Mirage's harsh laugh lashed through the air like a whip. "Even if we wanted to leave, it's not like we could. Unless you're offering to ferry us out of this place yourself? How very generous of you."
Numb shock lanced through Theo. Before he could even begin to react, he heard armor creak and saw Zenith tense, raising his blade a fraction.
Then Victor stumbled back with a sharp gasp, and Darian lurched, the sword sliding from her fingers and clattering to the floor. Now freed, Equinox raced forward to join the other two knights.
"Sir Equinox," the woman said, nodding at him. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Sir Azimuth," Equinox said. "Forgive my carelessness in allowing myself to be captured."
Sir Azimuth said nothing, just nodded sharply again. Cape whirling behind him like flames, Equinox spun around to face Theo's group.
Standing side by side, the knights blocked the hall like an implacable wall of armor. Even though Equinox was disarmed, the prospect of fighting off all three of them made icy sweat prickle the back of Theo's neck.
He gripped his staff tighter, reaching for his Levia. They didn't have a choice.
Victor and Darian had already recovered; Victor had picked up his sword and Darian had drawn her saber. Behind them, Mirage hefted a stolen saber as well.
Everyone was ready. Swallowing hard, Theo focused on the knights. Pay close attention for the slightest of movements, any indication they were going to attack....
But even as he did, reluctance gnawed inside his heart. Stupid and naive as it might be, he didn't want to fight.
So he lifted his head, made himself look into Zenith's eyes again. His lips moved, pushing out a name that ached like he was tearing out a piece of his own heart.
"Zenith."
Zenith's eyes widened, just a fraction. As slight as it was, the reaction sent a dizzying relief sweeping through Theo. But it didn't last long before Zenith's expression hardened again.
"Silence, intruder."
His voice was as cold as his gaze. He lifted his sword a fraction, the faint creak of metal echoing in the silence.
"Zenith," Theo choked out. "Please. Come back with us."
"How dare you!" It wasn't Zenith, but Sir Azimuth, her voice furious and passionate. "You insolent – "
"Sir Azimuth." Zenith's voice was quiet and emotionless, but it instantly silenced Azimuth's indignant sputters. She stepped back, though the fury didn't stop blazing in her purple eyes.
Theo couldn't focus on her. Right now, nothing existed except for him and Zenith. "I...I've done a lot of thinking. I've learned so many things. I have so much to tell you. So please, just let me...."
"I have no interest in the words of a traitor," Zenith said icily.
Darian breathed in sharply. From behind, Mirage barked out a disbelieving laugh. "We're the traitors? Look in the mirror, you fool! Who's the one who betrayed his crew, broke his oath to his liege – "
A blue flash, a brief burst of wind. That was all the warning Theo got before Zenith charged.
Darian instantly leaped in front of him, swinging her saber. It struck Zenith's sword with an impact that resounded through Theo's bones. She pushed valiantly against him, all the muscles in her body straining, but a sharp jerk of Zenith's sword sent her flying to the side and crashing into the wall.
"Darian!" Theo cried. But before he could reach her, Zenith charged past him and lunged for Mirage.
Victor intercepted with his sword, purple flames streaking in its wake. He managed to knock Zenith back a few steps, but this only incensed Zenith and he gave his blade a ferocious slash through the air. White light surged in its path, lashing out at Victor.
Theo screamed when the light sliced a gouge through Victor's armor, sending him crashing to one knee. Zenith rounded on him, hair swirling wildly behind his head. "You have no right to lecture me, demon!"
Their blades clashed again, but with Victor down on the floor, he didn't have enough leverage. Already his arms were trembling as he ground against Zenith.
Darian dashed toward them, saber extended. Her Levia sparked inside Theo's chest, and just like that sense slammed back into his body. Right, he couldn't just stand here watching.
The dawn light rushed through him, gathering inside the Star of Miriel. It took almost no effort to cast the elemental spell. As the diagram flared beneath Darian, throwing pink highlights across the hall, she stabbed her saber high into the air.
With a harsh crackle, lightning seared around her blade. Its coldly flickering glow drowned out Theo's spell, but that didn't matter. Pointing her saber, Darian leaped at Zenith –
Only for a purple blur to intercept her. Her saber glanced off Azimuth's shield, shedding sparks of lightning. Gasping for breath, Darian stumbled back.
