Chapter 42: Last resort

"Drink?" Ace held out a glass to Veretta.

"No," she replied flatly.

She and Errik were confined inside the space of the general's office. The light of the fireplace was crowded with shadows. The general sat back at his desk with a smile and took a sip of his own glass.

"How fortuitous," he commented, "I ask Tomas to bring you and here you are,"

"We haven't come for you," Veretta answered severely, "we're for Tomas and then we're leaving,"

"Oh really?" Ace mused, "but I've grown quite fond of him. I don't think I'm ready to part with him just yet."

Errik stepped to the desk and with a flash, his sword was at the general's neck.

"He's coming with us," Errik declared icily.

Ace tutted as he batted the sword away. He came around the desk and gingerly set the glass down on the table.

"That is not what we agreed," he leant back against the desk and smiled at Veretta.

"I want to rescind our agreement. You have not honoured your word," Veretta returned.

"Neither have you," Ace laughed, "so here we are. You know how this works. You want something from me, you have to give something,"

"The spell," Veretta surmised at once, "you want me to do the spell?"

"There we go, smart girl," Ace gave a satisfied grin, "So, what's it going to be?"

He glanced at Errik with a cold smile, "A fight to the death or you give me what I want?"

"You would go so far for some spell?" Errik's eyes narrowed.

"You have no idea," Ace smirked.

"Then let me do it," Errik interjected.

"You?" Ace's amusement was momentarily clouded by a flicker of hesitation.

"I have more magic than her," Errik stated flatly, "and more experience. Why would you refuse?"

Ace's grin returned, "Who said I'm refusing? You want to play useless knight in shining armour? Fine by me,"

"No!" Veretta cut in, "that is not what we agreed!"

"What difference does it make?" Ace smiled, "in fact, this works out well for me. I'm in a bit of a rush, you see,"

"No that's not.." Veretta started to interject.

"What spell do you need me to cast?" Errik interrupted.

"Glad you asked," Ace grinned, "do you have the journal I gave you?"

"I destroyed it," Errik answered apathetically.

"You did what?" Ace's black eyes glowed a violent red.

"You heard me," Errik said even more dismissively.

"That is a shame," Ace turned away from them. The glow in his eyes abated as he let out a long sigh, "well, this is going to go a little differently in that case,"

In an instant Ace came behind Veretta with his hand at her throat. Errik instantly turned back with his sword down.

"Drop it," Ace said coldly, "Or I'll rip her throat out with my bare hands. You know I can,"

Errik's sword trembled in his hand. He released to the ground with a clang, "just tell me what you want!" he hissed.

"What I want?" Ace gave a pained chuckle, "You're making it impossible for me to get what as I want - as always!"

Veretta began to struggle, but the general tightened his grip against her throat. She gave a small gasp and Errik stepped forward.

"Back off!" Ace warned, "this is your fault. The memory spell was written in that journal. All you had to do was remember. Why couldn't you just do what I asked? I didn't want to kill her, but now I'm out of time. Silthus is coming and if he figures out what I'm doing this will all be for nothing!"

"You don't have to do this," Veretta breathed, "if you help us, we can kill Silthus,"

"That's where you're wrong!" Ace snapped, "I can't kill him,"

"You're afraid of him," Errik's eyes narrowed, "You said it was loyalty, but it's not is it? What has he got over you?"

Ace gave a bitter smile, "it doesn't matter. You've forced my hand. Now I'm going to have to kill her,"

"If you kill her, I'll die as well," Errik faltered, "you won't get what you want,"

"I guess I'll just have to find another way to resurrect you when Silthus is out of the way," Ace grinned darkly, "You died once, you can do it again,"

"WAit!!"

Tomas burst into the room. He and Yona had been waiting outside. He threw himself in front of the general breathlessly.

"Wait! Please!" Tomas entreated, "what if there was another way?"

"You'll cast the locator spell?" Ace looked down at him unconvinced.

"I can't..." Tomas faltered, "I don't have the power to cast a spell like that,"

"Then you lied?" Ace's black eyes surveyed him with engulfing darkness.

"No, no!" Tomas shook his head, "I know a person who can cast it, but they live in Ascar!"

"We don't have time to go to Ascar," Ace dismissed, "Silthus will be here any day and this girl is going to get in our way,"

"She won't!" Tomas implored, "Tell him, Veretta!"

