Jayden unsheathed his blade, despite his trembling hands. Elizah also pulled her own dagger from under her right sleeve.

The woman's cloak fell back gently, revealing vivid green eyes and wavy black hair down to her waist. She had a smirk on her face.

"My dear son," the sweet voice of Noxaura with her malicious smirk.

"What. What--- are--you ---doing here?" Jayden asked as he gulped, and his voice had become just a whisper.

Elizah stood back to back with Jayden and gently held his free hand upon noticing him tremble.

"What the two of you have done should be the bigger question here," Noxaura said, and she unsheathed her own blade from a small dagger sheath and brought it towards Elizah's chin.

"Liran's daughter, aren't you? The traitorous blood runs in your veins as well. Always trying to get yourself into some trouble," Noxaura said as she put the blade closer to Elizah's neck but didn't draw blood.

"Don't… hurt her," Jayden said as he pointed his blade to deflect Noxaura's, such that hers fell into the grass with a thump.

"You're so taunting," Noxaura said and gave a mirthless laugh, "Sometimes I wonder if you have any of my traits. Or are you just another weakling like Cyprian?"

"What do you want from us?" Elizah asked with anger pent up in her tone to mask her fear.

"You've done so many crimes and wonder what I want? I'm asking gently before you see my true half, dear. Either, the two of you will surrender, hands down. Or let your lives be at risk, and make us do it the difficult way," Noxaura said, and her hands went onto her son's cheek, and her fingers crawled up his cheekbone.

"What do you choose my son?" she asked him.

Jayden was still quite startled by what had happened, but he knew exactly what he wanted to do. He lowered his sword, and he slowly brought it towards his waist.

"Predictable as always," Noxaura said and rolled her eyes before signalling to the sentries to advance and tie them down and saying, "Always a coward."

Instantly, Jayden handed the blade to Elizah's left hand, which was next to his right hand. He immediately ignited his palms with a blue flame. There was a long blade of flame in his hands.

"I'll never give in to you and your demands unless I'm dead," Jayden said in a dead whisper before he nudged Elizah to launch an attack. The two of them took off, with Jayden charging directly at Noxaura and Elizah taking each of the guards.

Jayden brought his flames out as blades and was about to lay a strike when he was deflected by an equal heating force, and Noxaura only had a grin on her face.

"Two can play at that game," Noxaura said, "Fight fire with fire."

Jayden was in disbelief as he had used his whole body force to try and push Noxaura, but she defended with equal intensity.

"How?" Jayden asked between gritted teeth, "How do you have magic?"

"I'm your mother, my dear boy. Some things pass only through generations of family," she said and singed a part of Jayden's formal tunic.

"Why did you ban it in the territory then?" Jayden asked with annoyance and threw a fireball to deflect her focus off Jayden as he made a strike towards her cheek. It singed a small cut across Noxaura's cheek.

"Oh, you're making a threat," Noxaura said and let her flames dim suddenly.

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"I'm giving in," Noxaura said, and her arms were up, "You can take your strike at me."

Jayden was ready to take a strike, but he faltered when he brought his palm up to Noxaura's jaw.

"Weak hearts don't do you any good," Noxaura said and pulled a small dagger from under her sleeves. Before Jayden noticed anything, there was a sharp pain in his chest, and he yelled out as he clutched the wound.

"I wanted to see this for so long," Noxaura said, her eyes full of malicious anger.

"I'm glad I went down fighting," Jayden said before everything went black and he fell down on his back.

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Elizah continued to knock the guards out one at a time. She wasn't ready to kill them. It was against what she believed in. She withdrew power from the soldiers, keeping her energy levels high and agile.

She glanced at Noxaura and Jayden to make sure he was fine and returned to her conquest over the guards.

She was down to the last two when she heard the scream. It immediately turned her glance towards the centre, and she broke at that moment.

Jayden had fallen down. Elizah almost got hit for an instant, but she jumped and ran towards Noxaura.

She dodged her attacker and stabbed the other before she charged at Noxaura with all the anger and grief taking over her actions.

"How could you?" Elizah asked as Noxaura's blades of flames illuminated to life again.

"I'd warn you. If I were you I'd take my bargain. Either you fight me and you'll lose your lover, or I'll let you heal him then you'll surrender," Noxaura said and cocked her head at Elizah.

Elizah then noticed Jayden with his wound only growing by the minute.

"Alright," Eizah said and dropped her blades. The leftover soldiers surrounded her.

I'll save him and then fight. Elizah soon decided and knelt by him.

She gently placed her palms on his chest, where the blade would have been, and felt for the wounds to heal them. When she put her hand over his chest itself, her hand started to grow sticky with blood. She prayed silently to the spirits. There were too many ways that he might die in this mess, but Elizah wasn't giving up hope just yet.

Please don't go, Elizah pleaded in her prayer to the spirits. And when she was just about to give up, the light inside him flickered to life, and Elizah let out a relieved sigh with the tears on her face falling off. He was breathing again, but he was only unconscious.

Elizah then picked up her blade again and swept it at Noxaura, but Noxaura had beaten her to it. Elizah felt a thump at the back of her head.

"You tried to break our promise," Noxaura said as Elizah felt the world spin and her eyes blur. Elizah tried to lash out at Noxaura in her disoriented state but failed miserably.

Noxaura looked momentarily surprised but only smiled when she turned back to Elizah.

"Tie them up," she ordered some officials who were just regaining consciousness.

"Bring this one to my inquisitorial chambers. She needs to learn when to control her temper and hold her tongue," Noxaura said as Elizah struggled before Noxaura pressed Elizah's neck, and everything went black.

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Micah paced through the room for what felt like the dozenth time. He was worried, more than ever in his life. Elizah and Jayden had not shown up for hours.

Roxanne was crying in her room alone. She didn't want anything to be wrong with them, but since they were supposed to be in the house for lunch hours, both Micah and Roxanne were suspecting the worst.

There was a sudden knock at the door, and Micah rushed to open it, hoping that Jayden and Elizah were going to say that they had gotten carried away. But his expectations were proved wrong.

"Is Roxanne Cohen here?" the palace official asked when Micah opened the door.

"No. Can I help you with something?" Micah asked, trying to hide the fear in his voice.

"I need to speak to you," the official said and walked up to him.

"What happened?" Micah asked, and he stood in a defensive position.

"Your sister was found to be a magic user and was caught practicing magic. She was seen practicing magic by the pond and also has manipulated the Prince and his mind. We have arranged a hearing for her two days from now. But her fate is mostly sealed. For all her crimes, a life penalty will be a boon, death penalty is what she deserves for being such an idiot," the man said and walked out the door.

"My sister did nothing," Micah said as he followed the men outside.

"You don't know half of what she has done," the man said and turned his back to Micah when he heard Roxanne calling.

"Micah, who was it?" Roxanne asked, and Micah didn't know what to say.

"Mama," Micah called softly, "It was about Liz."

"What is it?" Roxanne asked with worry.

"She's in danger," Micah said, and Roxanne crumbled and broke down again, "She's been caught."

Roxanne sat down and cried as Micah held her close, knowing that there was nothing that he could do to help her.

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