Cold Breath

Caia's heart was thundering in her chest so hard she thought it would shake the walls of the Sanctum down around them. Tate arrived soon after the rest of them, disheveled and out of breath. Caia squared her shoulders and ushered them all into the Sanctum and followed the faded map of the place that Alan had uncovered in an old book. It led them to the spiral staircase that led into the tunnels; they almost walked right past it because it was tucked into a shadowy corner. Caia was fairly certain there was a trick spell surrounding it; you wouldn't see the staircase at all unless you were looking specifically for it. She let Jervan lead the way from there and lagged slightly behind the others, wrestling with her nerves. She was so lost in her dark thoughts that she didn't notice Tate stop in front of her, so she slammed into his chest.

"Tate what the hell?"

"I just wanted to say thank you. In case none of us make it out of this alive."

"You're all going to make it," Caia said sharply. Tate smiled faintly. "You sure have a lot of faith in us bunch of rookies."

"Well. Maybe you're not all as useless as I originally thought." She turned serious. "Take care of them, Tate. Okay? All of them. Jervan too."

"Caia-" She cut him off by catching his face in her hands and planting the softest of kisses against his lips. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be," she murmured. Then she stepped past him and joined the others. Finding Yalara's secret chamber was unnervingly easy. There was power radiating from it; dark magic rolling down the halls from that direction like an invisible, stifling fog. Caia reached the doors first, and took a breath. "All right, here's the plan."

"I don't think I can do this," Briar said, when she finished.

"Briar, you've been strong enough to resist giving in to the ice demon's curse. You can do this, and you will," Caia said fiercely. She pulled out her black violin. "All right. Let's show this bitch what a Syrienne can really do." Caia kicked the door open and strode into the chamber with a swagger she didn't really feel. "Hello, sister dearest," she called out. Yalara stood on the dais across the room. She looked up and laughed. "Just you? I can't decide if that's arrogant or pathetic."

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you." The ice demon was still out wreaking havoc throughout the city; but Balaal was there. In human guise, he was a tall, thin man with dark glittering eyes and long, inky black hair. He smiled when he saw Caia, and in human form or not, his grin looked evil. It stretched his bony face and Caia was fairly certain he had more teeth than a normal human. "I've been waiting for you, lovely." His voice was a low, deep hiss. Caia gritted her teeth. "Yeah? Well you can't exactly dine on my soul in that body, now can you?"

He shifted restlessly and Yalara backhanded him. "You can have her when I'm done here," she snapped. Balaal's lips curled in a snarl and his eyes flared red for a moment. "Do not touch me in such a manner, you petulant whore," he spat.

"I'll touch you any way I please. You wouldn't even be here if it weren't for me."

"Trouble in paradise? I guess the honeymoon is over," Caia remarked. Yalara glared at her. "I'm going to enjoy watching you die."

"Well what are you waiting for?" Yalara snapped her fingers and figures leaped from the walls and ceiling. They were all ice creatures, although Caia sensed Balaal's shadows in the room, waiting patiently for their turn. Caia placed her bow against the strings, and began to play. It was one of the grandest displays of Syrienne magic she had ever performed. Images made of music rose from her violin strings, taking on shapes that she envisioned. Spears of music hurtled through the air, impaling ice minions.

"Cute trick," Yalara said. "I'm already bored with you." She moved her hands in a circle, chanting.

"Now!" Caia called over the music, and the chamber doors flew open. Thaddeus and Tate entered first, fire blazing between Thaddeus's palms and metal objects from all through the Sanctum whizzed past Tate, engaging in a comical battle with the ice creatures, who seemed slightly confused. The roof cracked above them, and plants began winding their way into the chamber from above. Thick vines and thorny flowers in startling shades of purple, orange and green. Dash walked into the room, calm and composed. Alan and Jervan were right on his heels, Alan with his spells and scrolls at the ready. Yalara looked surprised, then furious. Her waving and chanting grew more frantic, and then a chill swept the room. Spirits rose from the floor; lost souls of the damned.

Caia just kept playing. She spun dizzily around the room, dodging blows and creating shields and daggers out of music. The room was nearly filled to bursting with plants and ice monsters. The ice creatures had an advantage, and kept freezing the plants. But the colorful flowers were tough; they swallowed every ice being they could reach.

