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She holds her blade high in the air, heart racing as the thing possessing Callum simply laughs at her. This is the third time she’s pinned or cornered him and still…
She can’t do it.
Callum’s words echo in her ears.
“I need you to kill me.”
On more than one occasion he’s approached her about it. About this possibility. She’s tried to tell him she won’t on each occasion. That she can’t. First with jokes, then serious and logical… finally pleading.
How could he ever think she could kill him?
And Aaravos knows it, which is why he laughs. He’s so much more powerful than her and she knows he’s been letting her get the upper hand purely to delight in her repeated failures.
Seeing her lose her resolve once again, he flicks Callum’s head ever so slightly and a sudden force knocks her off him and clear across the cave. She cries out as she connects hard with a rock, a sudden blinding pain in her lower leg making her see stars for a moment.
Lazily, he gets to his feet, strolling over to where she lies prone on the rough floor, clutching her throbbing leg. She tries to get to her feet, but the pain in her leg makes her cry out and she has to content herself with glaring up at him.
“Assuming we’ve finally resolved that pesky problem, there’s the small issue of the Cube.” The thing in Callum’s body crouches down beside her, a smirk on his lips, but his glowing eyes are menacing. “Where did your pet take it?”
Rayla glares at him, grateful Stella escaped at least. “I don’t know where she took it, but even if I did I wouldn’t tell you.” She swallows, trying to look defiant. “You may as well just kill me and get it over with.”
Not-Callum sneers, looking irritated for a moment before the smug look returns. “Oh, I would. If you had no use to me you would already be dead, believe me.”
She does.
He sighs in a mock dramatic fashion, getting to his feet. “Alas… he would not take that well, I think.”
Rayla’s breath catches in her throat. What does Aaravos mean? She knows from their conversations that Callum was aware when Aaravos first possessed him. Trapped and unable to resist while Aaravos used his body as he saw fit. What difference would it make how Callum would take Aaravos killing her? Is it possible to resist the control? Or could she rescue him?
Is there still a chance for Callum?
“He still loves you, you know.”
Hearing this from Callum’s body but not from his voice makes her heart ache in her chest, but she tries all she can to disguise her pain.
“I’m aware he didn’t tell you. He mourns the lost opportunity now.” It smirks. “Does it bother you to hear? Knowing you’ve lost him? That he’s mine now.”
She looks away, hoping It cannot see her tears. “Nothing you say will upset me.”
“Oh, I doubt that.” He laughs smugly. “You wouldn’t be upset to hear how your abandoning him broke him? Broke something inside him. How he spent days unable to get up, to get out of bed. How he only forced himself to do so for his little brother. And then you just came waltzing back… like he meant nothing to you.”
“He means everything to me!” She snaps instinctively.
He smirks at her in a way Callum would never smirk at her. Arrogant and sneering. Aaravos knows exactly how to play her. She can see his clear delight in tormenting her, using her anguish to poke holes in her resolve.
She looks away again.
She’s not sure how much time has passed inside this cave. There’s no moon, no sun. It feels like she has been in here forever.
“You can have him back, you know?”Aaravos purrs, watching her always. “Them too… your family, trapped in those coins.” He nods at her hip, to the precise location where she has the coins concealed under her tunic. “You can have it all.”
“As if I’d trust you.” She looks away from him, not willing to listen to this.
Aaravos laughs, the sound deep and mocking and so very unlike Callum, making the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. “I don’t lie, Rayla.”
Her stomach turns at the sound of her name coming from him.
“I never lie.” He insists.
She swallows, blinking back tears. She’d give almost anything to have him back. Her parents too. But would she give the world? “He’d hate me for it.”
“He can’t hate you if he’s dead.”
She closes her eyes, breath catching at the mere idea. He won’t kill Callum though. He needs him too much.
Or so she hopes at least.
He sighs heavily, getting to his feet. “This is becoming tiresome.”
Rayla swallows past the lump in her throat, trying to control her breathing as panic once again begins to rise. She can see he’s lost patience with her and despite herself she’s terrified of what that means now. While she’s glad she honestly does not know where Stella has gone with the Cube Aaravos wants so desperately, she has no doubt he remains convinced she has some idea of how he can get it back.
She knows this will be painful. Terrifying. Aaravos won’t finish her quickly.
“Where is the Cube?” Aaravos in Callum’s body raises his right hand, holding it steady as he glares at her.
She doesn’t want to face her end sitting prone on this hard cave floor but the pain in her leg is too much for her to push past. And she wants to glare at him, to appear defiant in the face of her imminent demise but she finds she can only look at him for a moment before she has to look away.
She cannot bear to see Callum look at her like he is, even if it’s not him. She doesn’t want his glowing eyes to be the last thing she sees.
