Page 8 of The Obsidian Curse

I shrugged. “I don’t know, but he said he would look into it.”

She hummed in response, still seeming a bit unsure. Her reaction made me think back to my conversation with Amal. Maybe I should have asked more questions.

We finally reached the top and Safina helped me take my burdens to the altar site, a large, flat stone near the cliff’s edge. From this vantage, the view was breathtaking. The camp sprawled below, the tents being assembled by the staff who had remained behind. Beyond, the sand gave way to the turquoise waters of the Aurelian Sea, which stretched out, sparkling, to the horizon. The flotilla anchored nearby was majestic, an unquestionable display of Water Mage ingenuity.

Once Valya was dressed and prepared, I had little to do until the ceremony began. I sat near, but not too near, the cliff’s edge, enjoying the calming sight of the sea glittering in the late morning sunlight. The breeze tugged at my skirt and cooled my heated skin. I wanted the rhythm of waves lapping against the shore to lull me into a state of relaxation, but it was slow in coming. The ache in my knees was a persistent drumbeat overpowering my attempts at calm.

It took me several minutes to realize that the spot I’d chosen gave me a perfect view of the beast’s water cage. From this distance, I couldn’t make out the features of any individual people—they all scurried like insects completing their duties. But the beast’s black form inside the sphere of water was impossible to miss. Within the span of darkness making up its body, two pinpricks of orange flashed.

It was looking at me. Or rather, it was looking in thisdirection, and that odd knowing inside of me was convinced that I was the focus of its attention.

You are in pain?

I jolted sharply at the voice in my head, jerking so violently I nearly fell over. My mouth flew open. I stared in shock at the small dot of black, which stood out in contrast to the pale sand.

“W-what?” I said aloud.

You are hurting,the creature responded.

“You can hear me?”

You do not need to speak aloud for me to hear you. As I said, we are connected. And I can feel you. Just as you can feel me.The voice was so low it was almost a growl, but the words were sure and direct.CouldI feel the creature?

I focused, filtering through the emotions within me. I was in pain, my knee stinging and throbbing along with the rest of my muscles. Emotionally, I was spent, tired, confused, and a little afraid. However, I discovered a sense of calm within me that was not usually there. Also, a feeling of outrage, like day-old banked coals on the cusp of dying that could be easily revived.

How is this possible?This time I thought the question.

There is a great deal of magic in this world, it responded.What is your name?

Was there any harm in answering? Especially to a creature who could read my mind?I’m Niara. Can you hear all of my thoughts?

No, Niara. Only the ones you direct toward me.My name in its fathomless voice made my skin feel elastic across my body. This was a very intimate way of communicating, and Ifelt like I was doing something illicit. Like I should worry about being caught.

Doyouhave a name?I asked.

Not at the moment, the creature said, which I found a very strange reply.Will you come and see me again tonight?

I didn’t know how to answer that. Such a thing was certainly a bad idea, and yet the pull to comply was strong. I was saved from answering by the ringing of the ceremonial chime. The Day Four ritual was beginning.

I rose and brushed off my skirt, attempting to push all thoughts of the beast from my mind as the moon slid into place, covering the daughter sun. But for the rest of the afternoon, I didn’t feel quite so alone.

8

niara

I was dreaming again.I found myself in that same land with the red sky overhead and the black earth beneath my feet. This time I was walking, and though pockets of steam geysered up from the ground every few feet and I could tell the place was searing hot, my bare feet were unscathed and the temperature did not bother me in the least.

I did not know my destination, but it soon became clear. A bed appeared before me in the middle of this vast wasteland. The thick mattress was covered in black sheets, and black flowing, gauzy curtains enclosed it. I approached and lay down on the most comfortable mattress I’d ever felt—it was like a pillow beneath my body, cradling me gently.

As soon as I settled, unseen hands ran over my exposed skin, beneath the slip of a dress I wore, until they tore it away from me, leaving me naked. Against the shell of myear, warm breath from unseen lips whispered foreign words, their resonance a soft thunder that made my bones quietly vibrate.

Invisible hands ran up my legs, over my belly, skated across my breasts and up to my neck, my jaw. They caressed my skin reverently, raising my temperature and making my breathing grow shallow.

I spread my legs wider, an invitation. Every part of me wanted more of this feeling, wanted it to never end. The fingers stroked back down my body and dove between my thighs. I cried out and writhed, seeking to draw them in deeper, desperate for them to fill me.

They invaded me, stretching me and then curling, hitting a spot within me that I hadn’t even realized was there. Whimpers of ecstasy escaped my lips as those thick fingers pumped in and out, massaging that pressure point that made me scream out involuntarily.

Sweat broke out across my skin. My entire focus was on the delicious intrusion of my body, on magnifying the pleasure being delivered. I reached for the unseen hand but felt nothing.

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