Azimuth lowered her shield, a little smoke curling from the metal the only sign of damage. She glared at Darian, cold and determined, before slashing out with her sword.
Darian rolled out of the way, but her frustration shuddered inside Theo. And he felt the same way. Azimuth was just a distraction. More than anything, they needed to reach Zenith.
Maybe if he cast a speed spell, they could make it past Azimuth. Just as Theo reached for his power, the scent of rose blossoms bloomed in the air. He lurched, startled, but he wasn't the only one: Azimuth suddenly froze mid-strike, her eyes widening.
"Where – "
Theo exchanged stricken glances with Darian, then peered beyond Azimuth at Victor and Zenith furiously clashing in the hall beyond, their blades moving so fast they were just streaks of black and white.
Behind them, Mirage lowered his head in a significant nod. Even from this distance, Theo could see how his golden eyes glittered with intention.
Gratitude flooded Theo, hot and choking. Even without words, Mirage knew exactly what he wanted.
Suddenly Darian threw herself into his side, slamming him into the opposite wall. Theo let out a garbled cry, but when Azimuth's sword slashed the air mere inches from their heads, he realized why she'd done it.
Azimuth stumbled down the hall, still swiping her blade back and forth. "Sir Azimuth!" Equinox called after her. "It's the demon's trick. They're still here!"
"I know that!" But as she spoke, Theo felt Mirage's Levia deepen again. The sweet aroma of roses cut through the sour bite of his panic, the stinging scents of ozone and metal. When Victor disengaged from Zenith and took a few steps back, Zenith froze in place with his sword still raised.
"We'll take those two!" Victor shouted. "Now's your chance!"
With that, he and Mirage raced past Zenith and bore down on Azimuth and Equinox. Theo exchanged firm nods with Darian, then the two of them took off toward Zenith.
He was wide-eyed and indignant, scanning about in a futile attempt to find his invisible opponents. "You filthy demon, resorting to such dishonorable tactics – "
Darian's Levia sparked inside Theo, and understanding her signal, he cast another elemental spell on her. Gritting his teeth, he squeezed his staff until his arms went numb and focused on pouring as much Levia as possible through the Star of Miriel and into her vast cosmos. The waves of dawn light swept across the stars, dazzling as an aurora.
As their power reached a crescendo, Darian charged at Zenith. Lightning blazed so bright around her saber Theo could no longer make out its original shape. His eyes watered and dark dots danced in his vision, but he narrowed his eyes and tried to focus on the scene before him.
Zenith whirled their direction now, naked shock shining on his face. It seemed he had finally sensed something of their Levia.
Too late for him. Darian's saber struck the middle of his unguarded chest, the lightning-augmented blade piercing through armor. Through the violently strobing light, Theo made out molten droplets of red-hot metal sailing through the air.
Lightning erupted from the blade, lashing across the entire hall in great crackling whips. Its raw power stung Theo's head, made him weak-kneed. And he wasn't the only one feeling it. The whips of lightning changed direction, arcing back toward Zenith. All at once they struck the same place as Darian's sword, spearing him with such force he was thrown off his feet.
Illuminated by the flashing lightning, his flight down the hall seemed oddly slow and jerky, like a video missing frames. Darian charged undeterred after him, and Theo forced strength into his legs and followed her.
With a bone-shaking thud and screech of metal, Zenith crashed through a door at the end of the hallway. The lightning died, leaving behind only the sharp bite of ozone, and silence fell.
Theo waited one moment, then another, but all he could hear was his harsh breathing. He blinked, trying to adjust to the change in lighting, but Darian had already started loping forward. She cast him an expectant glance over her shoulder, and Theo swallowed his remaining misgivings before running after her.
She climbed through the still-smoking hole in the door first, then reached out a hand to pull him through. As he straightened, he looked around the room they had entered. His heart skipped a beat when he saw suits of armor lined up in neat rows – but they were stiff as statues, and he didn't detect even the faintest whisper of Levia from them.
No, the only Levia was a pinprick of white light, faint but burning defiantly. It came from the person lying in a heap in the center of the room.
Theo's heart slammed an insistent beat against his ribcage. For the first time, he was alone with Zenith again.