Chapter 112 We Fall Together
The second night was always harder than the first. The city’s old clock tower broke the sunset into pink and red pieces, painting the training grounds with a harsh light. Daisy walked the edge, counting heads, watching the magic lines in the stone, and trying to ignore the ache behind her eyes. The council was caught in a dilemma, weighing whether to bolster the city’s defenses with untested blood magic or to opt for a more conventional approach that might not suffice against the impending threat. This decision hung over her like a shadow, its potential to seal the city’s fate weighing heavily on her mind.
Samuel read the roster, his voice rough. Half the recruits were new and untested; the others were survivors from yesterday, already bandaged but still eager to prove themselves. As Samuel called out names, a recruit stumbled forward for roll call, drawing nervous laughter from the others. Nearby, more seasoned veterans, their bandages visible, chuckled, sharing a knowing look. In the courtyard, Delia practiced healing drills, her white mist swirling around two apprentices with the same hand injuries. Oliver moved quickly between groups, showing them how to misdirect and escape. Sometimes, Daisy noticed him glancing her way, his crooked smile trying to hide his worry.
Daisy’s headache grew worse with every hour. By dusk, she felt the blood magic pulsing under her skin, wild in her veins and nerves. Each time she moved her fingers, small sparks jumped between them, a dangerous sign of the magic’s toll on her body. The rules of blood magic were both its strength and its curse: it demanded sacrifice from its wielder, relying on the user’s own vitality to fuel powerful spells. Yet the teachings warned of overuse; tapping too deeply could unravel one’s very essence, leading to madness or death. She ignored Samuel’s worried looks and tried not to see the new black mark spreading along her left temple. She needed to get this right. She had to prove Eleanora wrong.
Xeris watched her from the edge of the training circle. He wore a militia uniform with the sleeves rolled up, showing his strong arms, but he stood too still to seem human. Sewn onto his chest was a frayed insignia, nearly lost to time, that Daisy remembered stitching for him when they fought side by side in the early days. When Daisy called a break, he walked over to her in three quick steps, his boots crunching on the ground.
“You’re burning out,” he said, voice pitched low.
“I’m fine,” Daisy lied, wiping sweat from her brow. She could feel the fever building, the veins at her wrist raised and throbbing.
Xeris’s eyes caught the last of the sunlight, turning them molten. “You’re pushing past the bond’s limits. If you snap—”
“Someone has to,” Daisy said, too fast. She regretted it immediately. The council’s gamble had become her burden to bear. When the council deliberated on the risky decision to use blood magic, Daisy volunteered to lead the charge, believing her unique connection with the magic made her the best candidate. It was her suggestion to harness an untested form of magic, a decision driven by her desire to protect the city at any cost. Now, the city’s hope, such as it was, lived or died by her ability to do what no one else ever had.
He didn’t argue. Instead, he reached out and brushed his fingers along her face, where the black vein spread across her skin. His touch was gentle but full of energy, like the air before a summer storm. The coolness of his fingertips against her fevered skin sent a shiver down her spine, contrasting sharply with the heat pulsing through her veins. The metallic scent of the approaching dusk mixed with the earthy warmth of his presence, creating a moment that lingered in the air around them.
“You’re not alone,” he said, softer now. “Let me take some of it.”
She shook her head. “It doesn’t work like that.”
He smiled, lips barely curling. “Everything works like that.”
For a moment, Daisy let herself lean closer. She allowed herself to believe in the comfort he offered. Her breath came in shallow, uneven bursts. She breathed in his scent: fire, iron, a hint of something old, wild. Her heart beat hard, then stuttered, struggling to find a steady rhythm.
Behind them, Oliver laughed, the sound sharp. Daisy pulled away, but not before Xeris whispered, “Careful. He’s jealous.”
She snorted, the spell broken. “Of you, or of the magic?”
Xeris shrugged. “Does it matter?”
She thought maybe it did.
That night’s lesson was a test. Daisy wanted to see if they could link the blood mages and create a shield stronger than any one person. She gathered the strongest from each group: Delia, Oliver, and a river guild girl named Rowan, and had them stand in a circle. Each made a cut for blood, then let Daisy connect them, sending power from her palm to theirs. As the connection formed, Daisy felt a tingling warmth spreading from her fingers, like an electric current. The sensation was both soothing and intense, as if their individual energies were weaving together into a single, pulsing entity. The air around them seemed to hum, resonating with an almost musical vibration as the bond strengthened.
For a few seconds, it worked. The air seemed to vibrate, a low ringing in everyone’s chest. Daisy felt the magic move from her into the others and back, stronger each time. The shield formed above them, a golden dome humming with energy.
Then something went wrong. Daisy felt a sharp pain behind her eye, intensifying into a thunderous roar that filled her head. The shield shook as the magic turned back on her, hitting her chest and then her head. She gasped, the coppery taste of blood coating her tongue. Darkness closed in, her knees buckled, and consciousness slipped away, plunging her into a disorienting vision.
She fell hard. The last thing she heard was Samuel calling her name. Then she only heard the sound of glass breaking again and again, far away.