The Spell Realm (22 page)

The first house was done.

Now Blaise had only about twenty more to go.

* * *

Several hours later, exhausted from non-stop coding, Blaise looked up to check on Gala. She was still floating there, her eyes closed. However, the storm around the village was beginning to ease, the black clouds slowly dissipating and the lightning strikes becoming less frequent.

He had no idea how she must be feeling or the amount of effort that it took to control such a powerful force of nature. She looked peaceful enough, but he was still worried about her. At this point, however, all he could do was wait for the storm to pass and for her to descend.

As he continued making progress with the stone houses, the villagers started to gather around him, watching in amazement. “Blaise, these houses of yours are like fortresses,” Ara exclaimed, walking through one of the structures. “I think they could even withstand a storm like the one we just had.”

“That’s the idea,” Blaise replied, giving her a tired smile. “Of course, you’ll still need to put up some walls inside to create multiple rooms, but at least the basic outer shell will be there. I also added a few scent markers to the outer walls of these houses, so that should hopefully keep the bearwolves and other creatures of their ilk away from Alania.”

Thinking about that reminded Blaise that he still needed to give the villagers a few spell-enhanced seeds, so they could plant some fruits and vegetables that would survive these storms. Luckily, he had a small stash of them in his house in the canyon; he’d have to remember to pick up that stash the next time he and Gala went there. He also wanted to give Liva an Interpreter Stone. That would take a while to make, but he had the materials back in the house as well.

“You’re leaving soon, aren’t you?” Esther asked quietly, coming up to him. He’d explained to her earlier about Ganir’s visit, and she knew that he and Gala couldn’t stay in the village for long.

“Yes, we have to.” Blaise hesitated for a moment. “You and Maya are staying here, right?”

Esther nodded. “We’re getting too old for traveling from one end of the mountains to another,” she said regretfully. “And I think we could be of use to these people. They don’t have any proper midwives here.”

Blaise smiled at her. “Of course, I understand.” He would miss the two women, but he didn’t want to drag them along on their travels. As it was, they had left their comfortable lives behind because of him. “I wish we could stay as well, but I’m afraid we would be putting everyone in danger by being here. If they come looking for us, we won’t go quietly, and things could get violent.”

Esther’s chin quivered. “Why won’t they just leave you alone?” she said in frustration. “It’s not like you’re hurting anyone.”

“They’re afraid,” Blaise said. “Of Gala, of the unknown.”

Esther’s lips tightened as she glanced up at the sky. “If they truly knew her, they would realize that it’s foolish,” she said vehemently. “She may be the most powerful sorceress out there, but she would never hurt anyone on purpose—especially now that she seems to know what she’s doing.”

Blaise nodded. “I know, but they won’t listen to reason—which is why we must leave.”

“When are you going to go?”

“As soon as we can,” Blaise replied, looking up at Gala’s tiny figure in the sky. “As soon as we possibly can.”

Chapter 36: Gala

Gala’s mind was at ease. She focused on her breathing and the storm for what seemed like years, but it could just as easily have been minutes—it was hard to tell in this state. Eventually, she felt her concentration ebbing, and she slowly opened her eyes.

The storm was all but gone, with just a few stray clouds remaining in the distance. Exhaling in joyous relief, she allowed her body to slowly descend.

Looking down, she was shocked to see the village transformed. There were some kind of new structures—buildings that looked like the round pebbles she had noticed all around the village, only they were gigantic, house-sized. The villagers themselves were out on the street, watching her descend.

As she got closer, she could hear them cheering and clapping. Blaise was standing there silently, an unreadable expression on his face.

When her feet touched the ground, he was already there, pulling her into his embrace. She could feel the tremors running through his body, and she realized that he had been afraid for her—that he worried about her as much as she worried about him. For a minute, he simply held her tightly, not saying a word, but then his arms loosened and he pulled back to meet her gaze. “How do you feel?” he asked quietly, looking at her. “You must be exhausted.”

“Actually, I feel wonderful,” she admitted, staring up at him. She was experiencing a strange sort of pent-up energy and excitement. She wasn’t tired; instead she felt powerful, like she could move mountains or battle another storm.

Of course, part of what she was feeling had nothing to do with the aftermath of controlling the storm and everything to do with Blaise himself.

“You don’t feel tired?” Blaise looked shocked. “You were up there for almost twenty hours.”

Gala smiled up at him. “I actually feel better than I did before.”

As Blaise stared at her in amazement, she became aware that nearly the entire village had gathered around them. Sliding her arm around Blaise’s waist, she turned to face them.

Maya and Esther were watching her with pride, while others seemed to be dumbstruck with awe. For a moment, she became aware of that strange human feeling of self-consciousness, but it quickly faded, and she beamed at them, happy to see that everyone she knew was well.

“Come, let’s go to my house,” Blaise said, looking down at her. “If you’re not tired, then I’d like to gather some of my magic supplies for our upcoming trip. Tomorrow morning we’ll return here to say our goodbyes.”

“We’re leaving already?” Gala frowned in disappointment. She felt like she was just starting to get to know the people in this village, and she didn’t want to leave. “Where are we going to go?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Blaise admitted, “but I don’t want to put anyone in danger by staying here. You heard what Ganir told me. We might’ve already overstayed our welcome.”

Gala stifled her disappointment. She knew that Blaise was right; the last thing she wanted was for anyone to get hurt because of her. Besides, there could be interesting things in the world out there, and she could feel her curiosity slowly awakening as she thought about all the wonders she had yet to see.

