asked, worry etched into her voice.

"He overexerted himself casting that last spell," Freddy replied, gently prodding at Finn's arm. "He needs to rest and heal for a few days before he's back to full strength."

Freddy's eyes held concern because he understood the consequences of that kind of action better than most.

She looked around the room, watching as Sawyer and Asher carefully tended to the cut on Finn’s cheek. Colby was standing by the door, his brow furrowed in worry.

"How can we help him?" Sage asked.

"This is probably hard for you to understand,” Freddie said, looking over at Sage, "but you must trust us. You can't do anything to help him. All you can do is wait."

Sage hesitated for a second. As much as she found Finn to be a pain in her side, she didn't like seeing anyone hurt. She wasn't sure she could accept that.

"I'm going to get something to help replenish Prince Finn," Freddy said as he motioned for Asher to follow him.

Sage was left alone with Sawyer and Colby, who watched her while they waited for the other two to return. Both looked worn and tired with dark rings under their eyes. Much of Sawyer's red hair had escaped from the tie that had held it back during the fight while Colby’s cropped blond hair was slick with sweat. While their appearances were disheveled, there were no physical wounds that Sage could see which would need tending. Choosing to ignore them, she moved over to Prince Finn's side to take a closer look. For the most part, he looked to be peacefully sleeping, but she noticed his fingernails appeared slightly grey.

She held out her hands in front of her to compare. There was definitely a slight difference.

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