“What do we tell her parents?” Cormac wanted his voice to come out stronger, like he was in charge. But he croaked before he got to the last word.
“Nothing,” Maren said. Her voice had none of Cormac’s uncertainty.
“We can’t pretend this didn’t happen, Maren,” Raham said.
“No one is pretending anything. We were here and saw it happen. We have two guards who disappeared. There’s nothing to account for other than those two smoldering holes. We have a body that looks nothing like our friend. Are we going to explain that our witchcraft created these craters and killed our friend?”
Cormac wanted to disagree, but he couldn’t.
“Maren, what happened to you?” Raham took several steps away.
“I’m a miller’s daughter with no hope of her own life. My father will marry me away, hoping to align with another family. I’ll bet he’s talking to the landowner of the new mill further downstream. Cut down on the competition by marrying into the monopoly.” The words came out in a rush, and Maren paused to regain her composure. “I will not be someone’s property. With this power, I will never have to be just the miller’s daughter.”
Raham nodded. “I’m sorry, Maren. I didn’t know those things.”
“You wouldn’t. You’re a man.”
Cormac began collecting dry wood from the edge of the clearing and formed a pile. In a few minutes, his friends helped him gather a larger stack of logs. Without another word, the group laid Jolina on top of the pile.
Cormac rubbed away the tear wetting his cheek as he considered what they had to do. Her family would never know what happened to her, and this was the best they could do to honor her memory. Cormac tried to convince himself it was the only option.
“Wood is wet,” Raham said.
Cormac summoned a trickle of power and brought flames to life. In less than an instant, the flames caught across the entire pile and consumed the fuel. The pillar of smoke disappeared into the night sky, and the fire burned impossibly hot for the fuel. There would be nothing left of their friend.
As the flames finished their terrible work, the friends faced each other again.
“What do we do now?” Raham asked.
“We leave by tomorrow night. Make our final arrangements and leave this town,” Cormac said. His voice was more confident than what he felt. But something inside told him it was the right move. People would start asking questions. Not just the bodies, but about their power.
“Where?” Raham asked.
“A place where we can start a school. This can’t happen again. Not when we know the price of magic and what it can do. We have to find a cure, a solution, or a cautious approach to what we can do.” Cormac looked at each of them.
“I’m with you.” Maren slid her hand into Cormac’s, clutching his fingers within his own. He’d wanted this for so long, but at this moment, he just couldn’t look forward to the future.
“I’m with you,” Raham said. “For now.”
“I’ll take it.” Cormac held out his hand, and Raham shook it with a firm grip. “Jolina deserves answers.”
Also by Mark August
Soul of Magic is available in paperback, ebook, and KU.
Schools of Magic is available for pre-order. May 1, 2021 release with paperback and KU.
