The burn that tore through him wasn't new, it was familiar, agonizingly so. It reminded him of that day, when his body melted under her runes. The same fire, the same crawling pain that crept through his veins and bones.
Aisha's hands, caressed his arm as if soothing him, only to still it, freezing his body mid-swing before he could throw his dagger. The touch seared him, locking every muscle. His breath caught in his throat.
But this time, it wasn't the pain of betrayal.
It was the pain of fighting back.
The runes carved over his healed welts of scars, the ones the sixth princess had sealed, lit up again, crawling across his skin like wildfire. They bled light, fighting against Aisha's. Her mana coiled around him like frost, while his flared like embers, the two forces biting and tearing at each other.
He remembered Lenko's warning, whispered just days ago…
"Don't ever let anyone cast mana runes on you, not even for healing. You'll tear apart from the inside."
