Grim Echoes

Chapter 89 - Ander

Ander opened his eyes, his heart thundered in his ears with each beat. He rubbed his temples as he sat. In his urgency to return to Maeve, he had not remembered to take medication for the headache he had known would develop. His brain seemed threatened to rupture. He tried to clear the haze from his vision, but to no avail. The headache was in part residual from the shade attack, part magic usage.

With blurred eyesight, he perceived the luminous border around the room. The barrier was in place. To his left, he heard Will's light snores. Will was injured as well, more than he cared to admit. Ander turned his head and swallowed to keep from retching as intense stabbing pain tore through his skull. Will still sat upright in bed, passed out. Ander took his time and stood. It was necessary to take something so he could check Maeve again.

Once in the bathroom, he opened his toiletries bag in the dark. His vision always decent in darkness, and located his pills. He took three and stretched his jaw. His teeth vibrated with his pulse. Ander shuffled into the room and spotted a gap in the glowing line near the window. Unable to recognize the exhaustion until he laid with Maeve, from absence of sleep and the exertion of casting; he did not have the fortitude to complete the incantation and close the perimeter.

The average human did not understand how magic worked. It was concealed in secrecy or myths. The truth, it was part science, part math, part will, part perception, part desire, and part endurance. The most adept casters excelled in all those areas. From what Ander had learned, all users had one or two types of magic they mastered and were average in the rest. Ander had been a master of several but was out of practice and weak. Tonight had drained him, and he had damaged himself. Similar to when he was in medical school and overextended himself.

He swayed as he concentrated on the break in the barrier. A simple mend spell would do well enough. Not perfect, but it would hold. They needed time to recover. If the barrier was not in place, then someone had to be on watch. That was code.

With a deep breath, he peered at the tiny break and whispered the spell. The burn scorched him; he had no power left. He gritted his teeth and used his own soul to will the spell. Most casters did not believe it was achievable, and those that did feared using their soul to compel spells. Too much could go amiss. It ripped your soul and caused intense discomfort.

Historically, the only users associated with utilizing the ability were dark sorcerers, or necromancers. Ander viewed the glowing filaments extend from his fingers down to the barrier and seal the gap. He dropped to one knee and gasped for air. The agony was as he remembered. His lifestyle as a Soldier of Night had been somewhat useful in preparing him for the pain he faced using soul energy. Not the same, but it had provided him with tools to deal with it.

Exhilaration from casting washed over him, and the barrier glowed even brighter than before. The more someone used magic, the better they could perceive it, visually or otherwise. When someone spell casted, they did not necessarily interact with the same plane of existence they were located on. Ander stood with wobbly legs. He attempted to explain the concept to Will once, but Will became frustrated and told him magic was effective but evil and should be used as seldom as possible.

Ander loved and abhorred the way he felt. His body about to give out, but simultaneously foolishly powerful. The deceptive euphoria always demanded more. More was not achievable. He sat on the bed and drank the rest of his water before he found his stethoscope to check Maeve again.

"Ander? What's wrong?" Maeve sat and bit her lip, discoloration under her eyes.

The abrupt motion startled him, and without consideration he brandished his knife.

"Your nose is bleeding again and your eyes." she scratched her temple.

Ander lowered his knife, embarrassed, and placed it on the nightstand. Pleased she had not reacted to his paranoia, he snatched a tissue and wiped his nose. His brain still in a vice, but the stabbing pain had lessened.