"Hey Flame Boy!" Caia called. "When I say when, send some of that fire this way." She played a series of notes, and slowly the shape of a dragon unfurled from her strings. It rose into the air, eyes trained on the ice creatures. They all paused, looking unsure in its presence. Caia was pleased to see that even Yalara looked taken aback. Caia nodded to Thaddeus, and he sent a jet of flame into the dragon's stomach. The dragon reared its head, then let loose a stream of melodic fire. It enveloped ice creatures, incinerating them where they stood. If looks could kill, they all would have been dead by Yalara's hand in that moment. Her eyes began to glow red, like embers were dying in the pits of her pupils. She let out an enraged shriek and ice and snow billowed around her as she raised her hands, which is exactly what Caia had been anticipating. Briar stood hidden in the corner; she had slipped into the room in the midst of the melee so Yalara wouldn't notice her. Caia caught Briar's eye as the snow filled the room. Briar looked hesitant, but she nodded.

Caia hummed a song under her breath, making the snow swirl faster and thicker. "Go to Briar now." She directed her voice to the others, carefully shielding it from Yalara. The snow storm raged on a while longer, but finally Yalara released the magic. Snow settled on the ground, blanketing the room in white. Caia could see the others, all standing where they had been before. She prayed their plan had worked. She didn't dare look in Briar's direction to check. Yalara snapped her fingers again and more ice creatures rose from the fresh fallen snow, surrounding the others.

"I'm going to save you for last, Caia." She stepped off the dais and made her way towards Caia. "It will be so satisfying to watch you suffer while your pitiful band of friends are torn apart."

"Why do you hate me so much, Yalara? Why couldn't you just be my sister?"

"Why?" Yalara laughed, loud and manic. "I was born to mages. I had no Innate magic of my own. It was bad enough being placed in the care of your famous, powerful parents. But then you came along. Talented Caia. Powerful Caia. Beautiful Caia." Yalara stalked closer to her, her fingers curled so that they were almost fists.

"They willingly took you in," Caia said. "They loved you like a daughter."

"They had you! They didn't need another daughter." Yalara's face had grown gaunt, and her teeth morphed into fangs. They cut her lips and tongue as she talked, so that her mouth filled with blood and began spilling over her lip and down her chin. Caia fought the urge to take a step back. She needed Yalara close. "They were so proud of you. Their Syrienne daughter." Yalara sneered. "They certainly wouldn't be proud of you now."

"No matter what you do, you'll never have real power of your own. It's all just stolen from someone else." Her head jerked to the side as Yalara struck her. "I have power!" she screamed. "I have respect! And soon, I'll be the most revered and feared mage the world has ever seen."

"And all it took was two demons and the power of murdered Conclave members." Caia scoffed. "You're nothing, Yalara. You were always nothing."

"I'm nothing, am I? We'll see if you still think that when I skin your precious friends alive." She gestured to her ice minions, who sprang forward. And right through their intended targets. Caia grinned. Yalara looked stunned. "That's not possible!"

Caia could see the small vial of blood around Yalara's neck. The talisman that linked her to Balaal. She reached out and tore it from Yalara's neck as a thick vine suddenly whipped forward like a snake and caught Yalara by the ankles. Caia stepped back. "Game over." She hurled the vial to the floor and smashed it beneath her boot. Yalara let out a strangled cry, her body physically jerking. All traces of demonic essence left her, leaving her pale and shaky. Caia lunged forward, palming the small blade she had had in her sleeve and ramming it into Yalara's chest. "You lose," she whispered. Yalara sank to the floor, blood puddling around her. The illusion Briar had cast to hide the others fell away then. And something heavy slammed into Caia, knocking her back across the room. Balaal.

His human image had faded completely. He was so large he almost reached the ceiling. His body was made of thorns and living shadows. All the shadows in the room converged on the two of them, swirling around them and casting Caia into a vortex of darkness. "I had just a taste of you before." Balaal's voice crawled across her skin like maggots. "I saved it, wanting to remember your scent. I keep it with me. Now I shall finally have the rest of you, lovely."

Caia turned her head, catching glimpses of the others through the swirling shadows. Briar was kneeling on the floor, the blue tint fading from her skin, the frost receding from her lips. Caia could see now that they had all sustained injuries; cuts from icicle claws, patches of frost bite. Various bruises and who knew what else from the spirits Yalara summoned. But they were alive. Jervan and Tate were both watching her with stricken faces. Caia smiled even as a solitary tear slipped from the corner of her eye and trailed down her cheek. "It's okay." The words were a mere whisper, but she used the last of her strength to make the words reach them. "It's okay. I'm not afraid."

Then she closed her eyes as her body convulsed. Balaal was tearing apart her aura, digging into her essence; preparing to rip it to shreds to expose her soul. Caia forced her eyes open, looking into the eyes of the demon. White hot pain exploded through her being, and she braced herself for the end.