Ace glanced down at her expectantly as he loosened his grip. Veretta gave a gasp inhaling shallow breaths.

"Tell him, you'll give up on Silthus!"

"I..." Veretta stared down grievously, "I can't... I'm sorry,"

"Well, you heard," Ace resumed his grip brusquely.

"No, you can lock them up!" Tomas exclaimed, "you don't have to kill them!"

"You heard her. She's going to keep coming for Silthus," Ace said coldly, "and when he catches her, it won't be a quick death. He'll torture every last word out of her. Including my part in this. I can't let her live,"

"Then...then..t," Tomas struggled to go on.

Ace tilted his head back with a sigh, "Times up,"

"I'm sorry, Tomas," Veretta said with tears streaming down her face, "I'm so sorry,"

"I have a better solution," Errik asserted.

"What?" Ace paused with his hand still at Veretta's throat. His eyes narrowed on Errik impatiently.

"I'll remember," Errik inhaled sharply, "I'll just remember,"

"Do you remember the spell, Tomas?" Ace cast him a quick look.

Tomas's lips trembled, "I don't remember it," he confessed.

"It's too late," Ace returned sharply to Errik, "you destroyed the spell,"

"Then another spell," Errik replied disdainfully, "I'm a wizard, remember? I've studied the spell Veretta cast on me. I know why my memories did not return when the original spell was cast,"

"You kept that quiet," Ace scoffed, "then again, you always were a cunning bastard,"

"Well you should be grateful that I did because I know how to fix it," Errik said through gritted teeth.

"How?" Ace demanded.

"She didn't have enough magic. Humans in this Era don't seem to have the magical capacity they used to, but you do,"

"What are you talking about?" Ace frowned, "I can't cast human magic,"

"No, but I can channel your magic to complete the spell," Errik said quickly.

"No! That will cancel my original spell," Veretta breathed with difficulty, "if you do the spell, he will control you, Errik!"

"Ah, two birds in one stone then," Ace burst out in dark, rancorous laughter, "Without Errik, you'll never be able to kill Silthus. It works out perfectly,"

"No, I won't let you!" Veretta threw back a fistful of magic straight at the general. He caught hold of the crack of lighting zooming towards him. It pop and fizzled out lamely. He threw back his hand and slapped Veretta to the floor.

"You bastard!" Errik lunged forward.

"Ah!" Ace held up a finger in warning, "I can still kill her. Go ready for the spell. Until then, she stays here,"

Errik clenched his fist with a furious exhale.

"Go, go. We're on a deadline here," Ace motioned indifferently, "Yona and Tomas will help you. You better work fast. I'll join you when I'm sure Veretta is tucked away someplace safe,"

Errik remained with his eyes glued to her apprehensively.

"Come on, Errik," Tomas took his arm lightly.

"If you hurt her, I'll kill you," Errik's eyes came up to Ace viciously.

Ace simply smiled as Tomas dragged Errik away.

Back in the office dawn was fast approaching. Ace glanced out over the dark garden below. The first embers of light were beginning to gather at the horizon. After a few moments, he let out a sigh and turned back to Veretta. He knelt down beside her turning her marked cheek to the side.

"I'm sorry, miss witch," he muttered, "but you really left me no choice. I had to get him to act somehow, this was my last resort,"

There were steps at the door. His eyes came up to find Tomas standing at the door.

"Errik, says we need some corpus flower. Do you have any?" Tomas asked.

"Yes," Ace rose quietly and unlocked one of the cabinet doors. He presented a dried red flower to Tomas.

"You were never going to kill her, were you?" Tomas said upon receiving it.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Ace turned away with a shrug.

"You were waiting for Errik to agree," Tomas surmised, "there was no memory spell in that journal,"

"Well, aren't you a sneaky little thing," Ace chuckled, "well, good for you. This is the best way and you know it. She's not going to stop and Errik know it too. He probably thought he could protect her, but he's wrong. If they went to face Silthus, they both would have died. This way we all get what we want,"

"And if the black wizard doesn't remember what you need him to?" Tomas asked hesitantly.

"Then I guess..." Ace paused, "That's the end of it. I'll just never see that person again," he gave a sharply inhale and steadied himself against the desk.

"If it fails, I will bring you to the person who can do the locator spell," Tomas said determinedly.

Ace turned back to him, "why would you do that?"

"Because you seem so desperate," Tomas answered, "and I feel sorry for you..."