Nuë and the Djinn Ch. 02

He could feel Nuë's horror. She began to cry, shaking her head at him. He wanted to tell her it wasn't her fault. Too soon. He had told her too soon. She was always so fierce. He reached to touch her cheek, but he couldn't move. He couldn't even say goodbye to her.

Nuë turned to Levsa and cried out. "Levsa! Make the sorcerer release him!" she demanded, still crying. "Please, Levsa! He has to let him go!"

"Mihel," the sorcerer said outside the tent.

All his will drained from him. Mihel couldn't move. It wasn't a matter of wanting it badly enough or surmounting it. He simply couldn't, not anymore than he could stop himself in midair if he were falling. It just wasn't possible.

Nuë gave a sharp cry, feeling it with him. "Levsa!" Nuë cried.

"It's for the best, child," Levsa said. "He's a demon. He's controlling you. You don't know what you're saying."

"I do know," Nuë said, going to her, grabbing her arm now, frantic. "I know, auntie, I swear that I do. Look in my eyes. See that they're clear. I didn't understand. He's my light. I'm his. You can't do this. He's not what you think. Please--"

"Once the demon is bound, you'll be released from his influence," Levsa insisted, shaking her off. "Tahon! Hold Nuë. Don't hurt her."

Mihel's eyes followed Nuë, who ran to him as Tahon ran across the tent. Tahon, who had shot the arrow. Tahon grabbed Nuë around the waist before she could reach him. Mihel had no form anyway, nothing for Nuë to touch. She fought Tahon as he dragging her to the edge of the tent, holding her there. Nuë was twisting and arching, naked in the Sidean man's arms, crying out to Mihel. Mihel was a thing that couldn't move. It felt like he had never moved, not in all his existence.

They were partly joined. He could feel her. She felt his immobility, his pain. He felt her frantic fear, her remorse like agony in her spirit. Mihel turned and moved toward the entrance of the tent, not his own will, drawn outside. When Mihel arrived, he stood, facing the sorcerer.

"Mihel," the sorcerer said.

This part of the spell severed him, ripping his spirit from his body, which was suspended somewhere in between, inert. In his mind, he screamed. Mihel should be dead, but he wasn't. He felt the tearing, also separating him from his incora, leaving a part of his spirit in Nuë, a part of Nuë's spirit coming with him, those parts lopped off, horrible.

Inside the tent, Nuë began to scream. Levsa had come out behind Mihel. She was in front of him now, holding up the necklace. Her eyes were fierce and elated.

"Mihel," the sorcerer said.

Mihel's spirit became heavy, like iron dragged it down to the depths of a deep ocean. His head bowed. The sorcerer bound his spirit to the necklace. Mihel slept.