Page 76 of The Divine Shallows
Elowyn glanced down at her father’s candid touch. “What about Elyria? Does that mean she gets to wield moonfire, too?”
At herinquiry, her father’s expression darkened, and his jaw tightened. “No, never.”
Elowyn clamped her mouth shut, instantly regretting her words. Quickly, her father’s darkened demeanor dissipated, and he cleared his throat. “Mastering moonfire is incredibly challenging, but once you have mastered wielding it, the moonfire will respond to your touch. Moonfire is lethal, but in the hands of a skilled warlock or sorceress, it becomes merely another form of magic.”
King Eamon curved his wrist, and the moonfire within his palm swelled, morphing into a miniature firedrake. The tiny flame dragon rested comfortably in his hand. Elowyn’s eyes brightened at the sight. “It looks like Stryx!”
Her father then slightly curled his fingers, and the moonfire dragon spread its wings, lifting itself into the air. With a gentle bend of King Eamon’s wrist, the moonfire dragon soared upward and gracefully arced back down, descending until it landed in the center of his palm. Upon contact, the moonfire dragon dissipated, leaving behind only a passive ember in its stead. “I am going to pass this flame to you, Elowyn. Though you may not yet have the capability to summon moonfire on your own, you were born with the capacity to wield it.”
The king extended his palm to her slowly. “When you receive this flame, Elowyn, you must be cautious. The sensation of moonfire may be overwhelming. It is the most potent magic you have encountered thus far—you must not let it overwhelm you. You are both the vessel and the conductor of the moonfire. Allow it to flow through you freely. Do not be intimidated by its power; instead, guide the white flames to your will. For now, do not concern yourself with shaping the moonfire. Simply hold it within your grasp and let it burn gently.” Her father nudged his palm toward her once more.
The chilling touch of the moonfire made Elowyn shiver, but she dared not disobey her father.
As Elowyn’s hesitant hands reached for the white flame, her father’swarning echoed in her ears. “Be careful, Elowyn. Take control of it slowly, and never let it overpower you. Even if it becomes too much, do not succumb to it.” King Eamon brought the tranquil flame to Elowyn’s waiting palms, meeting her gaze with seriousness. “Are you prepared?”
Elowyn’s heart urged her to refuse, but a feeble “yes” escaped her lips. Her father nodded and carefully transferred the white flame into her cupped hands.
The instant the moonfire made contact with her skin, Elowyn screamed.
The flame erupted into a violent pillar within her grasp. Elowyn collapsed to her knees, tears streaming from her silver eyes in a frenzied stream. She struggled to draw breath, to speak, to do anything beyond endure the unbearable agony of the consuming white flames as they swallowed her whole. She feared they would devour her entirely, leaving nothing of her behind. The raw, icy burn of the moonfire surpassed any pain she had ever known.
“Elowyn, listen to me! You must control the moonfire! You must contain its power before it overwhelms you. Focus on guiding its path, don’t resist the flames, direct them! Command the moonfire to dwindle and wane!” Elowyn remained frozen, save for her trembling hands clasping the searing white flames. Bent over in agony, she tried to speak, but her lips formed no words.
“Elowyn, extinguish the flames! You’ve let the moonfire run rampant through you, drawing on your native magic.” King Eamon swiftly gathered her trembling form, pulling her away from the moonlit window. With urgency, he clasped her hands in his, dispelling the moonfire. “I can halt the flame, but I can’t halt the flood of moonfire already coursing within you. You must sever it from your magic before it’s too late.” Holding Elowyn’s tear-stained face in his hands, he implored her to focus. Though terror filled her eyes, she managed to meet his gaze. “Concentrate, Elowyn!” But she could only shake herhead, silent sobs choking her throat. Her father cursed under his breath, his eyes reflecting his anguish.
For a moment, disquiet washed over him before he closed his eyes, calling upon his divine magic.
