Page 68 of Thorns & Fire
Magical resonance.More words from the book came to her.A bonded pair possess a powerful synergy that resonates when they are together.
Saying nothing, Torj lifted the pot and poured her a cup.He added sugar, exactly how she liked it, before sliding it across to her.
‘Thank you,’ she murmured, warming her palms against the hot ceramic.
Torj simply dipped his head in acknowledgement and made his own cup.
Suddenly, she was very conscious of Dessa watching them, smiling smugly.Keen to draw attention away from herself, Wren turned to Zavier.‘How did submitting your proposal go?’
Zavier’s expression instantly darkened.‘Good morning to you too.’
Wren balked.‘It didn’t go well?’
Her friend sighed.‘It’s complicated.’
‘I’m sure we can handle it,’ Dessa said, pursing her lips in annoyance.
Wren lifted her cup to her lips and bit back a moan.There was nothing quite like that first sip in the morning.‘Come on, Zave, tell us.’
‘I’m ironing out the finer details,’ he replied.‘But the reception from the masters was mixed.The topic is a tad controversial.’
‘What is it?’Wren pressed.‘Transmutation is one of alchemy’s basic fundamentals...’
Zavier took a deep breath.‘I wanted to explore the possibilities of human transmutation.’
Wren’s mouth fell open.‘What?’
‘That was the response I got from Crawford, Tremaine and Mercer, too,’ he said dryly.
Beside Wren, Torj cleared his throat.‘Does someone want to fill me in?’
Zavier sighed.‘Do you attend none of Wren’s lessons?’
‘Not if I can help it,’ Torj replied.
‘Human transmutation is hardly something that was covered in our novice lessons, anyway,’ Wren chimed in.‘It’s a particularly taboo area of alchemy.It involves attempting to bring the dead back to life.’
‘That’s impossible,’ Torj blurted.
Zavier nodded.‘So many have said over the years.Which is why my proposed opus is entirely theory-based...’
Wren’s skin crawled all the same.There was something deeply unsettling about the concept itself.
‘Any particular reason for this area of study?’Dessa asked.‘You’ve never talked about it before.’
‘Why does anyone want to raise the dead?’Zavier shrugged.‘I’ve lost family.Sometimes I like to picture a world where they’re not gone.’
His words were like a punch to Wren’s chest as the faces of her own beloved dead swam before her.For a moment, she imagined being here with Sam and Ida, wondering what subjects they’d choose for their opuses.She pictured Anya standing guard beside Cal, or joking with Kipp...The world would have been so different if they’d stayed in it.
Dessa was nodding.‘I suppose if we’re to study something so deeply, it’s almost a requirement that it’s personal...I know I feel the same way about mine.’
‘You’re working on storing memory, yes?’Zavier asked, clearly desperate to change the direction of the conversation.
‘Yes.For my father.He has ongoing memory loss – key moments in his life are just wiped away.I’m working on adapting the memory weave for a more positive effect on the world.Perhaps I can helpthe victims of the disease and their families from suffering what we have.’Dessa glanced around self-consciously.‘I realize it’s not saving the midrealms or raising the dead, but...’
Wren reached for her instantly.‘It’s just as important.’
‘It’s alright that it’s not,’ Dessa replied, her head hanging slightly.
