Page 106 of Mountain of Mirrors and Starlight
“Breathe,” she said. “Breathe, andthink. Imagine it’s your hand. You’re in control. You can do this, Caer.”
Caer took a deep, steadying breath, followed by another. He closed his eyes. Somehow, that helped—it was one less sense to overwhelm him. He thought about how he’d used his hands to direct his power before, and tightened them into fists now.
He kept breathing.
You can do this, Caer.
Aislinn couldn’t lie. Those weren’t just words she was spouting—she truly, genuinely believed he could.
So he would. Hehadto.
He imagined a wall surrounding her, an armour that protected her like the ones the dwarves seemed to have naturally. He squeezed his hands tighter, like they could dislodge his own thoughts.
Her radiance began to dim.Everythingbegan to dim.
He opened his eyes. Aislinn stood ahead of him. “Better?”
He nodded his head. “Have you ever been overwhelmed by your powers?”
“Once or twice, yes. I mastered the art of shutting them out fairly early on. Maybe that’s why I’m no magician. Easier to fight with a blade. More—”
“Control.”
She paused. “Yes.”
Diana came back with a steaming mug of ale, Luna bringing some refreshments behind her. The dwarves crowded round him, patting his back and praising his efforts. Minerva, however, was nowhere to be seen.
Aislinn slunk away into the crowd.
Aislinn disliked nerves. She’d made a fine effort over the years of conquering her own, usually by focusing on the task at hand and training so well beforehand she was too exhausted to think or so rehearsed she knew she had the confidence to succeed.
She was not used to feeling nervous for other people, nor like she’d like to pummel thosemakingthem nervous.
Watching Caer in that painful mockery of a test was different.
She believed Venus’ reasoning, but she also had seen the hunger in her eyes, her intense fascination with Caer’s powers, and how she seemed oblivious to his discomfort. When it was over, Aislinn wasn’t sure if she wanted to punch the queen or run to Caer.
But when he’d swayed, she’d hurtled over like an arrow loosed from a bow.
Now that he was all right, the need to punch Venus remained.
She tried to challenge her inner Hawthorn on her way to the throne room, tried to think of a more diplomatic way to say, ‘I really want to stab you and if you try anything like that again I just might’ but nothing came.
Maybe she would just stab her.
Venus wasn’t in the throne room. Neither was Minerva.
Aislinn retraced her steps. They must have found a room closer to the gardens. She crept backwards through the halls, searching.
Voices sounded along the hall.
Aislinn slowed her pace and crept towards the door. It was open, just a fraction, a guard posted outside. He did not stop her from approaching.
“That was cruel, Venus,” came Minerva’s voice. “Needless.”
“I needed to know what sort of person I’d be harbouring within my walls.”
“If you think I would bring anyone here who threatened our city in any way—”