“Tell me.” Aaravos commands, drawing a rune in the space between them.
It melts into the air and Rayla squeezes her eyes shut and braces herself for pain… and is then surprised when nothing seems to happen. Looking around, she cannot help but look at Aaravos, confused. For a brief moment she dares to hope Callum has regained control but no, his eyes are still shining and Aaravos is smirking at her, looking incredibly pleased with himself.
She looks around in confusion, trying to figure out what is going on when she notices something hanging in the air just under her chin. Tentatively, she touches it, starting when her fingers pass through it, coming away damp.
Some kind of water spell? What was he doing?
Her confusion must be obvious, because Aaravos steps a little closer, chuckling softly to himself.
The water continues to accumulate, moving closer to her body and quickly touching her neck. She reaches for it again, realising it’s surrounding her entire head and continuing to accumulate. It rises up her throat and she gasps as it touches her jaw.
“I could simply remove the air around you. Suffocate you like that.” Aaravos sounds almost bored as he says this. Her eyes flicker to his again, noting the self-satisfied turn to his lips. “But Callum tells me this will be worse for you.”
Despite herself, Rayla feels her heart quicken in her chest, panic making her pulse race. Panic she is unable to hide from Aaravos. The water covers her mouth and she tilts her head in an attempt to keep her nose free. She takes one last breath as the water covers her nose. Desperately, she claws at the bubble of water surrounding her head but it is futile. It finally covers her eyes and the world becomes a suffocating blur. The liquid is held around her skull by some wicked spell, clawing at it, whipping her head around, nothing dispels it.
Her body screams for air as the edge of her vision goes black and she cannot think of anything but the all encompassing terror of dying like this…
And suddenly, the water splashes over her, leaving her gasping for air on her hands and knees. She sobs, not caring what Aaravos thinks of her in that moment. Not caring about anything but breathing and being free.
Aaravos steps forward and she can just see Callum’s boots before her. A moment later, he crouches down, and a hand touches her gently by the chin. Soft, almost like a lover’s caress. She doesn’t have the strength of will to resist, allowing him to tilt up her head, every part of her wishing it is Callum’s soft green eyes that meet hers.
Instead Aaravos smiles evilly at her. “There, there.” He mocks, wiping her cheek with Callum’s thumb. “Tell me where the Cube is or there will be more of that.”
She sobs, pulling her head back as she continues to struggle to breathe.
She’s lost count of how many times she’s been through this. More than once she tried to inhale the be-spelled water and end it once and for all but she always wakes up after.
In this damn cave.
With him.
He questions her again and again, growing more angry and impatient each time, just before he draws the rune once more.
There’s a change this time but her vision swims inside the water bubble and she can’t make it out. She can hear muffled noises, bright lights. A sudden blast of heat.
And then the bubble collapses and she goes with it, smacking her head against the cave floor before she can catch herself. She is still disorientated as she lies panting on the rough rock but she can hear screaming.
Terrible screaming. Deep and angry… Aaravos but there’s another voice echoing along with it.
Callum
He sounds terrified and in pain. Agony.
Weak and breathless, she pushes herself up and looks around. She can barely take in what she’s seeing, her oxygen deprived brain dull and slow. Amaya and Janai first. Ezran, Soren and Zym behind them.
And another elf. A male Sunfire mage, if the staff is anything to go by. She blinks as she looks at it, the staff appearing familiar. The Sunforge Staff? It looks different though, not black and corrupt like when Claudia had it in her possession.
Bright and burning now.
Directed at Callum…
She turns to look at him, gasping to find him on his knees, a hand clutched at his chest while the other is out stretched, reaching for the mage before him.
Her heart wrenches at the sight, the terrible sound of Callum’s agonised screaming.
“Stop!” She tries to crawl towards the elf attacking Callum and it seems to be only then that Janai notices her.
“Rayla?!” She races around the mage and falls to her knees, pulling Rayla back. “What are you-”
“He’s killing him!” Rayla cries, trying to push Janai away and get to the mage.
Janai looks between Callum and the mage, her face softening a fraction. “He’s purifying him, Rayla.” She frowns, appearing upset herself. “He’s driving out the Dark Magic from Callum’s body.”
Rayla looks between her and Callum, not knowing what to do. Her mind feels slow, sluggish. Like she’s wading through thick mud to get from one thought to another.
“It is the only way to save him.” Janai touches her shoulder, looking deeply in her eyes when Rayla turns to look at her. “We have no other choice.”
Rayla sobs as Callum continues to cry out, his voice beginning to drown out that of Aaravos’. The light in the cave is almost unbearable and her eyes water as she continues to watch. She cannot look away, even when she sees the others do so, blocking their faces with their hands.
