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“It’s true–” Caspyn began from behind, his cloak rippling as the guards pulled him back. I knew he was reaching for those blades, which I was sure would help any other time. But not now, not with her. I tried to gesture to him to stop, but I wasn’t sure he saw, or even had any idea what I was trying to say.
“I highly doubt that,” the queen’s eyes widened, her focus darting from side to side as more of the guards closed in. “He’s a murderer, Elara. Don’t let your childish mind?—”
“I’m not a child! I know what I saw.” I stepped closer to him, even as the guards closed in, their swords drawn. The forest was littered with people now, with guards, with all of the Lords and Ladies from their tents, and with the pilgrims who had clearly followed the noise. That same woman from before stood in between the trees, tears slowly falling down her face as she watched, a blonde man who was absolutely covered in tattoos standing beside her, his hand on her shoulder.
“I’m not a fool!” I yelled louder as I stepped closer to him, closer to that bright pull of him that I had felt before. Light and hope. “I never have been a fool.. He saved me. He’s…”
I didn’t know what else to say as I stepped into Caspyn, my back pressing against his chest and everything erupted in light again.
Bright golden beams went everywhere, somehow brighter than they were the first time, they rippled over everything. The trees turned gold, the sky illuminated as that bright energy swelled through me again and exploded in a wave of power. The guards were thrown back with a shout, swords dropping to the ground as they fell. The queen’s eyes went wide in what I could only explain as true horror.
She mouthed something I couldn’t make out as I turned to Caspyn, facing each other in the glow of the light that came from the two of us. The guards were still finding their feet as I said the only thing that made sense, the only thing I could think of that would save him.
That would save us both.
“He’s my Catalyst.”
Chapter 50
Caspyn
Her Catalyst.
I nearly laughed at that, but bit my tongue before I did something I regretted.
I may have thought myself a Catalyst at one point in my life, but that was lifetimes ago.
The muscles in my back that had been taught since the moment I left those red pack wagons tensed more as the queen stepped closer, looking me up and down even as everyone mumbled and questioned and looked between Elara and I in disbelief.
“Her Catalyst,” The queen scoffed, she clearly didn't believe it either. Then again, she knew exactly what I was, and if I had to guess she knew exactly what I was capable of.
It was no wonder she was looking at me as though I was something she would like to eat, like I was something she would like to cage and play with.
My magic buzzed over my core again, that feeling of light that emanated from Elara burning right after it. That light was pulling me forward, right to her, right to her end.
Princess Elara, who had magic on her own, powerful magic of every kind. According to the stories I knew she also had a Catalyst, an odd Catalyst that she found later. I had heard it a hundred times, and now I stood in the middle of it.
Her Catalyst… it was me. No wonder the stories I was raised with portrayed Elara’s Catalyst as odd, I wasn’t a Catalyst at all.
But if it would end Dalyah, I would be whatever I needed to be.
“Yes, I am her Catalyst,” I raised my voice, letting the sound carry over everything as I stared into the icy glare of the queen.
“Well, then. Let us celebrate this moment, even in light of such a tragedy.” Queen Dalyah’s sneer turned from me to Elara as she stepped to the remains of one of the attackers, her dainty toe kicking the head towards the tangled mess of its torso. It rolled end over end, Elara tensing as the shroud of black fabric that covered his face fell away, revealing a face with a strong jaw and inky eyes that looked into nothing. Eyes like pitch; the same color as the guards she had sent to attack me in the camp. The same color of Vaelar when I had first encountered him. If everything else about the man hadn’t been so starkly different I would have thought it was him.
But those eyes…
“The Boy,” Dalyah mused, her feigned sadness apparent as she turned to Elara, her body still stiff as her hands gripped her skirt in tight little fists. I wanted to remind her that it wasn’t him, tell her that I knew where he was.
“He… he…” Her voice cracked as she stood there, heaving until that strength I had seen in her before returned in a rush and she lifted her chin to face her mother. “He was not loyal.”
Elara was firm, strong, but Dalyah still looked at her as though she was toying with her food. It was clear they had both played this game before.
“So, it seems. I suppose he wasn’t much of a guard after all,” The queen kicked the head again, sending it rolling into the gaping line of the broken ground after the others before she turned, her eyes darting right back to me.
She wasn’t a fool, she knew exactly what magic had caused that crack in the world. Thanks to the events of the last few days she now knew exactly what magic I carried now. There would be no surprise, at least not from me.
“As her Catalyst, I can take the place of her guard. I can face whatever comes for her.” Including you. I was firm as I faced the queen, making sure she read my hidden meaning. She only licked her lips again.
