*Author's Note*

Hey. 

So here is the next chapter as promised (sorry for the wait). Hopefully you'll enjoy it! (it is not proofread fully yet, so feel free to point out any errors I may have made)

I just wanted to let you know that I will not be updating next week, so stay tuned until the following Monday/Tuesday for future posts. :)

In the meantime, I hope you all have amazing weeks! 

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"TRISTAN." BRI CROAKED. "TRISTAN why?"

"Why not?" said Tristan simply, flexing his fingers. The green tendrils holding her halfway up the wall tightened noticeably. "I told you I wanted to fight."

"You little--" snarled Cassian, kicking out again.

"Shhh." Tristan held a finger to his lips. The green sparks wrapped around his mouth. In truth, Bri couldn't actually see Cass, but she could infer it by listening to the muffled spitting sounds that slowly died away.

Keres smiled sardonically.

"There's an army coming for us." hissed Bri. "They won't let you get away."

"They're not going to be in the picture much longer." sighed Keres, mock-weariness decorating her tone. "I was thinking about our little conversation earlier, and I had some ideas - 'improvements' if you will. Firstly, some people should stay dead. More specifically, you--"

She pointed at Cassian.

"Are meant to be decorating the town centre, not getting under my feet. And you--"

She pointed at Bri.

"I should have killed you when I killed your sister. I'm allowed to have a little more fun aren't I?"

"Depends on your idea of 'fun'." Bri muttered, determined not to cry. The green sparks squeezed tighter, and she raised her eyebrows, since she couldn't move her hands. "Alright, alright, I'll shut up."

Tristan cleared his throat quietly. Keres glanced at him, as if she had forgotten he was even there. He mouthed something that Bri couldn't make out, and she nodded.

Abruptly, Tristan pulled the magical bonds off them. Bri crashed to the floor and lay in a winded heap. She made a grab for Keres, but Tristan brushed her hand off with hardly any effort. He laughed.

Bri didn't have the energy to feel anything, let alone anger. She watched, as Keres stepped daintily out into the corridor behind Tristan.

The door locked behind her.

Bri didn't know how much time passed before she was able to move. Cass was still lying there, and she shook him awake, ignoring the burn in her arms.

"Hey." she said when he opened his eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Stupid."

"I don't think anyone is feeling as stupid as me right now. We're weaponless, alone, and stuck in this hellhole."

He laughed weakly. "It's not your fault."

"Mmm." said Bri, pursing her lips.

The door was locked. There was no way they were getting that open in a hurry. Without that, the only way out was the open window, and Bri didn't fancy jumping.

The same question was buzzing around Bri's head.

"What's she planning on doing?" she thought aloud.

"I don't know," said Cass simply.

"No, no - we can think this out." Bri paced around the room. "She said she had a plan for the army. There's only two of them, and the guards and the rest of her army would die in the process - they won't thank her for that. So, what can she do?"

"What can no one else but her do?" said Cassian, jumping up. He grimaced, but joined Bri in her pacing.

"Magic." hissed Bri. "It has to be magic. It's-- It's her speciality, and with Tristan--"

"She can get even more power. The two of them are enough for a huge blast of magic. They can create a huge spell, drawing from each other."

"A way of getting rid of Eileifr's army, and not her own."

Cass gasped.

"What?" asked Bri.

"Eileifr!" he pointed.

Bri sucked in a deep breath, her hand covering her mouth.

Eileifr was lying next to the window.

"Is he breathing?"

Bri couldn't answer. She was frantically moving her hand up and down his limp wrist, while Cass tried his neck.

She looked up and met his eyes. He gently shook his head.

"What do we do?"

"There's nothing left to do now. We can't waste time."

The throne room was huge. Columns and flags hung from the ceiling. The one open window let a cold wind blow in, sending the flags twisting around, flapping in every direction.

The door was locked. They were huge doors, probably barred as well, Bri thought. They weren't getting out this time.

"Do you think that we can send something to Vya? To let her know that we're in here?"

"It's a huge battlefield." replied Cass, "She knows we're in here, but she's probably off fighting three guys at once on the other side of the city wall."

Bri kicked the door as hard as she could. All the pent up frustration, rage, and sheer exhaustion that she'd been carrying around for the last few days came out in several well placed punches.

The door didn't even shake.

"We can rule that out then." she said breathlessly. "Anything else that you can think of?"

Cassian sighed. "I think the window is our only option."

Bri made her way over and stuck her head out.

"You sure?" she said, staring down at the cobbles far below. "I don't fancy our chances."

"They've had too much time already. We need to do something, and fast."