The screaming reaches a fever pitch and she clasps her hands over her ears, no longer able to bear it. After what seems like an eternity, Callum collapses against the floor. She pushes Janai away and scrambles up to him.
“Callum?!” She chokes out, reaching for his shoulder.
He doesn’t appear to be moving, even to breathe, and her veins turn to ice as she refuses to contemplate any further… but then he gasps, eyes wide, green and staring as he looks around.
His eyes find hers and he whimpers. “Rayla?”
“I’m here.”
His face is scratched and bleeding from contact with the jagged floor, his hair plastered to his brow with sweat.
She sits sideways, ignoring the pain in her lower leg as she pulls his head and shoulders to rest in her lap. “You’re okay now. You’re free.”
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He cries, closing his eyes and looking away from her. “I couldn’t stop him.”
“Shush.” She strokes his face, smiling at him. “Shush, it’s okay, Callum. You’re safe. You’re safe now.”
The healer frowns as he finishes splinting and bandaging her leg. Setting it involved Sun magic and spells, the pain of correcting her broken and splintered bones making her pass out more than once apparently.
They try and give her some herb for the pain, but she spent long enough in a confused, air deprived limbo and she cannot stand the thought of being out of control like that again.
“You should get some rest.” The healer, who’s name escapes her, pats her good leg as he nods at the table beside her cot. “You should also try and eat something or at least drink. Your body is very under nourished.”
She nods, glancing at the table briefly.
The medic leaves and she immediately gets to her feet, retrieving the crutch that she assumes is left for her. Cautiously, she approaches the curtain that separates her part of the tent from Callum’s.
He passed out almost immediately after the spell, Soren carrying him while Amaya carried her. He was hurried away to a separate part of the healing tent and she hasn’t seen him since. She struggled to listen to the hushed whispers of his healers while her’s worked on her, but she has no idea what to expect when she finally sees him.
Hand shaking, she pulls back the heavy canvas, peering around the material. To her surprise, Callum is awake. He glances in her direction and their eyes meet briefly before he grimaces and looks away. A sob escapes his throat and she feels tears in her eyes at the sight.
“Callum.” She shuffles forward as quickly as she can, trying to catch his eyes.
He shakes his head, turning his face from hers.
He looks terrible. His entire left arm is bandaged, and the skin of his neck and the left side of his face is red and blistered. Even the hair on that side of his head is singed and burned. More than any of that though, he looks utterly miserable. Heartbroken. His eyes are red and swollen and the uninjured side of his face is blotchy, like he’s been crying for a long time.
She approaches his cot, not sure if he wants company right now. When he doesn’t object to this, she takes a seat by his side, perched awkwardly so as to not touch him. After a moment, she reaches for his hand, breath catching in her throat when he pulls it away.
“I’m sorry.” She whispers, hurt even as she tries to force herself to understand that maybe he just doesn’t want company right now. Or maybe he doesn’t want her company. What he so desperately feared might happen, didhappen. He had confided in her how terrified he was of being controlled by Aaravos again and she let it happen. She couldn’t protect him.
Reaching for her crutch, she is moving to get up when he speaks.
“No, Rayla-” His voice cracks and his face contorts, as he briefly makes eye contact with her. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I hurt you.”
“No, Callum, you didn’t. That wasn’t you.” She cries too, hating seeing him like this.
“He used things I knew to torture you.” He presses his good hand against his forehead, as if trying to force out the memories. “I couldn’t keep him out. He just… he knew everything I knew.”
“That’s not your fault, Callum.” She reaches for his hand, gently but firmly pulling it from his face.
“I’m not safe.” He insists, attempting to pull his hand back. “It’s clear now. I know you said you can’t do it, but it has to happen. Soren or Janai-”
“Callum, stop!” Despite herself, she gets angry. Or maybe it’s just fear. Maybe both. She grips his hand tightly. “Janai said you’ve been purified. The Dark Magic is gone from your body.” She glances at his bandaged left side. “You’re free now.”
“I… I don’t trust that. I don’t want to risk it.” He takes a deep breath, finally freeing his hand from her grip. “Rayla, I can’t risk hurting you or anyone else again.”
“And killing you wouldn’t hurt me?!” She sniffs, glaring at him. “You think I’d be able to live with myself after?”
“I… know. I understand now.” He sighs shakily. “I shouldn’t have asked that of you. And I won’t again. Ever. Like I said, Soren-”
“Shut up!” Rayla grits her teeth, unable to listen to this any more. Not after everything they’ve just been through.
Callum starts, staring at her a little dumbfounded.
“I just had to sit and watch you go through a spell that looked like it was killing you. I had to watch and I couldn’t stop it. Because I believed it was going to save you. Please don’t make that have been for nothing.” She sniffs, wiping her eyes. “Callum, don’t make me go through that again.”
