Page 149 of A Baron of Bonds
He claimed to be too hungover to come with us, and I claimed if he didn’t, he’d be sent to be Pompeii’s personal assistant the rest of the day.
We arrived at the bank of the stream, and the rush of water hit my ears as Parvus slowed. It was less a stream and more of a raging river—Great indeed.
I pulled my hair from my face, tying it back and hopping down from Parvus. As the four channelers stopped as well, I addressed them. “Baron Revich would like you to feed your lumens today.”
They looked at me in question.
“Feed them what?” asked Rell, petting her lumen’s head.
I shrugged, remembering this task years ago. “Whatever they’ll eat. The point is, you don’t leave until they are full.”
Baron Revich had led Clairannia, Figuerah, and myself to the middle of the forest during our training, giving the same few instructions.
This was an iumenta magic challenge, and it had not taken Figuerah long to catch and kill a quiphit for her lumen while Clairannia and I scrambled to find something our lumens would actually eat.
Revich and I had decided we could combine this lesson with what I wanted to try for Parvus and Rauca, taking the channelers to the Great Stream while he worked on the conduit trials.
“How do we catch something for them to eat? We didn’t bring weapons.” Mychael looked out at the raging stream and then down to his lumen.
“Your magic is your weapon. Find a way to catch some meat and your lumen will eat.”
Philius slid down from his lumen, running to a bush to be sick.
“As soon as your lumen has filled their belly, you may go, and the rest of your time before lunch is yours.”
That set Rell and Renn into action, and they set out between the trees with masses of red curls bouncing along.
Mychael walked up to the stream and bent down to peer into the water.
Philius continued to be sick.
When Talon and Ilyenna finally arrived, I filled them in, adding, “Talon, you cannot find something for Ilyenna’s lumen.”
“I can do it myself,” she said.
“I know you can, but I also know he’ll try to help you.”
He frowned and helped her down.
“You go that way, I’ll go this,” she ordered.
“Don’t go far,” he muttered, reluctantly turning away from her.
She put her hands on her hips and watched him leave. Her blonde curls fell into her bright blue eyes, and she brushed them away, huffing. “He’s become overprotective. I hate it.”
“Don’t betoohard on him. You’ve only just bonded as companions and now he has two lives to worry about. I’m sure he’ll settle down soon when it becomes more routine.”
She sighed and stretched her back. “Can you meet with me tonight after dinner? For an embroidery lesson?”
“Of course. I’d love to. I’ve started your first moon, so you can finish it. You’re going to love the color of the band. It matches your eyes.”
She blushed, red rising to her pale, slightly freckled cheeks. “I’d better get on with it. Do lumens eat fowl?”
“Yes. But I’ll give you a hint. I said you needed to feed your lumen. I didn’t say you had to kill anything yourself, but if you lead your lumen to a quiphit burrow or she happens to catcha flock of geese,”—I shrugged—“she’ll be full, won’t she? The trick is helping her catch them. That’s where the iumenta magic comes in.”
“I’ll do my best. Thank you, Karus.” She turned to leave, giving a wide birth to Philius who sunk against a tree, pressing on his temples.
I looked around for Moira, finding her flying above the raging waters, sticking her hand in the stream and laughing at the spray.
