"What happened?” Alyssa took Barinon’s hand in her own. Hers was soft and small in his, but it comforted to have her close, nonetheless.

He shook his head. “I don’t know. If I can figure out a way to make it stop.”

Mages were shouting in all corners of the castle now. “Get out, get out of the castle!”

He hoped they would listen. He shouted as he and Alyssa fled. At least the king had made it out in time. Everyone else might be stuck sleeping for a hundred years. He rubbed at his head. He knew he should be racing and panicking with everyone else, shouting and telling everyone else what to do, but this was his spell and that put him in charge of stopping it. Even Reimund would defer to Barinon in this instance. The thought made him sick. What had gone wrong? Spells don’t just grow.

Light blinded him as they stepped outside. He had spent so much time indoors lately. Once they made it out onto the grounds surrounding the castle, Alyssa stood in front of him. “You can’t go back in there. We need you. If you go back in, you’ll just sleep.”

“I know.” He took her in his arms. “This next part will be dangerous for all of us. We have to contain the spell so it doesn’t just keep growing.”

“Will it stop on it’s own?” Her eyes were almost pleading him to say yes, that everything was going to be fine, but he didn’t think so. Maybe he had bound the spell incorrectly. He shoved that thought aside. He had been using that particular spell on an almost constant basis lately.

He gulped. She deserved the truth. She had to know what was at stake here. “It might just continue and cover the entire earth if we don’t stop it.”

She blinked back tears. He felt his heart wrench. “You have to make it stop, then.”

He nodded. “I will do my best.” He wasn’t exactly the mage that any of them would have chosen for this job, but he would do whatever it took.

“Barinon,” she said. He looked into her beautiful brown eyes and she pulled him into a kiss. A thrill ran through him. He loved this fierce woman and he was determined to tell her so.

“Barinon!” someone shouted. “Barinon, we have to do this now!” It was Reimund and he was right.

“Alyssa, I love you,” he said, ignoring the head of the mages, the spell and the whole world. “If we survive this, will you marry me?” The tears came then, streaming down his face, blurring his world.

“Yes.” She hugged him and then let go. He was a fool to have waited so long to ask her. He had always thought that she might say no, that he would ruin what he had with her. She left his side and became part of the circle. The rest of the mages had formed a ring around the entire castle. The castle was in chaos. People were running from the castle, a woman ran past, dragging her son behind her. A soldier ran past her, almost tripping on the child. He stopped at the last minute, moved around the child and ran on.

“My wife!” a man was shouting. “Has anyone seen Ingrede?” He was pushed on by the crowd.

Berinon looked at Alyssa. Terror and determination filled her eyes. They had to stop this now. There was nothing else they could do. He closed his eyes, cleared his mind and pushed all thoughts of people running, of what he and Alyssa had just shared, everything out of his mind. Reaching inside himself, he pulled on his magic. He could sense the spell even with his eyes closed, could see the size of it. This would take so much power to stop. He understood now what they were up against but he still didn’t know what they had done wrong, what he had done wrong.

He moved his arms out and up, slapping his hands together. He did it again, making sure his movements were correct. The last time, he channelled magic at the spell, focusing on what he wanted it to do. The movements would only do what he wanted if he concentrated and this, this was going to take time. He could feel the link coming in from the other mages, power flowing into him. He felt amazing, invincible. He could do this, he could do anything. He opened his eyes. The spell was larger now than he thought it would be. He wasn’t going to make it. It wouldn’t be enough. They had given their all. They were standing, all of them on the brink and he didn’t have enough magic to make it stop.

Everything slowed for Barinon. He saw people running and shouting. A girl rand and caught a little boy who was heading for the castle. A man and woman ran but they weren’t fast enough. They fell, the woman fell on top of the man. More and more of them fell. The spell was growing and everything he was throwing at the spell was just not going to be enough. Dispair welled within him. What would happen if he set this free? Would they all die or would the whole world sleep with the princess for a hundred years? He didn’t want to find out. He had to make this work.

Sweat broke out on his forehead and he began to feel faint. He almost staggered, but he could not allow himself to be weak, could not allow himself to fail. They were all trusting him now. He had to make things right. Then the power stopped. He had nothing left and the other spell continued to grow. He still didn’t know how.

He glanced at Alyssa. They only had one option left, an option he was not willing to take.

Do it Berinon. Amidst all the shouting of the people around them, she made her voice heard in his head. You know you need to do this. This is what the kingdom needs. You must save them. I love you.

He could not stop her. This was her choice, one that she made willingly. His heart felt like it was being ripped out of his chest but he had to focus. She was giving up her life. He had to make it count. Power flowed through him, the last bit of power that had kept the love of his life alive. He gritted his teeth. Tears streamed down his face.

I love you, she said again and then she fell to the earth. He screamed but he couldn’t stop her actions, could not stop her death. He had to see the spell complete or her sacrifice would be for nothing. He had to focus. More power flowed through him and he knew what that meant. He looked around, still focusing on the spell.

Save them, Barinon, Reimund said and collapsed on his other side. Short bursts of energy flowed through him and he sent it all to his spell, he gave everything he could, swaying his feet. It was a difficult task in the best of times. If he gave too much of his own power, he would collapse and the containment spell would contain nothing, do nothing.

He blinked and shook his head. He had to remain conscious, to make the other mages’ sacrifices worth it. Every burst of energy pulled on his heart, threatening to rip it out of his chest. These were his friends, his colleagues, the only people who really understood him. But he could not let that heartache turn to despair. He had to keep going. He was almost there. It was almost enough. The containment spell was finally cresting the other one. He could see it growing. Finally, it was large enough, finally the other spell stopped growing. He had done it. No, he corrected himself. They had done it. He blinked back the tears that were streaming down his face. He needed to see, needed to know that one of them was alive, that he wasn’t the only one left.

People came to him. A man with wide eyes asking if he could bring his wife out. “Get away from me!” Barinon screamed. he looked around the circle of mages. He was the only one, the last one left alone. Every single one of them had all given their lives so that these people could live. He glared at the people around him. It didn’t seem worth it. Everyone he knew, everyone he cared for, was gone. He knelt by Alyssa. Her hand was limp in his but still warm. It felt like hours had passed, but they must not have.

“Why did you do it?” He took her limp body in his arms. She was so beautiful, so smart, so much better in every way. She should have been the one to survive if they had to die. “Why?” He shouted at the sky. He had killed them all. He wanted to lie down next to her and die, but he couldn’t do it. He was the last one left and they would need him now. A foolish man who couldn’t appreciate what ha had until it was gone, he was the last mage, the only one.