Page 66 of A Song of Air
“It’s not the same.”
“How?!”
“I don’t lose energy when I use my magic. My magic is different. My magic is more—”
“Special?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to, Iona. You are not superior to me merely because you were blessed by Mana.”
“I didn’t say that! And you were blessed by Mana too!”
“Exactly. I amblessed. Which is why I have to do what I must in order to ensure our survival.”
Julius’ gaze volleyed back and forth between the sisters as they argued. He watched them face off, both of them so alike he wasn’t even sure if they realized it. From the tone of their nearly similar voices to the stance in which they stood—feet slightly apart, backs straight, furrowed brows, and crossed arms.
He stood a bit apart from them, his own posture stiff and ready to interject between the two should the need arise.
He hated seeing Iona in distress. It made his mating instincts rise. It made his body demand he eliminate all threats to Iona, to protect, attack, do what he must. But he couldn’t. This was Iona’s sister. The sister she had mourned. The sister she had risked everything to find, only to be told she’d died.
And now they were arguing.
Julius fought the urge to sigh at the sky.
“Malika, you’ve always done this.” Iona took a cautious step towards her sister, as if she didn’t quite know if she should reach out to her or not. Touch her. Vulnerability whispered in between the spaces of the two, and Julius was sure neither knew how to approach it or what to do. “You’ve always placed everyone else’s health above your own.”
“It was one little wound. I have healed worse.”
“Exactly! You need to be mindful of yourself.”
“Would you say the same thing to your healer? To Ryker?”
Iona was silenced once again.
Julius bit the inside of his cheek. He knew she wouldn’t say it to Ryker. She hadn’t said it to Ryker. In fact, the entire Resistance had put Ryker’s life—and magic—on the line again and again until Shula had banned him from using his magic at all.
He found it hypocritical that Iona would ask her sister to push aside her Mana-given gift but wouldn’t do the same herself or ask the same of Ryker. He didn’t say that, though, because she’d kick him in the dick, and he valued that particular part of his anatomy.
Malika sighed and finally broke the distance between Iona and herself. She grasped her sister’s shoulders, looked deep into her eyes, almost begging her to understand.
“I have to do this. Mana gave me this gift for a reason.”
Julius’ eyes went to his mate, waiting for her reply. She was glaring angrily at her sister, and once again, Julius found himself marveling at how alike—and how different—both sisters were. The same rounded nose, the same lips, the same eye shape. But Malika’s hair was dark and braided. Iona had cut hers short, and the curly wisps were as white as snow, like the very ice she wielded threaded through the coils of her hair.
“Do you even still believe in Mana?” Iona whispered harshly. “Do you even still pray?”
Malika’s arms dropped. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“I remember how you used to pray. Every night, you would whisper your wishes to Mana. You had so much faith. Do you still have that?”
Malika gritted her teeth. “What do you want me to say, Iona?”
“I want the truth.”
“Fine.” She threw her hands up. “I haven’t prayed since we lived at Court. I lost my faith. I lost the urge to pray when I thought I was alone. When I thought my entire family had died. I lost the urge when I was forced to endure torture in the iron camps. But I’veneverlost my belief in Mana.”
Iona seemed to stagger back. Julius tamped down the growl that wanted to arise and resisted the urge to go to her. They needed to hash this out one way or another, though he knew what kind of betrayal Iona might have been feeling. She’d told him of their past, that she’d adopted praying because it’s what her sister would have done.