“All right,” she said, a smile reappearing on her face. “Then let’s go to your house.”

* * *

After checking to make sure people were settling into their new homes, they got on Blaise’s chaise and flew toward the canyon. On the way there, Blaise peppered Gala with detailed questions, trying to learn how she had been able to control the storm.

Gala struggled to explain exactly how it worked. If only she could somehow make Blaise experience it for himself . . . And then she remembered Life Capture. Perhaps with the right spell she could actually create a droplet? She tucked the idea away for later; for now, she did her best to explain how it all hinged on being calm and in control, the way he’d taught her, plus the mathematical nature of the world.

As they reached the canyon, she saw Blaise looking down at the house with a wistful expression on his face.

“You know,” she said, smiling, “wherever we end up, I can teleport the house there again.”

“That’s true.” Blaise returned her smile. “So I will only take what is absolutely necessary for our flight.”

When they landed, Gala saw that the house had survived the storm essentially undamaged. It looked like the canyon walls provided a natural shield, and she guessed that the house itself was a much sturdier structure than the villagers’ former homes.

They entered the house, and Blaise went to the archive room to gather his cards and take them to his study in preparation for their trip. In the meantime, Gala wandered from room to room, remembering her first days in this world. Now looking back, she could see how much she had changed. Although not a lot of time had passed, she felt like she was a different person from the girl who’d left this very house, stubbornly determined to see the world. She was still hungry for knowledge, but she would not let that hunger separate her from Blaise again. He meant too much to her now.

Walking into one of the bedrooms, she went to stand by the tinted window, gazing out at the night sky. It was almost a full moon, and everything appeared slightly surreal, with the light and shadows intermingling in strange and beautiful ways.

Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned and saw Blaise standing in the doorway, watching her. The moonlight reflected off the masculine features of his face, and there was an unreadable look in his eyes.

Slowly he walked over to her, and she could feel it—the magnetic pull of their connection, the way her skin warmed at his proximity. He looked at her, his eyes dark in the shadows, and then he leaned down to kiss her, his hands gently holding her shoulders.

It was both familiar and different, the feel of his lips on her own. She could feel her heartbeat accelerating, her breathing coming faster as heat surged through her. It was overwhelming, and she tried to calm her volatile emotions, fearing what might happen if she lost control.

Blaise raised his head, still holding her. “I love you, Gala,” he said softly, and she felt like she would burst from the overabundance of emotion. She wanted to tell him how she felt, and suddenly she knew of a way—a way that resembled how Life Capture droplets worked. Her mind must’ve been dwelling on this process, and now in a flash, she had it. No physical droplets would be required. Reaching out, she touched Blaise’s mind with her own, letting him feel her thoughts, her emotions.

Blaise’s eyes went wide and unseeing for a moment, but then he appeared to come back to himself. He didn’t say anything, but when he reached for her again, she felt his need, his desperation to be closer.

Without further words, Blaise picked her up and carried her to the bed. Her heart started pounding like mad. She’d read about what was going to happen, but she had no idea what it would actually be like.

Placing her on her feet, Blaise took off her clothes, his hands tender, yet impatient. She was reminded of that day when she first met him, and how the sight of her body flustered him. There was none of that now. His touch was sure and knowing, his eyes gleaming in the moonlight. Gala wanted him naked too, but she didn’t bother using her hands to undress him; a wish and a moment of focus caused all his clothes to teleport onto the floor.

They kissed and caressed each other’s bodies for what seemed like a long time, causing her desire to intensify further. By the time they joined as one, she couldn’t think of anything but the pleasure she was experiencing. It was so beautiful that she was sure some sorcery was at play. During the most intense moments, she could also feel what he felt—and she could sense that he felt her emotions. She was not in control of this magic, but she knew she was somehow responsible for it.

Suddenly, she had a flashback to before she first appeared in his lab. She was floating effortlessly, a pure mind in the Spell Realm. She remembered it clearly, and she knew that somehow, something about what was currently happening helped increase the span of her consciousness. It was as though hidden parts of her mind wanted to fully immerse themselves in this blissful experience, and as a penance, they gave up control.

As her mind expanded, with each increment, she felt her focus on the pleasure intensifying. With each increment, she thought she’d reached the limit and would not be able to feel greater ecstasy—yet each time she was proven wrong. Another part of her subconscious mind would yield, and the feeling would, unbelievably, grow stronger.

When the intensity reached an unbearable peak, she saw a vision. She saw herself and Blaise from a distance, as though she was observing them from afar. She saw the things he was doing to her, and she to him. She saw the bed floating above ground. She saw random objects take flight all around them. And then she could see a bright, blinding light form around the embracing figures. The light got brighter and brighter, but rather than being blinding, it was filling her with a sense of beauty and awe. It radiated calm, peace, and unbelievable pleasure. The brightness of the light grew and grew, until she felt like she was staring at the blinding beauty of the sun.

Then, suddenly, the light exploded as the pleasure rose to unbearable heights—and she felt her consciousness ebb, her senses overwhelmed by the experience.

Chapter 37: Barson 

Barson looked over the map of the Tower and the list of names Dara had put together. These people had been deemed useless—too stubborn or too volatile to be trusted to support Barson’s cause. They would be eliminated right away, while other sorcerers would be given a chance to surrender and align themselves with Barson and his new allies.

To double-check all the logistics, he went through the plan again with Dara and Larn. “Any questions?” Barson asked when he finished.

Dara shook her head. “No. But there is something you should know—a strange thing that I heard from one of the apprentices in the Tower.”