Art: "The Black Garnet" by ShadowReader29

Power is morally neutral. But there are some forms that should not be tinkered with.

❂❂❂

Early the next month, Shadow Weaver herself attacked Bel Delvala. Micah raced through mirror after mirror to get to the scene of the battle, the pressure causing soreness in his muscles.

Micah had been shot with a gun once, when he was thirteen. In retrospect, the shock had been worse than the actual wound. The metal-spitters – a rare, prized weapon in the Horde – shot bullets at blinding speed, far too fast to deflect with kinesis magic.

With a levitation-induced jump, he leaped to the top of the Delvala historium, looking for Shadow Weaver. He had to be careful – levitation burned a good deal of magic, and could easily tire a person out before the fight even started.

It's best to draw her to me, he realized, looking down at the wreckage. Blood made the cobblestones slick, and the contrast of dark crimson against the vanilla-pale skin of the Delvalians made him ill. But this was war. Even if Micah would rather bind up the wounded – or better yet, have this never happen to begin with – he was a general.

Soon, he would be a king.

Micah leaped off the building as a soldier leveled a gun at a woman with dark brown curls; her pointed ears quivered, and her veil was off, showing her panicked expression as tears streamed down her face.

No more. Micah pushed the gun away hard, and it clattered against the wall. He couldn't fight the man himself with magic, not without risking a toss against the wall, but he did have a weapon. Summoning his sorcerer's staff, Micah slammed the butt into the soldier's chest before he could react.

Micah took the gun; he wouldn't use such a weapon, but he couldn't let the Horde get ahold of it – such immediate power to end someone's life was inherently immoral. But just as Micah was about to pocket it, a hard push rammed into his chest.

Micah collided with the wall; Shadow Weaver stood at the top of another building, looking down at him with a mocking expression. The Horde's second jumped down, silently gloating over the situation. How can I engage her? Micah wondered. If he lunged at her, she would simply teleport away. What could he do?

He frowned. Light Spinner played dead when Illuras was attacked, but he had no visible wounds to testify to that idea. But maybe, if he acted wounded...

Shadow Weaver walked toward him, boots striding across the crimson cobblestones. The smell of blood and death choked Micah's nose. What was her vendetta here? What would Delvala hold for the Horde?

Micah sucked in deep breaths through his mouth, trying to drown out the metallic odor of blood. Shadow Weaver leveled her gun; one shot, and she could murder him then and there. Micah felt as though he was thirteen again, wallowing in blood not his own. They would die because he hadn't been strong enough to save them.

And once again, he was at the mercy of a dark sorceress.

He gritted his teeth, but Shadow Weaver lowered her gun, watching him struggle into a sitting position. As he clenched his fists, anger sprouted in Micah's chest. Rage that he didn't understand.

I will not be helpless again.

Then he propelled himself forward into her.

✧✧✧

Shadow Weaver let out a grunt as Micah slammed her into a wall, hard. Her head smacked into the brick; the gun slipped through her fingers. She hadn't planned to use it against him. But now, her foe had the upper hand.

As she struggled to regain her bearings, Micah pressed his staff against her neck, trapping her. Shadow Weaver tried to teleport, but her nerves were too high. She couldn't envision the destination in her mind, not with Micah's weapon able to choke her with just a bit more pressing...

Micah got too close to her, and she thrust her knee into his gut. He dropped to the ground, sucking in a massive breath and dropping the staff, which disappeared as soon as it left his fingers. A shame – Shadow Weaver had seen the weapon in action. She'd been curious about what spells he'd charmed it with.

Micah glared up at her. "Why are you attacking these people?" he gasped. "They're innocent!"

No one is innocent in war, sweet Micah, she thought. Not even you.

Lifting him up by the collar, Shadow Weaver burned kinesis magic and swung her fist. She didn't enjoy hurting him, not really. But she had to. It was the only way that she could protect him, to train him for the day she would become an animal.

But deep down, she knew that wasn't the only reason.

Micah dodged her punch, but her claws grazed his cheek, leaving three trails of red. Backing up, Shadow Weaver pulled out her staff. Enough of these petty games; it was time for a real fight.

Micah summoned his own sorcerer's staff, accepting the challenge with a tired smile. They circled one another in the town square, Shadow Weaver barely hearing the cries of the soldiers as Rebellion and Horde dueled around them. It was time for their rematch – the one she hadn't gotten before.

Micah struck first, and she blocked, levitating to his other side. Shadow Weaver barely had time to react before Micah attacked again, and she parried, red electricity sizzling off her pole. A single charge struck Micah's hand, and he cried out.

Shadow Weaver had a mission to do; this attack was simply a warning. In his moment of distraction, she stuck her pole behind his and yanked it from his hands. Then she struck her spear across his chest. Micah fell backward, the Black Garnet's power singeing his clothes and popping off the fabric. Smoke filled Shadow Weaver's nose.

Micah scowled as he stared up at her. Then he cast a kinesis spell and squeezed. Shadow Weaver felt her ribs pushing into her body further...further...

Snap.

She heard the sound before she felt the pain. A sob ushered itself from Shadow Weaver's mouth, and she fell to her knees, clutching her chest. Every breath felt like torture. Bones stabbed her when she breathed. Pain, pain, pain.

She could barely stay upright, and burning magic was her only comfort. Tears came to her eyes. Cracked...ribs...

Teleport. Moons, please teleport. Shadow Weaver's magic was low; the Spell sucked more power than usual when she was injured. Glaring at Micah, a twisted mix of hurt and anger sprouted within her.

Shadow Weaver inhaled, trying to gain clarity. And it worked. She teleported away from the fight, her destination unknown. Only agony remained.

✧✧✧

The Rebellion flag snapped in the wind over Bel Delvala's town hall. Micah's forces won, and he had sent Shadow Weaver away limping. He rose and accompanied his soldiers; they had stripped the Horde forces of their armor and were leading them to the carriages to be taken to Dryl for interrogation.

Micah, exhausted, opened a communication channel with Nell. The older man's face appeared on screen, and when he saw Micah, one of his pointed ears twitched. "Mike, what happened to you?"

"Shadow Weaver," Micah gasped, breathless. "Please, Nell, we need your help. We won, but only barely."

Nell bit his lip. "I'm coming, Micah. Do you need any help?"

Micah shook his head. "No. Shadow Weaver was the only one who got injured – I cracked a couple ribs."

Nell's mouth dropped open. "How'd you get close enough?"

"I didn't," Micah said, his voice numb. "I...I used magic." He didn't know how to feel. It had come in a moment of anger, of determination that he would not end up like Light Spinner. That he could use his power for good. That he wasn't doomed to repeat her mistakes.

Nell breathed out, running a hand through his hair. "We're on our way," he said. "I'll get you back to Illuras."

"Actually," Micah said, "If Princess Talyn is going back to Dryl soon, I think I'll accompany her. I have soldiers to interrogate."

"Then you'd better make it back quickly," Nell said, gesturing to his apprentices as he spoke. "She's headed back tomorrow."

Micah nodded. "Alright. I'll see you then."

❂❂❂

Did you know...

- I debated making this chapter a bit more emotional, since Shadow Weaver is...y'know...kind of blowing her home up. However, I decided she probably would want to erase the memories she had there, especially considering the horrific trauma she endured while there with Micah in the previous book, Alura.

- I hope I'm doing a good job setting up Micah's character conflict. I'm doing it through several means in this first part of the book because I want to clearly explore and establish it, since it's super multifaceted, before attempting to resolve it.

Tell me what you think...

- How would Micah's reactions differ if he knew the truth about who Shadow Weaver was?