"You will not stop this," Azal savored our fear and confusion. "It took us five years to reach you, Bian."
The winds clenched around her throat. So sharply that the words were cut off.
Blake was furious. It showed in everything — in his tense body, in the distorted expression of his face, in the way he held himself back with his last remaining strength. One more word, and he would have tightened the grip to the end.
"Well… well…" Azal rasped, without losing her mockery.
"I will kill you." Blake's voice was unfamiliar to me.
He was looking at the city. At the fire spreading through the streets. At the rare, scattered cries of people, drowning in the thunder of collapsing stone.
He pressed me closer to himself, and in him now I saw not the Supreme Mage, but a man ready to tear himself forward and destroy the one responsible for all of this.
But Eiron was already dead.
And even if Blake killed this body, nothing would change until she lifted her magic.
"First, get to me," Azal continued to amuse herself, even barely breathing. "Since you know everything now… he no longer holds any value."
Her voice grew lazy.
"It is time for me to leave. And you, Blake… enjoy yourself."
She reveled in the chaos. In every moment of it.
And at the very last instant — I saw it clearly — something flickered in her eyes. Him. Eiron. For one brief moment.
Then the gaze went out.
Eiron's body went limp and hung lifelessly in the air, crucified by Blake's winds.
"Adel," Blake commanded again.
She raised her glowing hand and almost immediately lowered it.
"She is gone," Adel confirmed.
Blake exhaled — heavy, with relief. Then he crouched beside me, carefully examining my wound.
"Well, you have real fun going on here," said the mage in blue armor.
Blake called him Narem. He was still calmly pinning the dark mage beneath his muscular body, not easing the pressure for a single moment.
"How do you feel?" Blake asked, straightening up and placing his palm against my face.
"It hurts, but it's bearable," I answered honestly. "My leg is burning."
"It's poison," Rhine confirmed, the mage in black armor, crouching beside me and examining the wound. "Forgive me, Supreme. We noticed his movements and followed him, but—"
"This is bad," Blake cut him off, not taking his eyes off my leg. "She needs healing. Ordinary healers won't touch this poison."
"Damn it…" Roger suddenly emerged from the shadows, and for a moment his mere presence made it easier to breathe. "I didn't make it in time."
He stepped closer, breathing heavily.
"As soon as I realized it was him, I started the pursuit. But I was too late."
I noticed sweat breaking out on Roger's forehead. He looked at me guiltily.
"I think we don't need to worry about the northern and southern sides," Roger reasoned. "But we need to move toward the eastern one."
Either he did not know about my wound, or he did not understand how serious it was. And it was hard to tell from looking at me — Blake was holding me tightly, not letting me sway.
"First we need to get Bian to treatment," Blake cut him off harshly.
Roger swept his gaze over me and only then realized I was wounded. His attention darted to Eiron's body, still hanging in the air, and to the dark mage pressed against the stone.
"Narem, I'll take him," Roger said shortly.
And vanished at once.
The dark mage followed him into the shadows.
"Rhine, check the Tower of the Guardians," Blake ordered.
Rhine disappeared just as quickly and returned almost immediately.
"A stream of monsters is heading in that direction."
"Roger won't be able to take her there," Narem intervened, the mage in blue armor. "Either I do it, or Rhine. But Rhine would be better."
"If they directed a stream there, the path will be dangerous," Blake said calmly, but his hands did not stop: he was binding my leg with whatever material was at hand, moving quickly and precisely.
"It's the shortest and fastest route," Adel clarified. "We'll be able to cover."
They reasoned together. Quickly. Precisely. Without unnecessary words.
Like a single entity.
I remembered Nimor, how he had said something about their team. About what they were like. But never before had I seen them in action. And certainly not all of them at once.
"But we need to stop the fire and the flows through the breaches," Adel said, peering into the distance. "The eastern side."
I felt her agitation and understood its cause. There were people there. Many people. Without protection.
Blake tightened his hold on me, almost instinctively, as if he did not want to let go even for a moment. I placed my palm over his hand, letting him know that everything was all right. That he did not need to hold on so tightly.
He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath.
"Rhine and Narem will take Bian to the Tower of the Guardians," his voice became commanding. "Roger will bring Nimor there. As quickly as possible."
The words sounded hard and precise.
But his hands betrayed him completely.
Again and again he was holding me in his arms more tightly than necessary.
As if he were afraid to let go.
"This may take more time than we have," Rhine said, not taking his eyes off my leg.
"The Guardians will support her until Nimor arrives," Blake cut in. "The defenders of the western wall will take up positions at the Main Temple."
He shifted his gaze to Adel.
"Can you summon any of yours?"
She closed her eyes, as if listening to something distant.
"No. All of mine are too far away," Adel reported shortly.
"Good. Adel and I will clear the road to the Temple," Blake said clearly, not letting go of me for a single step. "Narem and Rhine are responsible for her safety. After that, Adel will move to the eastern wall. I will take care of the city and the command."
At that moment, Roger returned.
"He is sealed beneath the walls." he reported, slightly out of breath.
"You need to bring Nimor to the Temple," Blake ordered.
"That will take time. Even if I use additional mana, I need no less than nine hours — there and back."
Even by looking at him, it was clear: a great deal of strength had been spent.
The burning in my leg intensified.
"I can do it," I finally intervened. "I will hold out."
For the first time, I saw Blake like this. His voice remained strict, military, but his gaze did not leave me for a single second. There was too much in it that he did not allow himself to show.
Eiron's body finally collapsed onto the stone.
"Take care of the body. General muster. Send people to the Tower of the Guardians," Blake was issuing orders to Edric. "They will not enter inside, but they will try to block the path."
Edric saluted silently and immediately disappeared down the stairs.
"Since the tasks are clear to everyone, it's time to move out," Blake ordered.
As long as I did not move, the pain was bearable. But I felt the fire climbing higher. The poison was spreading through my body slowly, inexorably.
Blake bent down and kissed me firmly.
His lips lingered a fraction longer than necessary, as if he were afraid this might be the last time. His hands cupped my face, holding me.
He pressed his forehead to mine and whispered so quietly that only I could hear:
"Whatever happens, you must stay alive. Don't give up. I will come. I promise."
Only after that did he pull away.
As he stepped back, he passed me to Rhine — as a new support. And only then did it sink in that all of this had happened in front of everyone. In front of the soldiers. The wall guard.
My gaze caught on Adel.
Her expression was vicious. Distorted. She stood frozen, as if she had seen something horrifying. Her face twisted with disgust.
"No," she hissed.
Blake froze. Slowly, guiltily, he shook his head.
"Damn it, Adel…" escaped him reproachfully.
He looked tense. Guilty.
Was it all because of the seal? Or was there something else?
"She will not go to the Temple,"
Adel said harshly, stepping forward and placing herself directly in front of me.
Her eyes were blazing with fury.