The Royal Gardens of Sanctum formed a maze of neat hedges, white roses, and marble fountains. It was meant for secret meetings and quiet conversations between lovers.
In the light of the gibbous moon, the gardens looked like a graveyard.
Mirabelle walked down the gravel path, her red velvet dress trailing behind her. She needed fresh air. The Council room had smelled of old parchment and fear, a scent that was starting to feel too sweet.
"You're brooding, Mistress," a voice called from above.
Mirabelle didn't look up. "I am thinking, Revas."
Leaves rustled as Revas dropped from the branch of an old oak tree. He landed silently and fell in step beside her. He had taken off his jacket, and his white shirt was unbuttoned at the top,showing the black iron collar against his pale skin.
"Thinking is dangerous," Revas teased as he picked a white rose. He sniffed it, then watched with a smile as the petals turned black and wilted in his hand. "It leads to wrinkles. And mercy."
"I have no mercy," Mirabelle replied. "But the Council won't break easily. General Kael is already gathering his troops. He thinks you're a powerful mage, not a Calamity. He believes he can kill you if he uses enough steel."
Revas laughed. He tossed the dead rose over his shoulder.
"Let him try."
He moved in front of her, walking backward so he could look at her face. His violet eyes were glowing softly in the dark."What are you thinking about?"
Mirabelle stopped and reached out to touch the invisible chain between them. It felt cold and electric.
"I want to know how it works," she said. "The butterflies. The destruction. You make it look so easy."
Revas stopped walking. The playful smile vanished, replaced by a look of intense, scholarly focus.
"It is not magic, Mirabelle," he said softly. "Magic is borrowing power from the earth. What I do... is imposing my will upon reality. I tell the world to break, and it breaks out of fear."
He stepped closer until there was no space between them.
"Do you want to try?"
Mirabelle's heart skipped. "I can't. I don't have magic."
"You have me," Revas whispered. "And I am infinite."
He moved behind her and wrapped his hands around hers, lifting them. His chest pressed against her back, solid and warm. She felt the slow, strong beat of his heart, or whatever kept him alive.
"Close your eyes," he said, his breath warm on her ear. "Picture the fountain in front of us. Don't picture it breaking. Imagine it just... gone."
Mirabelle closed her eyes. She felt the bond open wide. A rush of cold, dark energy flowed from Revas, down her arms, and into her fingertips. It felt like holding a storm on a leash.
"Now," Revas whispered. "Let the butterflies out."
A soft swoosh filled the air.
A sudden burst of heat made Mirabelle open her eyes.
Three figures emerged from the hedges. They weren't gardeners.
They wore shimmering blue silk robes, marking them as Royal Battle Mages. They were Fiona's personal elite.
"Step away from the Princess, demon!" the lead Mage shouted, his hands glowing with balls of crackling lightning.
Revas stayed where he was, still holding Mirabelle's hands. He rested his chin on her shoulder and looked at the intruders with a bored look.
"Interrupting a lesson," Revas sighed against Mirabelle's neck. "That deserves detention."
"Surrender!" the Mage yelled. "We have the perimeter sealed! Holy fire will—"
"Shh," Revas whispered to Mirabelle. "Ignore them. Focus. The target is different now."
He moved her hands so they pointed straight at the lead Mage.
"Mirabelle," Revas murmured, his voice low and steady. "Do you see him? He's just flesh and bone. He's fragile. He won't last."
The Mage threw the lightning.
It arced through the air, a blinding bolt of electricity aimed straight for them.
Mirabelle didn't flinch. She felt Revas' confidence steady her, and his power waiting to be unleashed.
"Feed," Revas ordered.
Mirabelle pushed.
She didn't scream. She pushed her will forward, channeling it through the bond.
A single, huge butterfly burst from her fingertips. It wasn't like the small, delicate ones Revas made. This one was as big as a shield, its wings jagged and glowing with crimson energy.
It met the lightning bolt in mid-air.
There was no explosion. The butterfly simply ate the lightning. It disappeared into the red void of its wings.
The butterfly kept going.
The Mage's eyes widened. He tried to cast a shield, but it was too late.
The crimson butterfly flapped its wings once, passing through him.
The Mage didn't scream. He just dissolved. One moment he was a man in blue silk, the next he was a cloud of red mist and glitter drifting away on the wind.
The other two Mages froze. They looked at the empty space where their leader had been. Then they looked at Mirabelle.
Mirabelle stood with her hands still raised, her chest rising and falling. She stared at her palms. She felt electric, a rush of euphoria so strong it made her knees weak.
"Oh," she breathed.
Revas chuckled darkly behind her. He kissed the side of her neck, rewarding her like a good student. "A bit messy. You used too much force. But effective."
The remaining two Mages turned to run.
Revas let go of her. "Class is over," he said with a grin, his eyes flashing red. "Now it's recess."
He blurred, then appeared in front of the fleeing Mages.
"Going so soon?" Revas asked.
He grabbed their heads. One in each hand.
CRUNCH.
He slammed their heads together.
It was brutal, quick, and messy. The bodies fell to the grass.
Revas stood over them, taking a deep breath of the blood-stained air. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket...he seemed to have an endless supply...and wiped his hands.
He turned back to Mirabelle. She was still staring at the spot where she had erased a man from existence.
Revas walked over and took her hands, checking her fingers for burns.
"How does it feel?" he asked softly.
Mirabelle loooked up at him. Her eyes were bright, feverish. The fear was gone. The hesitation was gone.
"It felt..." she searched for the word. "Right."
Revas smiled, a real smile this time, full of pride and a strange, frightening adoration.
"Then you are truly ready," he said. "The chain works both ways, Mistress. I give you power. You give me entertainment."
He offered her his arm and stepped over the bodies as if they were just puddles.
"Now, let's go back inside. Killing those mages stirred up my appetite. I saw a chocolate cake in the kitchen, and I plan to eat it."
Mirabelle took his arm and glanced back one last time at the red mist settling on the white roses.
"Revas?"
"Yes?"
"Teach me more."
Revas threw his head back and laughed, the sound sending shivers through the darkness. "We are going to write a whole textbook."