Page 73 of A Kiss of Hammer and Flame

This time, Hael’s smile was unencumbered, his fangs flashing in the murky light. ‘This is what I must impart to you, Cahra – Cahraelia.’ He bent his knee to sink before her. ‘I may curse the Oracle for not revealing your true mantle, however, given the nature of what you have learned today, I appreciate her hesitation.’ Hael looked at her with such intensity that Cahra found the bile was roiling in her once again, and she gripped the edge of his stone altar. ‘Only a blood heir to one of the kingdoms may dare hold sway over the Hael’stromian realm. It is the duty of the Scion, aided by the Reliquus.The Key breaks the seal on the magicks that constrain me and my powers. Once the seal is broken, the capital may rise to her feet.’

Cahra nodded, tallying everything he’d told her, the picture forming.

She whispered, fearful as she spoke the words, ‘So where does that leave me?’

Hael rose so swiftly she gasped. A shadow flitted across his face, inches from hers, as he pressed his lips together. Then his expression softened.

‘AsEmpress of Hael’stromia, and Master of the Reliquus. Me.’ He bowed reverently. ‘I am yours to command.’

Cahra recoiled. ‘You can’t be serious,’ she stammered. ‘Being told I’m a Princess is enough fun for one day, thanks.’ Except Hael didn’t joke. She leapt from the altar, bare feet hitting the tiles with a slap. ‘There’s no way! What business do I have beingyourmaster?’ She gaped, incredulous. ‘I mean, you’re a magickal warrior. I can’t even fight with a sword.’ Cahra was circling him now, the urge to move, to do something, anything, searing inside her. ‘Hael, I can’t be anEmpress!I’m not like Thierre, I’m not a real royal, I haven’t been trained! I don’t, Ican’t—’

Thierre, she thought helplessly. This was made for someone like him, not her, someone trained in courtly, well, everything.

Someone had made a horrible mistake.

‘Cahra.’ Hael wisely reverted to her name. ‘It is your truth. Only the Scion can communicate with me, prior to ascending. Here, we are between the veil and void. The capital’s magicks draw you and I, our astral essences, together as Scion and Reliquus.The Oracles themselves could not reach us here.’

Cahra put her hands to her temples, rubbing at them. Her head pounded.

‘This is ridiculous.’ Their astral essences? As in, theirsouls?She leaned against the altar, the stone a stark support. ‘How can it be me? There are a dozen other high-borns for the job – what about King Royce of Luminaux? Even the Steward knows more about ruling than I do.’ Cahra winced, voice straining as she said, ‘Hael, you have to help me, this can’t be right!’

He moved for her, saying, ‘I will, I swear it. However, I can assure you that it is right, in every sense. You are the Scion.’ He paused. ‘And you, too, are of high birth, Cahra.’

She sagged back against the altar. She hadn’t even thought of that.

‘Would it help you to hear of the final omen?’

Sure, what was more prophetic madness? ‘Okay,’ she said numbly.

‘As I have told you, there is a rite. The Key has bound us, and the third omen awaits. You will need to journey to Hael’stromia and use the Key to unseal the temple and this room. However, this final stage will be fraught with danger as the tri-kingdoms may not abide by you and what has been ordained. And presently, I cannot protect you.’ His body tensed as if the idea was unbearable. ‘There is a temporary resolution, however: a period of time where, due to our tether, my powers may be conferred upon you for a short while.’

‘Really?’ Cahra sat up, intrigued. ‘What kind of powers? Will I be able to turn to smoke and fly around too?’

‘Not quite,’ Hael replied with a glimmer of humour. ‘However, you shall be gifted my strength, speed, stamina, agility, perhaps some residual combat instincts.’ That last one was well-developed in her already, at least. ‘They shall fade, little by little.’

‘Okay,’ Cahra said, trying not to sound disappointed about the flying. ‘And the rite?’

‘It is as before,’ Hael said. ‘The price is your suffering. Only, for this omen’s rite, there is, ahem, an exchange.’ A muscle in Hael’s jaw twitched and Cahra narrowed her eyes. It was the first time he’d raised her suspicion.

‘What kind of exchange?’

A pause. ‘My negative emotions, for yours.’

‘Oh,’ Cahra said. ‘So I would receive your – feelings. And they would, what, fuel me with your powers?’ He gave her the slightest nod. ‘You’ve done this before?’

‘Yes.’

‘Is it painful, like last time?’

‘More for me than you.’ The truth. Then what was the problem?

Cahra folded her arms. ‘Hael, I don’t know how this has worked with other Scions, but I need honesty. And you look worried.’

Was that embarrassment in Hael’s eyes? His flames were threshing like a cat’s tail. ‘Honesty. Of course.’ He paused. ‘I merely wish to prepare you for what you will receive.’ Hael hesitated, adding, ‘My suffering, that is.’

His discomfort made more sense now. Embarrassment about her feelings hadn’t even occurred to Cahra last time. She wondered if it should have. Just what happened on the receiving end of this abreption?I guess I’m going to find out.

Cahra met his gaze, determination filling her. ‘I’m ready.’

---