"That man," the leader sneered, stepping over the body, "was the tether keeping Benedict's mind under our control. He fed his life force into the spell. So noble. Our master will definitely reward him in death." He laughed bitterly. "Now he's dead. And so is our hold on the Northern Duke."
Annora defied him, and he is going to make her life hell. With Benedict awake... Hah, he will soon realise that the one who benefited the most was Annora, and direct his anger towards her.
Even as he spoke, the threads of magic tethered to Benedict snapped—like strings of a marionette cut all at once. Far away, the Northern Duke's eyes would clear. The haze would lift. And with it… Clarity would return.
The leader turned slowly to the others, power crackling dangerously in his hands. "If any of you wish to join him, speak now."
No one did.
