Page 92 of Legacy of the Heirs
Nyzaia rolled her eyes. Farid had made a good drinking partner and had not once questioned her wish to drown her sorrows as a distraction from the greater problems in their world. She was fairly confident they cheered to that in a toast.
“What are you doing here, Jabir?” asked Nyzaia, conscious that the conversation she wished to have with Elisara and Kazaar was a sensitive one.
He shrugged. “Ensuring Garridon and Nerida’s soldiers settled in was not exactly a riveting task,” he said.
Farid narrowed his eyes. “Doing your job is not meant to be riveting.”
“Sorry, Captain. Is that your way of telling me to get lost?”
“Yes,” Farid said bluntly, and Nyzaia burst out laughing.
“You heard your superior, Jabir. Back to work you go.” Nyzaia said, jumping from the wall when Elisara and Kazaar paused for a water break.
“Seriously? My job is protecting you,” Jabir argued.
“And at the moment, the most powerful people in the kingdom are all under my roof. I think I am safe.” That put an end to the conversation. Jabir rolled his eyes, accustomed to Nyzaia’s bluntness.
The yard was not big enough for the entire military, and most Keres recruits were trained in other places, too, like the desert and the forge. They currently set up camps along the edge of the Ashun Desert closest to the city, the only place big enough for four militaries after Vlad brought Vala’s army shortly after Nerida and Garridon’s that morning. Sir Cain, Garridon’s commander, said the maze of tents acted as another defence to the city, confusing any attack on foot if they reached this far inland.
“This looks like a productive workout,” Nyzaia called. Elisara jumped up after Kazaar knocked her to the floor and flicked her two braids over her shoulders, wiping the sheen of sweat from her forehead.
“I could think of better,” she said. Kazaar kicked her shin gently, and she widened her eyes at him.
Definitely together,Nyzaia thought.
“We’re just warming up to get the blood flowing. We’re moving on to try and tap into more powers next,” Kazaar said, and Elisara kicked the gravel.
“You do not seem pleased with the idea,” Nyzaia said to her friend, and Elisara shrugged.
“I do not wish to let anyone down.” She paused. “Or hurt anyone.”
Kazaar tucked a stray damp curl behind her ear.
“You won’t,” he said gently. Nyzaia smiled at his tenderness and glanced at Farid, who raised his eyebrows briefly. Her smile faded. Tajana would have loved to tease Kazaar about this.
She wondered if Tajana and the others had discovered somewhere else or found other inhabited lands. Despite the pain she had caused her, Nyzaia hoped they had been far from Novisia before the creatures breached the Outer Border. Recalling what had happened to the ship of Larelle’s lost love, Nyzaia did not think Tajana would survive an attack.
“What can we do for you?” Kazaar asked, pouring water over his head and shaking his hair.
“We, uh, wanted to talk to you both about something important,” Nyzaia said, glancing to Farid again for confirmation he was comfortable with this decision. His blue eyes were honest as he nodded. “At this moment, we would like it to stay between the four of us.” Elisara and Kazaar shared a look before facing them again. Swallowing, Nyzaia lifted her palm in sync with Farid to reveal the scar on their palms. Elisara and Kazaar’s expressions faltered, and slowly, Elisara nodded slowly, knowingly.
“We need to know more about your tie,” Nyzaia said.
***
Kazaar and Elisara listened in what Nyzaia could only describe as stunned silence as she retold the story of their tie, missing out the key fact of Farid’s wings, though Kazaar appeared dubious when she claimed Farid had saved her on the rope, especially given he had trained recruits at the forge. Yet if he had doubts, he must have communicated them only to Elisara as neither of the pair interrupted.
“Did Keres show any sign of acknowledging it when he was present?” Kazaar asked. Nyzaia shook her head; she, too, was confused when her god had not mentioned it, especially after Vala’s outburst when Elisara revealed her scar.
“Do you think Keres bestowed it, given you are both his descendants?” Elisara asked.
“What would that mean for ours then?” Kazaar asked, and they all frowned. Nyzaia recalled the ripped edge beside the page on celestial ties; they were definitely missing some key information. “So, can you…?” Kazaar tapped the side of his head.
“Not with words,” Farid answered. “We can share memories and a general sense of one another’s feelings, but we cannot converse.” Elisara tilted her head, puzzled.
“What do you think determines the abilities each tied pair receives? Elisara asked, but nobody answered. Nobody knew.
“We had a specific question, which is why we raised it so soon before fully understanding the implications,” Nyzaia began. Elisara propped her hands on the black gravel, where they all sat cross-legged and nodded. “Has there been an instance where the tie ever healed you in some way?” Nyzaia asked. Kazaar picked up piles of gravel, filtering it through his hands.
