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49. Last Kiss
It felt like their last kiss. Shared as the Keep shook beneath their feet. Desperate and painful, it was the silent forgiveness for all of the terrible things they'd done in the last few days. As the howl rose around them, full of rage, joy, pain, and celebration, Kalush clung to Aaron's arm. Both of them slid to the ground, arms tight around the other.
They felt the wave of power. It built and rose from the Keep itself and washed outward with shocking speed. Akin to an electrical current, even behind the great shield that surrounded the Keep she felt her own Jewels drained, and her own energy fading. Her senses were scrambled; it was all she could do to cling to Aaron and hear the sounds of her friends around her.
Why did they all seem so far away, as if yelling from deep within a chasm in the earth?
It was all over much quicker than Kalush could ever have imagined. The backlash came back upon the Keep and bypassed the coven and boyos with little damage. No, it was headed back into...
Eyes wide, she tried to force herself to her feet, to run to Jaenelle, but she was amazingly weak. Her limbs were heavy, her head was swimming, and she felt as if she'd just fought a war all by herself. Her body ached.
Aaron didn't appear to be any better off. None of the coven did, she realized as she took in the room. She shoved away those thoughts, somehow the thought of Jaenelle simply disolving from her mind as concern for Karla and Morghann filled her mind. Karla was still recovering from the poisoning and Morghann was pregnant. She crawled to where both women were laid out on the floor, Tersa fussing idly until her hands simply fell to her sides.
"The Queen has gone."
Kaluash didn't hear her. If it was because she didn't want to or because she was too occupied, she didn't hear the words that Tersa whispered as she helped Karla to sit up. Khardeen appeared behind her and saw to his wife, helping her to slowly sit up against him.
They were all alright it was found a few minutes later. Every one of the coven had come through the witchstorm with no real injury. Sabrina had fallen and cut open her forehead, but Gabrielle felt well enough to whip up a salve and wrap it. That was it.
The First Circle was fine.
The relief was tangible. As she clung to her child and her husband, Kalush saw great things rise before them. The future... without the Taint of Dorothea and Hekatah. A future for her, Aaron, and their daughter.
It felt like their last kiss. Shared as the Keep shook beneath their feet. Desperate and painful, it was the silent forgiveness for all of the terrible things they'd done in the last few days. As the howl rose around them, full of rage, joy, pain, and celebration, Kalush clung to Aaron's arm. Both of them slid to the ground, arms tight around the other.
They felt the wave of power. It built and rose from the Keep itself and washed outward with shocking speed. Akin to an electrical current, even behind the great shield that surrounded the Keep she felt her own Jewels drained, and her own energy fading. Her senses were scrambled; it was all she could do to cling to Aaron and hear the sounds of her friends around her.
Why did they all seem so far away, as if yelling from deep within a chasm in the earth?
It was all over much quicker than Kalush could ever have imagined. The backlash came back upon the Keep and bypassed the coven and boyos with little damage. No, it was headed back into...
Eyes wide, she tried to force herself to her feet, to run to Jaenelle, but she was amazingly weak. Her limbs were heavy, her head was swimming, and she felt as if she'd just fought a war all by herself. Her body ached.
Aaron didn't appear to be any better off. None of the coven did, she realized as she took in the room. She shoved away those thoughts, somehow the thought of Jaenelle simply disolving from her mind as concern for Karla and Morghann filled her mind. Karla was still recovering from the poisoning and Morghann was pregnant. She crawled to where both women were laid out on the floor, Tersa fussing idly until her hands simply fell to her sides.
"The Queen has gone."
Kaluash didn't hear her. If it was because she didn't want to or because she was too occupied, she didn't hear the words that Tersa whispered as she helped Karla to sit up. Khardeen appeared behind her and saw to his wife, helping her to slowly sit up against him.
They were all alright it was found a few minutes later. Every one of the coven had come through the witchstorm with no real injury. Sabrina had fallen and cut open her forehead, but Gabrielle felt well enough to whip up a salve and wrap it. That was it.
The First Circle was fine.
The relief was tangible. As she clung to her child and her husband, Kalush saw great things rise before them. The future... without the Taint of Dorothea and Hekatah. A future for her, Aaron, and their daughter.