Chapter 17
A furious roar tore through the blaze, rattling her eardrums.
Run. I have to run from here!
Luna fixed her gaze without blinking on the man who was closing in on her.
She tried to move her frozen legs, pressing her trembling hands against the ground to push herself up, but her body wouldn’t respond—like a newborn fawn, she simply couldn’t get up.
At this rate, she wouldn’t burn to death in the fire but die at the hands of the man she hated more than anyone else.
Arne instantly grasped Luna’s condition as he watched her shiver like an aspen even as he drew near. As though he had expected as much, a vile smile curled on his lips.
He appeared unaffected by the blistering heat that should have melted flesh, as though he were using magic to shield himself. He stopped right in front of her, then walked past and peered into the wooden shed.
The overturned crate had long since split open and spilled its contents.
With a sigh, Arne shoved both hands into his trouser pockets before turning around.
The woman—who turned out to be as sly as a fox—was desperately crawling on all fours. The amber-eyed serpent watched leisurely and sneered.
“Rabbit or fox, doesn’t matter.”
He strolled over casually, yanked back her hood, and ruthlessly seized a fistful of her abundant, pale pink hair.
“Agh!”
“Still just a mouthful all the same, isn’t that right?”
“Let go of—mmph!”
As if her sharp voice annoyed him, Arne shoved a waterskin between her lips, forced her head back, and pressed her shoulders down to make her drink.
“Mmgh! Ugh—cough, cough!”
Luna’s eyes went wide as she thrashed, trying to claw the container away, but pinned beneath him she had no choice but to swallow a good deal of the bitter liquid.
“Careful. This stuff’s precious—you’d better not spill it. Be good, hm?”
Pulling the flask away, Arne gathered the liquid dribbling from her lips with his fingers and shoved it roughly back into her open mouth.
When her soft tongue brushed against his fingertips, he pressed down, savoring the taste.
“Disgusting.”
“What… did you make me drink?”
Pale as death, Luna coughed, trembling violently. The thought that her thirst—so tormenting in the heat—had actually been quenched by whatever this was only filled her with frantic dread.
“An antidote. You’ll need to spread your legs when we get out of here, and if you’re this stiff, that won’t be possible.”
Still clutching her hair in a vicious grip, he shrugged as though it were nothing.
“You’ve stirred up quite the mess, haven’t you? You think a stunt like that will ruin House Obis? Fool. Anyway, the ledgers must be in your bag, and I’ve already got the spring water. I’ll forgive you—if you agree to be my slave.”
“You went into my room again while I was gone. Don’t tell me you drank it all?”
Luna trembled as she stared into the flames, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Fragile and perilous—like herself.
“Would’ve been nice, but someone important wanted it. So I just sampled a little.”
“What could that possibly gain you? You were my disciple—you should know better. Without my family’s bloodline, it won’t work. Use it wrong, and you could lose your magic entirely.”
Luna flexed her toes, regaining a bit of control. Arne might see her as a rat in a trap, but thank the stars—her legs were finally moving again.
“No, no. I’ve already felt its effects more than enough. Which is why you can’t be allowed to die.”
Arne, too, was hoping the antidote would spread quickly. He leaned close, licked the curve of her ear, and whispered:
“Don’t even think about pulling any tricks. I know everything. If I’m bound to an Aderet like you, I’ll stabilize.”
“Wh—How did you… know that…?”
Horrified by his vile touch, Luna froze and nearly burst into tears.
Arne’s eyes gleamed at her fragile reaction, as though she had given away a precious secret.
“How I know doesn’t matter.”
Releasing her hair, he eased his grip on her shoulders and gently turned her delicate frame as if handling a precious jewel.
Spat!
A pale liquid splattered down his cheek. Stunned, Arne let out a sharp laugh, veins bulging on his forehead.
“You little bitch. Don’t you realize what situation you’re in?”
“I’d rather die than live as your slave!”
Luna grabbed a handful of scorching debris left by the flames and hurled it straight at his eyes.
“Gah!”
Arne flailed, brushing it off, and staggered upright. In that instant, Luna used the last of her strength to kick him in the groin.
“Urk!”
Doubling over with a strangled cry, he collapsed toward her. She shoved his chest with her foot, rolled aside, and escaped his grasp.
It all happened in a flash.
Her heart pounded wildly, her chest heaving with ragged breaths. The world swayed dizzyingly, yet everything appeared excruciatingly sharp and clear.
It was as if someone had stuffed her spine with raw shadow-flower, leaving her body tingling all over.
Swallowing her nausea, Luna struggled to her feet. She staggered but managed a few steps before—
Boom! Kwoooom!
“Ahhh!”
A fireball shot past her side and obliterated the wooden shed ahead. The collapsing roof sent a wave of searing air surging, flames shooting high, and shards of metal flying in every direction.
Luna’s eyes shook violently as she stared up at the crumbling ceiling. Had she been a step closer, razor-sharp wood and shards of glass would have crushed her skull.
She shivered uncontrollably at how narrowly she had escaped instant death. Instinctively, she turned to face the man who had cornered her.
Arne’s face was twisted with madness, one bloodshot eye blazing as he stretched out his hand and laughed wickedly.
“You said you’d rather die, didn’t you?”
Bang! Boom!
“Kyaaah!”
He conjured fireballs, detonating them around her as threats.
Cowering, Luna shielded her head and shrank into herself as he advanced. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed helplessly. Soon, a looming shadow swallowed her view.
“Coddled you too much, didn’t I? You’ve forgotten your place.”
She glanced between him and the trembling ceiling. If only the glass roof collapsed, maybe she could survive.
Pushing herself backward on her elbows, she edged toward the weakest spot.
“Pearls before swine. Arne, fireballs are all you know, aren’t they?”
“You don’t realize—you’re only surviving this heat because I’m here.”
Of course she knew. Ever since he’d entered, Arne had been sustaining protective wards and unleashing torrents of magic.
His arrogance would be his undoing—he’d burn himself out. Luna smirked faintly to provoke him.
“Still scheming? Don’t grin like that—you’re ugly.”
Snarling, Arne pinned her down and wrapped his hand around her throat.
“Then show me. Can you put out this inferno? You can’t. Ha!”
Choking and gasping, Luna clawed at his arm like an animal caught in a snare.
Her ragged breaths and flushed face only made her look more beautiful to him. His lips twisted into a crooked smile. If she was going to faint anyway, he might as well enjoy it.
He clenched his free hand into a fist, then slowly opened it. A thin stream of water formed at his fingertips.
He intended to extinguish the fire. At least, he thought he did.
But instead, the water surged upward—straight toward the ceiling.
“What the hell…?”
“……”
Fwoooosh!
The instant his eyes locked with Luna’s, the magic within him erupted into a massive pillar of light, blasting through the ceiling and tearing a hole to the sky.
Crash! Boom—! Shatter!
Shards of glass and wood rained down like arrows in a deafening storm.
“Aaaagh!”
Luna yanked her hood up, curled beneath his large frame, and used his body as a shield. His scream in her ears told her just how dire the situation was.
She squeezed her eyes shut—then cautiously opened them when his body went strangely still.
“……!”
Her gaze fixed on the shard of glass that had pierced clean through his body, deep enough to jut out near his eye.
Arne Obis was dead.
