When Elizah awoke, there was the shutting of the door behind her. The echoes of someone’s boots against the ground shook the room.

“Elizah,” A voice said, and Elizah tried to look up from her dazed state.

“Your name is Elizah isn’t it?” The voice taunted.

Elizah looked up and noticed Noxaura, with her dark hair and green eyes staring at Elizah with a surprised look.

“Why am I here?” Elizah asked with her teeth clenched.

“For everything you did, this was the least I could do,” Noxaura said and ran her hand down Elizah’s chain tied hands.

“Where is he?” Elizah asked with annoyance.

“Who are you asking about?” Noxaura asked with no surprise in her voice.

“Where is he? Don’t act like you know nothing,” Elizah asked again with gritted teeth.

“He’s safe, at least for now,” Noxaura said with a small smile as she lit her fingers up with flames.

“You’re the one who’s in danger,” Noxaura said with a sharp edge in her tone.

“What do I have to be afraid of?” Elizah asked and tried to stand up as Noxaura held her down.

“Your tongue will get you into more trouble than you think,” Noxaura said, and her blades of flames dimmed and dulled into nothing.

There was a sudden blade drawing, and Elizah was held down by Noxaura from behind her. There was the cold tip of the blade at her neck, and she tried her hardest not to flinch.

“Answer me, and I will not hurt you,” Noxaura said with contempt in every word she said.

“And what could you do?” Elizah asked and laughed shortly.

There was a sweep of the blade and a thud on the ground. Elizah’s neck stung, but she felt something else. It was like a weight fell off Elizah’s shoulders. Noxaura held her golden braid that had fallen like a gesture of her victory.

“That’s all you have?” Elizah asked with surprise and a toying grin on her lips. She

“Keep your tongue for my answers or else,” Noxaura said as the blade clattered to the ground, “How long have you been around my son?”

“I think you know that,” Elizah said under her breath, and Noxaura’s hands illuminated her face. For a second, it was almost as if Jayden had arrived. Their faces were very similar.

“Answer me,” Noxaura demanded.

“You’ve been watching the two of us for years, don’t you already know?” Elizah asked.

Noxaura lost her temper at that. The blade of flame that she held steady until then dug suddenly into Elizah’s right shoulder, and she bit back a scream. There was the stinging sensation of a cut, but it also felt like her skin was on fire. It seemed like a strange combination of a cut and a burn Noxaura withdrew the flames.

Elizah gasped for breath as she put her hand on her shoulder. The wound was covered in sticky blood, and her putting her hand on it only made it burn more, especially with all the dirt and grime on her fingertips.

“What, what what, was--that?” Elizah asked, still shaking from what Noxaura had done. She was struggling to try and heal herself. It seemed like all her magic had also been tapped away from her.

“Power. Beyond your dreams. It’s a combination of my magic and a wonderful curse. It can sap away all the energy one possesses and is quite a charm against healers,” Noxaura said and grinned.

“Now, do you want some more of what I have to offer? Forget about my son, I have more important things to hear from you. Where is he?” Noxaura asked with a feral grin.

Elizah didn’t respond. She didn’t even understand who Noxaura was asking about. She didn’t want to answer her, nor did she want any more of the torturous pain that Noxaura was delivering.

“Where is your father?” Noxaura asked, and the blade of flame grew ever so steadily before it made its way into the scar marking she made last time.

This time Elizah screamed out in pain as it dug deep into her.

“What do you mean? I have never seen him,” Elizah said with her voice strained, and she was having trouble maintaining her strong demeanour.

“What did you just say?” Noxaura asked as the flame blade made its way through Elizah’s arm.

Elizah was silent as she gave Noxaura a glare.

“I said I have never seen him. And what do you want with my father.,” Elizah whispered, with her voice growing hoarse by the minute.

The blade slowly made its way further down Elizah’s arm with every word she spoke. The energy that she usually had was slowly sapped out of her bit by bit, and the room was starting to spin.

“I only wanted the best for the kingdom, and he left. He left me alone and broke our promise,” Noxaura said as her hands began to shake, she was screaming and on the verge of tears.

“What do you even mean?” Elizah said with a small laugh. Dark spots were dancing in her eyes, and any moment now, Elizah was going to fall.

“He betrayed me, and now you have the guts to bewitch my son. You are just like him,” Noxaura said and dragged the flame blade beyond Elizah’s right elbow.

“Neither of you are meant to be. I only need you to set me free. If he was here, things would be different,” Noxaura said and withdrew it. She was still shaking, sensing that all the energy inside Elizah was drawn out.

“He didn’t even know you . My mother never mentioned you,” Elizah whispered.

“You don’t know the truth,” Noxaura said and put one last strike of her flames into Elizah’s left palm. Elizah didn’t have the chance to argue before the pain in her palm took over her senses, and fell flat to the ground.

Noxaura watched as her comrade walked into the inquisitorial chambers with their everyday garb of their cloak and their eyes wary.

“You’ve gone a step further,” the comrade said and walked up to Noxaura.

“I’m punishing her for what she did to my son,” Noxaura said as two guards dragged Elizah out.

“I’m not sure that this is related to that idea at all,” her comrade said and took a sweeping glance throughout the room.

“Really,” Noxaura asked with a roll of her eyes, “You don’t believe me?”

“After your spectacular display of what you did today, definitely not,” her comrade answered.

“It isn’t about him,” Noxaura said, but she couldn’t meet her comrade’s stare.

“Oh really. Then will it affect you that he is planning to return soon,” her comrade asked her drily.

Noxaura turned suddenly and gaped, “What?”

“I’ve gotten in contact with him, our next phase of action will need his assistance,” her comrade said and played with a small object in their palms.

“What use is he going to be?” Noxaura asked and turned to her comrade with the shaking of fear in her tone, “Stop playing with that dangerous item.”

“He’s more resourceful than you give him credit for. Just because he left you doesn’t mean that you have to be so worried about him,” her comrade said and continued to toy with the object.

“You know what he did to me,” Noxaura said and snatched the object from their palms.

“He stole your amulet and ran. Don’t get me wrong but, he did the thing I asked him to,” their comrade said and plucked the amulet out of Noxaura’s palm.

“Cyprian would have killed you if you knew that you had it, so do forgive me, if you don’t want immortality,” her comrade said, and Noxaura shut her mouth.

“Who has to unleash this one?” Noxaura asked as she noticed the object in the comrade’s palms.

“I never deciphered the script on them,” their comrade said nonchalantly.

“I know you better than that. And you would have definitely done it,” Noxaura said and moved towards her comrade to observe the inscriptions.

“You wouldn’t want to know,” her comrade said.

“Is it his child?” Noxaura asked with sheer contempt in her voice.

“No. It’s your son,” the comrade said while making their way to the door, “if I were you I’d be careful with what I say, or else there’s every chance that I’ll let you burn down with this dratted place. It’s all going to go up in flames, as will you.”