jump off his back before he lands on me, and I kneel at his side as his body seems to seize. His back arches and he hisses in pain.
“Vaeril—” I’m interrupted as shouts get closer. Looking around, I feel my panic start to rise. We’re going to get caught.
Think, Clarissa, think! I look back at the wall and tentatively touch it with a fingertip. When nothing happens, I place my palm against the wall and I can feel the spell weaved into the stone. Looking back at Vaeril, I see he’s stopped writhing around now and he’s sitting up, but he still looks like he’s in pain if the tightness in his jaw is anything to go by. This spell is obviously designed to repel elves, as it doesn’t affect me at all. If we are going to escape, I’ll need to break the spell.
Or leave him behind. No, as soon as the thought comes into my head, I dispel it. I’m not getting out of here without him.
“Get ready, I’m going to break the spell on the wall, but I’ll need you to catch me.”
“I’m fine, I’m ready,” he rasps, as he moves forward to stand behind me. I believe him, but his voice is still tight with pain. “That spell was strong, it would have killed a weaker elf. Be careful.”
Nodding, I take a deep breath and focus on my task. I raise both hands and press them against the wall. Closing my eyes, I focus on the spell and how it works and start to unravel it. Like before, as soon as I start the process, I can’t seem to stop, the energy being drained from me. This spell is huge, it covers the whole wall which encircles the castle grounds. I feel my body collapse, but my hands are still glued to the wall. I’ve never tried to break a spell this big before, and I can feel it mocking me as I try to break it.
You’re not strong enough, my insecurities sneer, and I worry they may be right.
“Clarissa,” Vaeril calls, but I can’t respond, all my energy is spent and my head droops. I can feel him behind me as he shuffles closer so I’m in his lap. His hands come up and rest on my arms, causing my skin to erupt in goosebumps as the little hairs on my arms stand on end. He’s touched me before, so why does this feel different?
“What can I do to help you?”
I want to reply, to tell him I don’t know, that just him being behind me with my back pressed against his chest makes me feel stronger, but I don’t have the energy.
He goes quiet for a moment, and having him this close, makes that place within me that binds us together happy, and with a strength I didn’t know I possessed, I push a little harder against the spell. A sound echoes around us like cracking glass, and the spell shatters. My body slumps, and my arms are finally released from the wall, and had Vaeril not been behind me, I would have fallen to the ground.
Shouting fills the air and I feel a strange magic surrounding us, something I’ve not felt before. Opening my eyes, I see a faint green shimmering dome surrounding us. Vaeril has one hand extended and he’s muttering in a language I assume is elvish. Something speeds towards us before bouncing harmlessly away with a sizzle, the green dome flashing brightly before becoming almost invisible.
“Clarissa, hold on tight, we have to go now.” Everything feels kind of fuzzy and it’s like I’m listening to him underwater, but I can hear the urgency in his voice. Flashes of green against the almost invisible dome keep catching my attention as my fatigue threatens to pull me into unconsciousness.
“Clarissa!” Vaeril barks, drawing my attention back to him. He kneels again and gestures for me to climb onto his back. Every movement hurts, and I groan at the thought.
So tired. Even my thoughts are sluggish.
“I know, Clarissa, I know. I just need you to do this one thing for me and then you can rest. I promise.” His voice is strained, and I wonder if I had spoken out loud without realising it.
“Beloved, you must go.” The soothing voice of the Mother floods my mind, filling my body with healing light that seems to fuel my aching limbs.
Suddenly, it’s like a veil has been lifted and the world is running in full speed