The Shadows in the Halls

"There is an old and ancient technique that I read about a long time ago." Brie started to blush, turning her as red as a tomato as soon as she began speaking about harnessing mana.

"Brie?" Nicholas asked, confused by his younger sister's behavior.

"I think it's best if I showed you." Brie told him as she bit her lower lip and dragged him out of the garden.

"Showed me what, Brie?" Nicholas asked in a hushed voice as they passed some hallways he didn't feel any familiarity towards.

"Just come with me. We need to get Ryenne." She said in an annoyed tone as they continued to walk the dark hallways.

Nicholas was sure he had never passed this area of the palace. Most places he had gone to gave him a sense of familiarity. Even the Stella Garden felt familiar to him, but this place didn't.

It was as if he was in an alien planet, floating around.

"Nicholas!" Brie shouted, a look of concern spread on her face. "Shit!" She cursed.

Nicholas continued to stare at his sister as she began to panic.

He had no idea how long they had been standing in the hallway, but all of a sudden they were no longer alone.

A man and Ryenne quickly ran to them as Brie's lips continued to move as she shook Nicholas.

"You didn't enchant him?" Ryenne asked Brie as the man lifted Nicholas to his feet and helped him walk down the hall.

"I forgot." Brie hissed, she hated being corrected or reprimanded by others. It was a trait she knew that all the royal children shared.

"I mean no disrespect, your highness, but can't you let the shadows take this one? Can't you find another brother to use?" The man grumbled as they finally reached a large circular room.

"Lay him on the table, I need to purge the death that seeped into his mana veins first." Brie ordered, ignoring the man.

The man rolled his eyes and roughly threw Nicholas on a cement table that had odd markings on them.

"Chain him down. We can't have him hurting himself." Ryenne ordered.

The man quickly did as she had asked, chaining down Nicholas' arms and legs.

"Again, why are you choosing your weakest brother? Can't you just let death take him? Choose another brother, a more powerful one." The man said as he took a step back and stood next to Ryenne.

Nicholas couldn't help but wonder what was going on and what the man kept going on about. He was confused, he could barely remember his own name.

Could this be the same magic that had caused him to lose his memories? If so, was Brie to be trusted?

"Because he is the only one I can trust." Brie told the man as dark mist started to leave Nicholas' body coming from his pores.

"He is the weakest, at least consider Marco." The man continued to insist as Nicholas slowly recovered from whatever magic had impared him.

"Yes, Marco is strong, but like my other brothers all he wants is the throne. What I want won't matter. He will marry me and force me to bear his child, I don't want that." Brie insisted as Nicholas' eyes snapped open.

"Just a little bit more, brother. Oh and welcome back." Brie smiled as she saw how quickly Nicholas had recovered.

It took only a few seconds for her to draw all of the black mist back, allowing Nicholas to fully recover.

"What was that?" He asked his sister as the man pulled on the chains that held him down.

"In a simple explanation?" Ryenne asked, offering Nicholas a hand up. "It was death seeping into you. It's the only way Princess Brie can be kept safe."

"I thought I had created a boundary around you, made you immune in the past." Brie frowned as Nicholas sat back up and fixed his clothes. "It seemed that after the incident, the magic wore off."

"Okay, then just make me immune again so we can get to whatever you were going to show me or tell me." Nicholas told his sister as he crossed his arms on his chest.

Not only was this taking longer than it needed to be, but he had also almost died.

"Leave us, Alec." Brie commanded, to which the man called Alec unquestioningly bowed and left the room.

"I've already made you immune. I did so while taking out the death from your pores." Brie explained. "As for the other matter." She glanced at Ryenne and blushed.

"You told him about the power transfer." Ryenne gasped upon realization of what her princess had told Nicholas.

"He needs it, Ryenne. We both read the books, without it no mage can reach their full potential." Brie was insistent on this power transfer technique that she and Ryenne had discovered in the library.

Nicholas couldn't help but wonder how dangerous that technique was for Ryenne to be so adamant that Nicholas was not to know.

"Look, if it's that dangerous, then we won't try it. I'll find another way." Nicholas said as he looked between the two women.

Brie frowned while Ryenne looked more relieved than ever.

"This is wrong." Brie hissed as she walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Leaving Nicholas and Ryenne alone.

It was the first time Nicholas had seen the woman at ease. She had a strange glow about her, something that brought out her best features even more.

"Will you at least let me know details about what this power transfer my sister is so adamant about?" Nicholas asked Ryenne.

He couldn't deny that he was itching to find out more.

"We found a book that told us of a technique that only certain mages could use. It was a way for mana to be transferred, allowing mages to reach the upper limits of their magic." Ryenne basically explained.

"That isn't it." Nicholas' tone was cold and harsh. He didn't like being lied to.

"If we are correct, you are powerful enough to tap into some of my magic if I did the transfer with you. It may allow you to regain your memories." Ryenne still sounded calm.

Nicholas knew she was still keeping something from him.

If it were as she had said, then she would not be as alarmed.

"Out with it, Ryenne." Nicholas grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to him, staring into her eyes, challenging her to lie again.

Ryenne could feel the power oozing from Nicholas, something that scared her and attracted her to him at the same time.

"I don't like liars." Nicholas hissed, waiting for her to tell him the full truth.

"That level of power transfer requires me to have intercourse with you." Ryenne said, pulling her arm free of Nicholas and using his shock to push him away, before finally marching out of the room same as her mistress.