Supreme Magus novel Chapter 464

The source of his distress wasn’t the magical nature of all the items in the room, from the round black mahogany table to the silk covered armchairs.

Nor it was the densely packed arrays surrounding the area. Lith had seen much worse during his visits to the Royal Palace. Kaelarn was sitting on the opposite side of the round table in front of him, with the rejuvenated Count Xolver standing right behind his master.

Sitting on the left side of the table, there was a skeletal figure, which despite its rotten flesh and dusty clothes emitted a majestic aura like Lith had never seen before. The creature appeared like a sun to his Life Vision, making it easy for Lith to recognize its nature as Awakened one and Lich.

***

City of Othre, Mage Association’s meeting room.

Lith had left for a little more than two hours, but his few possessions already weighted like stones in Tista’s arms. She would use Invigoration on them from time to time, using their imprint to reassure herself that her brother was still alive.

Jirni wasn’t worried for him, yet her eyes refused to move from the sheathed form of the Gatekeeper which laid on the table in front of her. She remembered all too well how long she and Phloria had pestered Orion to Forgemaster the sword as Lith’s birthday present.

Those were other times, when that blade was much more than a simple instrument to kill. For Jirni it had been a means to multiple ends. It was supposed to help Lith to stay alive amid the chaos of any battlefield.

To guarantee the happiness of her daughter, Phloria. To lay the foundations of a relationship that would bring glory to the Ernas household. Her fingers caressed the hilt of the sword, recognizing the markings of her husband’s craftsmanship.

All of that was in the past, making Jirni love and hate that cold piece of metal at once. In her eyes, it held too many broken promises and wishes that never came true.

Kamila stared at her now empty hand. She could swear to be able to feel his warmth lingering on it. Her mind was fixated on the image of the camellia waiting for her in their hotel room.

She had brought it to Othre from her apartment a couple of days after she had moved there, unwilling to let it die because of Commander Berion’s manipulations.

’I do realize we don’t know each other for long, just like I’m aware that since this mission started we’ve been nothing more than roommates until this evening. Then why does it hurt that he left without saying goodbye? How much do I really care about our relationship?’

Inside her ring form, Solus had yet to metabolize how quickly they had parted ways. It wasn’t the first time that she left the hand which for so many years had been her whole world, but it was the first time that he had willingly left her behind.

As soon as Lith had left the range of their mind link, the whole Mogar seemed to have changed in front of her. The colors were brighter, the lights warmer. On the faces of the members of the Association, where she would usually see hints of deception and ill will, she saw only honest worry for the citizens of Othre.