Page 22 of Tangled Power
“Don’t you have to be at the source—at Compass Lake—to really understand? Especially for a Compass Point?”
“I think I can do it here since we share the element. I can use my wind magic as the source.”
Juliette seemed intent on objecting as she pointed out, “You don’t have a forge.”
Rose turned to Carter and Luc. “Could you two help with that?”
Luc nodded immediately, his gaze already searching the area for stones that would be the right size and shape.
“You would make the Osten Point a weapon?” Carter asked, suspicion marking his face as he searched hers.
“I would.”
“Why?”
“I think we need all the help we can get for what comes next. And I believe my weaponswillhelp.” She tried and failed to make eye contact with the Vesten Point. “I also think understanding Juliette’s magic will help me learn how our powers might be able to work together.”
“What do you mean?”
“What I said before—working side by side for two of the same magic is fine, but it won’t help all four of us with different elements. I need to understand her magic enough that my water would know how to work with it, not just my wind.” Rose ran a hand through her hair. “The type of evaluation I do on a person’s magic when I make them a weapon should help me understand.”
Carter appraised Rose before speaking. He must have accepted her words, saying, “I’ll help with the forge.”
Luc foundor shaped stones to the size Rose directed. Carter set a fire blazing in the designated space. Grabbing the steel from her saddle bags, her fingers brushed over the blade she started for Luc. The one she was unsure he would let her finish. They hadn’t had time to discuss what happened in the Suden workshop. The early days of her new relationship were being stolen. She and Luc should be locked in his room for days without end, having time for only each other. Not roaming the continent chasing after a rogue god. Sure, it was a petty and selfish thought, but that wouldn’t stop her from adding it to the list of things she held against Aterra.
Setting aside Luc’s blade, she pulled out the extra steel. Packing this had been its own decision—one solidified by her conversation with Arie before he left. This was what she could do to help them face Aterra.
From their practice today, Rose already had some idea of Juliette’s magic. Enough so that she already knew twin daggers would suit her. Just as the wind could blow from any direction, multiple blades could support a range of attacks. A satisfied smile crossed her face as she returned to the makeshift forge with the supplies.
“You just happened to bring everything you need with you?” Carter asked, his eyes widening at her preparedness.
“I told you. I knew we would need to make our powers work together. While I’m unsure how to do that, a better understanding of them seems like a reasonable place to start.” She pushed her luck as she continued. “The real question was whether you would let me make them.”
Juliette may be first, but Carter’s present fire fueling the forge had her magic twitching to examine it too. She’d made no progress in understanding the coin on their ride. It sat dormant. Her power drifted toward the Vesten magic, wisps stretching until they danced with the flame. The coin in her pocket flaredas her magic met Carter’s. Heat connected the artifact and the blaze—would the coin come alive if she set it in the fire Carter created? And how did this connect to the shifter nature of the Vesten?
The Vesten Point’s gaze was appraising. Though a step above suspicion, he still seemed far from letting her make him a weapon. There was a reason she focused on Juliette first—their shared Osten line gave them common ground.
Proving her point, Juliette effectively cut off any follow-up questions from Carter when she asked, “What do you need me to do?”
“For now, just stand there.” Rose gestured to the space beside the forge. “Do something with your magic. It doesn’t have to be an impressive display, just something to ensure your power is present and engaged while I work.”
Juliette nodded as she set a tiny cyclone circling at her feet. The now familiar scent of Juliette’s magic filled Rose’s nostrils as she began her work. Juliette’s activity wasn’t as taxing as the one Luc had selected, but it wasn’t as passive as Aaron’s either. That fit with Rose’s understanding of Juliette’s magic.
Levels of power transcended the courts. A Compass Point of any court would have more power than an average wielder. Rose couldn’t help but use this as another point of comparison for Luc’s magic too. After their work together today, Rose could tell there was a clear difference between the strength of Juliette’s and Luc’s magics.
Was anyone on the continent his equal?
Luc’s surprise that Rose didn’t fear him in their original travels hit her with new meaning. It had to be lonely if everyone saw him as an uncontrollable threat.
Juliette’s magic demanded her attention. She shook her head free of thoughts of Luc’s power. When she finished his blade—and she would finish his blade—she’d figure it out then.
Rose worked steady strokes against the first of the two daggers. The Vesten fire was excessive, dramatically speeding up the process. She fell into a smooth rhythm as she shaped each of the blades. Swing after swing, her work could be considered repetitive, but she loved it. On the island, she worked in the forge daily. The last few weeks of travel were the longest she had experienced without forging since setting up her workshop at Lake of the Gods. Her fingers gripped the hammer tighter as she realized how much she’d missed this. Time passed, but she lost track as she relished her work. The flame before her was the only light left of the day when she wiped the sweat from her brow, exhaustion taking over again.
“I don’t think I can finish these tonight,” she said, setting the twin daggers aside to cool.
“No one expected you to,” Luc said, coming up behind her, his hand moving up and down her spine. “You did more than enough for today.”
Juliette was silent, observing Luc’s hands so casually on Rose, but nodded and let the cyclone slip away. “We don’t know how long this trip will be anyway, so we can continue tomorrow.”
