Page 60 of A Reign of Embers

I admire their resilience and resourcefulness as a symbol of those virtues, but I can’t say I want the actual animals getting particularly close to me.

Turning to the two soldiers Axius and Captain Evando recommended for our first major experiment in combining divine gifts, I push a smile to my lips against the weight of gloom hanging over me.

Tomorrow morning, my lovers will vanish from my life for days if not weeks. We’ve never really been apart, even if we haven’t always been able to communicate in more than glances and signs. I can’t be sure all of them—anyof them—will make it back safely.

But I can’t let my distress show in front of my subjects who expect me to still be mourning my murdered husband. So the best I can do is ensure we have as many advantages as possible in place so the conquered countries can actually come to our aid… if they choose to.

I focus on the ruddy-haired woman named Tobelle first. “You’re dedicated to Kosmel yourself, I believe? Your gift has to do with distraction?”

“Yes, Your Imperial Highness.” She bobs her head respectfully. “I can divert attention from a specific person, object, or place. Usually only the attention of a few opponents and only for a short time, but it can come in handy.”

When she speaks, I glimpse a flash of iron in the back of her mouth—the back teeth she replaced. It’s a common dedication sacrifice for soldiers, though most at twelve aren’t willing to endure the pain of giving up more than a couple, as she did.

I can’t even imagine what agony Neven went through to have every one of his molars extracted.

“I’m sure it can,” I say. “Let’s see how it works on its own. Perhaps you could attempt to distract the rats into not noticing you and then approach them?”

“Of course.” Her gaze flicks to Axius and Evando, two superior officers she may hope to impress even more than she does me, before settling on the scuttling rodents. The little animals haven’t paid us much of any mind so far, clearly secure in their position here in the temple.

The soldier’s eyes narrow in concentration. She waits through a few breaths and then steps toward the statue.

I’d assume that a gift that could distract at least one human being should be more effective on much smaller creatures. None of the rats look Tobelle’s way at first, continuing their sniffing and exploring as if they have no sense they might be imposed on. Even when she sets her feet a little harder on the tiled floor, not one furry head twitches her way.

But rats are probably more alert to threats than even the average military-trained human. Or perhaps it’s simply that nearly thirty of them is too many for the soldier to distract all at once.

Tobelle takes another step, just a few paces from them now, and one of the nearby rats locks its beady eyes on her. With a squeak of warning, it darts behind the statue.

Alarm ripples through the swarm. Several rodents glance toward the soldier and bound away or brace themselves defensively. Others follow the first behind the statue without even bothering to check the source of danger.

Tobelle stops where she is, her mouth slanting at an uneven angle. “I’m sorry. That’s the best I could do.”

“Still impressive,” Evando says in a reassuring tone. “You wouldn’t normally need to be distracting enemy forces from so nearby.”

I match his tone. “We just want a baseline so we can seehow effective our experiment is. We’d better give the animals a few minutes to settle down now.”

I shift my attention to her companion, a skinny man named Farro who looks like he hasn’t quite lost his teenage gawkiness. “And you’re dedicated to Prospira?”

He dips his head in a brisk nod, clasping his hands in front of him. The motion draws my gaze to the spot where his little finger is missing from his left hand. “When I consulted with the clerics before my dedication, they suggested taking an atypical route so my gift might be less easily predicted and countered. I can create fear in the enemy by giving them the sense that our forces have much more abundant resources and strength.”

My next smile comes more naturally. “Very creative.”

The rats quickly resume their previous scampering. At my signal, Farro’s stance tenses.

It only takes a matter of seconds before several of the rats shiver and run off behind the statue again. The others remain where they are but slow their explorations to look around warily. I can’t tell whether they’re affected by his gift as well or simply reacting to their companions’ behavior.

“Very good.” I gather myself. “While we’re waiting for them to calm down again, let’s get you in position for your joint effort. You remember the techniques we practiced yesterday?”

Tobelle steps over beside Farro. “Yes, Your Imperial Highness. I’m ready to give it a go.”

“Absolutely!” her colleague puts in.

I’ve been poring over the book on combined magical studies since Bastien offered it to me. The most beneficial part so far has been the notes on ways to increase the likelihood that two—or more—gifts will enhance each other when used simultaneously on the same target.

From what the author of the reports claims, Raul andBastien combined their gifts almost effortlessly because of the brotherly bond they share. The better two people know each other and the more emotionally close they feel, the more easily their gifts will mingle.

For people who aren’t anywhere as familiar or connected, there are various ways to attempt to establish a sort of harmony.

One is physical closeness. Tobelle and Farro link arms at the elbow.

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