Bri rolled her eyes and threw her hands up. "There's nothing to do."

"I might--" started Cassian, fumbling in his pockets. "If I can just find it-- Gotcha."

He held aloft a small vial. It was filled with what looked like grey dust.

"What's that." said Bri, unimpressed.

"I completely forgot I even had this."

"Grey dust."

Cassian laughed and proffered the bottle. "Not just any grey dust. Gunpowder."

"That much gunpowder is going to get us out of here how?"

"It's not going to be blowing much up... but it will provide us with a powerful flame."

"You keep that on you?"

"Carefully sealed," said Cass. He pulled the lid off and emptied the bottle into a small pile in front of the wooden double doors. Attached to the side of the vial was a single match. It took two strikes on the stone floor twice before it caught, burning with a bright yellow flame. Then, he stood up and Bri stepped back. Holding the lit match at arms length, he dropped it onto the pile.

There was a sudden burst of light and a 'whoomph' sensation as a tower of flame soared up in front of them. It was over in a second, but smoke started to seep from the loose splinters, and the flames licked and burrowed into the wood of the doors, leaving trails of fire in their wake.

"Yes." mouthed Cassian silently. He coughed and took two more steps back as the fire grew, crackling and spitting, belching smoke.

"If this gets out of control..." Bri trailed off.

There was silence.

"A burning palace. That's one hell of a signal at least." said Cass after too much of a pause.

As they watched, the flames - now twice as tall as Cassian - touched one of the writhing flags. The air was filled with smoke.

"We did not think this through!" yelled Bri, covering her mouth with her sleeve and coughing. "We're not going to be able to get out in time!"

One of the windows shattered, spilling glass and flame into the empty courtyard below.

"No kidding!" shouted Cass, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her backwards towards the empty window. "We're on equal levels of stupid now!"

Bri elbowed him, but gratefully stuck her head out of the window and gulped down fresh air.

"We can just wait now."

"We don't have that much time!"

Bri just rolled her eyes. "Thanks for pointing that out."

The grey smoke from the windows billowed out in thick hazy waves, as clear as any signal Bri had ever seen. All they could do was wait.

They didn't have to wait long.

White smoke mixed with the grey smog, curling in the still air. Vya materialized halfway up the tower wall.

"I can't get any closer!" she yelled, covering her mouth with her sleeve. "What the hell were you two waiting thinking?!"

"No time!" bellowed Cass, helping Bri onto the window ledge. "If we jump can you carry both of us?"

"Absolutely!" said Vya, with (what Bri thought) was too much confidence.

"Whatever." said Bri, pulling Cassian up behind her, and counting down. "Three. Two. One!"

They jumped.

The feeling of falling was slowed somewhat by Vya grabbing Cass by the ankle, and Bri by the wrist.

To her surprise, they started to rise slowly. Bri lifted her head as much as was possible, and saw that Vya was being held aloft by the frantic beating of her wings, and tell-tale trails of blue magic. She couldn't see Skye, but obviously Skye could see them.

The palace was burning.

Flames were pouring out of the windows, reaching for the heavens.

Smoke was gathering above the distant turrets, forming a menacing cloud.

Down below, in the centre of the town, Bri could make out two figures. One in a hooded cloak, the other weiling a glittering staff.

She tapped Vya on the leg with her free hand. "I have to get down there!" We don't know what they're planning!"

Vya grunted in agreement and began to drift downward in a series of stops and starts (plummeting five feet, then hovering, then dropping again).

Bri kept her eyes fixed on the figures, who were close enough to distinguish properly.

Keres and Tristan were standing opposite each other, Tristan holding his gloved hand up, Keres gripping her staff.

There was a moment of silence, and then the world went green and gold.

Magic was pouring out of the two people, meeting in the middle of the town and merging, creating a spinning sphere of pure energy.

Bri wrenched her hand from Vya's and tore through the air, arms outstretched. Keres and Tristan were rising to meet her, and it just made the impact come faster.

She slammed into Tristan's shoulder, knocking him out of the energy circle forming around them. Fizzes and sparks, like the ones from the flaming castle filled her ears as she rolled onto the cobbles, trying to force the glove off his hand.

The magic was building anyway now, crackling with pure gold fire at its heart.

"What have you done!" roared Tristan, pushing her back onto the ground. "We can't control it now!"

"What do you mean?!" Bri tried to get up, but the whirlwind of pressure created was too much. She lifted her head with a huge effort.

Somewhere in the distance, Keres was laughing.

Bri could hear someone calling her name.

The magic seemed to shrink for a moment.

Then the world went white.