Gently cradling Elowyn’s hunched figure, he whispered into her snow-white hair, “Goddess, forgive me.”
A forceful rise of magic erupted from the king, ancient and powerful, wrapping Elowyn in a shimmering cocoon. Like vines, the magic entwined around her aura, binding it in place. He had severed her connection to her own native magic, extinguishing the moonfire within her bones. As her magical aura stilled, Elowyn’s body slackened, her eyelids drooping shut.
With trembling hands, the king laid Elowyn by the hearth, her head resting on his lap as he surveyed the damage. His touch grazed her mangled, contracted fingers, now a deep plum hue. Her once soft lips were cracked and chapped, her sun-kissed skin drained of color, replaced by pallor and ash. He held out his palms, tendrils of moonlight coiled around them, casting a soft glow.
As he reached for Elowyn’s marred hands, the door to his study burst open and the queen of Eriden appeared like a windstorm, wild and full of fury.
As Eddra’s gaze fell upon Elowyn, she let out a horrified scream, her voice trembling with hysteria. “Eamon, what have you done?” The queen rushed to her daughter’s side, her hands hovering uncertainly, torn between the urge to heal and the fear of causing more harm.
Meanwhile, the king, his palms still illuminated with restorative magic, muttered mutedly, “I’ve stilled her native magic, but not before the frost of the moonfire settled within her. I am capable of correcting this.”
Turning to her husband with a mix of disbelief and wrath, the queen exclaimed, “Have you lost your senses, Eamon? Allowing her to wield moonfire at such a young age?” She forcefully pushedhis hand away from Elowyn. “Don’t you dare touch her.” Her voice carried a dangerous edge. “You will do no such thing. You know as well as I do that the damage extends far beyond her hands. You’ve already done enough.”
Ora’s stout figure appeared in the partially open doorway, alerted by the screams. “Your Majesties! What’s happened?” Her eyes widened in shock as they landed on Elowyn, her hand instinctively covering her mouth to stifle a gasp.
With a grave expression, the queen’s voice quivered as she issued commands. “Ora, fetch the royal healers immediately. Bring only those trained exclusively at the Healer’s Keep. Quickly, now!” She emphasized the urgency with a firm nod. “Go!”
Elowyn snapped back to reality,to the arena, as confusion clouded her thoughts while she tried to piece together the fragments of the memory. Despite her efforts, she couldn’t grasp the full scope of what happened. The sight of moonfire had reignited a forgotten memory, but there were gaps in her recollection, leaving her bewildered by the newfound revelations. She remembered her father showing her moonfire for the first time, yet the details of what followed remained elusive, shrouded in mystery.
She glanced down at her hands, flexing and extending her fingers. How had she forgotten the pain of healing from the frost burn? It must have been agonizing, even with the aid of Prymont’s finest healers. Perhaps the ordeal had been so unbearable during her youth that she had subconsciously blocked out the memory.
Elowyn could have pondered this further, but the arena fell into a deathly silence, punctuated only by the sharp echo of creaking. She turned her gaze towards the frozen arena, where the blood-eyed eel was now unmistakably encased in jagged shards of ice. The creature teetered,its slanted form inching closer to the frozen ground. Then, with a deafening crash, it finally succumbed, shattering into thousands of icy fragments upon impact.
Beside her, Elowyn heard the High Priestess’ voice ringing out, carrying across the entire arena. “The Goddess has severed the divine tether between our realms, signaling the conclusion of the ritual of the Sixth Day. The Moon Goddess has cast her judgment upon these seven divine candidates, and her ruling will be announced tomorrow during the Crossing of Kin. Let us commend our candidates for their completion of theVitus!”
The arena fell into a hushed silence following the High Priestess’ proclamation of theVitus’conclusion. Amidst this quietude, Elyria’s gaze rose, seemingly directed towards Elowyn.
Or so Elowyn initially thought.
However, tracing the trajectory of Elyria’s stare, Elowyn realized that her older sister’s true target was their father.