He seems to ponder this, taking a shaky breath as he watches her. “I don’t know what’s going to happen next. I don’t know where we go from here. I’m scared, Rayla.”
“I am too.” Unthinking, she reaches for his hand again, sighing in relief when he reaches for hers too. She intertwines their fingers, relishing the feeling of his skin against hers now that his gloves seem missing. Taking a deep breath, she looks at their joined hands. “But I’m more scared of living in a world without you in it.”
Callum doesn’t say anything for the longest time and she’s too nervous to look at him and try and puzzle out what he’s thinking. They didn’t have time to properly talk before everything went so terribly wrong.
“It’s true, you know?” He speaks eventually, his voice soft and quiet.
So much so she wonders for a second if she imagined it. She looks up, confused as to what he’s talking about now.
“I do still love you and… I’m sorry I haven’t said it before.” He’s looking at their joined hands, a frown across his brow. “At first I was angry and hurt but after… I was afraid to get close to you. Afraid he was going to use you to get me to do what he wanted.”
“Callum-” Her heart races at his words, not sure what to say to him. She wants nothing more than to tell him she loves him too, but she can see that’s not what he wants to talk about right now. So she quells the little surge of happiness she feels at hearing those words and tries to concentrate on what he’s saying now, what he really wants to discuss.
“But in the end it didn’t matter, did it? He used both of us. Pit us against each other.” He sighs, his eyes sorrowful as he finally looks at her. “You didn’t give in though.” He squeezes her hand a little tighter. “You really are the bravest person I’ve ever known.”
She snorts, shrugging her shoulders. “You know I genuinely do not know where Stella took the Cube.” Smirking a little, she rubs her thumb across his fingers.
Callum smiles just a fraction and she doesn’t think she can remember seeing anything so wonderful. Even with his burned face and crispy hair, seeing something of the familiar spark return to his tortured eyes makes her feel light and hopeful.
“You wouldn’t have given it up even if you did know.” He speaks quietly, confidently.
And once again he has gone and thought better of her than she knows herself to be. She looks away from him, ashamed of herself. “I thought about it.” She admits, biting her lip. “When he said I could have you back. I was tempted.”
She’s not sure what she’s expecting in response to this confession but it’s not a soft snort of amusement. “So was I.”
She looks back at him, once again confused.
“More than tempted, in fact.” He smiles a little lopsidedly. “Only problem was I didn’t know where the Cube was either.” Sighing once again, he continues. “And Aaravos knew I was telling the truth.”
They sit in silence then, both of them lost in thought. Rayla wonders what this all means, what they do now. They have some kind of way forward, she supposes. If the Sunforge Staff truly can purify people tainted by Dark Magic, they have some sort of weapon against Aaravos’ control.
It feels like a very small thing in light of everything else going on.
And yet, Callum is now free. Not safe by any measure (none of them are) but he’s free at least.
She looks at him, at his painfully injured face and red eyes, her breath catching in her throat at the soft way he’s looking at her. Like he did when they were younger and were each other’s worlds.
“I love you.” She says it before she can think. For weeks she’s held back, pushed the words and the emotion down while they tip toed around each other and the mess of their relationship. The mess she made. Then she thought she’d lost him, lost her chance at telling him. Maybe he’s got too much going on right now to hear it, but with everything so very uncertain, she cannot go another minute without him knowing.
“I love you too.” He smiles softly, a tear running down his cheek as he pulls her closer with his good hand.
Which, well, she knows now but it’s still nicer to hear it again.
She wriggles nearer, awkwardly wrapping her arms around his injured body. He pulls her tight against him, sighing into her hair.
It’s not exactly comfortable, her splinted leg hangs off the bed at a funny (and not painless) angle and she’s afraid of hurting his burned skin and yet, she can’t remember the last time she felt this content. She turns her head and presses her forehead against his, careful to avoid his injured side. Looking into his beautiful, clear green eyes she’s happy to see, for now at least, they’ve lost the concerned, anxious look that was ever present since he woke up after Aaravos took control of him the first time.
The same eyes that dart to her mouth for the briefest of moments before they both lean in and pressed their lips together. It’s a soft kiss, chaste and brief. They are both injured, tired and, in her case in the same clothes she’s been wearing for days. And yet, it feels like the most amazing kiss of her life because they’re opening up, growing back together.
He’s right, of course. Neither of them know what’s going to happen from here. The path ahead is treacherous still and they are all, everyone, in danger.
Yet selfishly, she feels a weight has been lifted, because Callum at least is safer. Not safe. No-one is. But his mind is his own again. His destiny, his to be written. And now, once again, it feels like he wants her by his side for it.