Page 84 of A Crown of Tears and Treason
I expected nothing less from Allie. She hated waiting–and let me know it as soon as I hobbled into the library.
“Finally.” Allie rolled her eyes in the portal. “I was afraid you’d destroyed another temp–what happened to you?”
“First training session,” I said, proud of the cuts on my hands and the dust in my hair. “Wait, how did you find out about the temple?”
I swallowed past the sudden lump in my throat; the healers were still working on those two elders and I wasn’t allowed to visit them yet. But I could send all the food I wanted down to the port, at least.
“Ryker told me. He was quite impressed.”
Ah, the Commander. “He’s a sour kind of fellow, but he cut through those Serpents like they were made of butter.”
Allie blinked at me. “He wasthere?”
“Yes…?”
Allie sprung up from her chair, tilting it back. I stared at her intricately braided golden belt as she paced in front of the portal.
“Uhm…Allie?”
She sighed, fisted her palms, and bent down until we were eye-level again. “You’re in a place that feels like a furnace, yes?”
“A balmy furnace.”
“All I’ve seen out of these wretched windows are snow storms, frozen mountain peaks, and ice trolls.” She seethed. “So tell me, how did Ryker get from the Blood Brotherhood Capital coast up to whatever backwater northern underworld I’m stuck in? In a single day?”
Howhadhe traveled across the entire continent so fast? “Are you sure it’s him?”
Fairytales had a grain of truth, right? I’d read about the proteans, shapeshifters lurking in the forests and stealing unsuspecting travelers’ faces. Not to mention the Morgana Clan, whose magic could change appearances with one strong spell.
“Yes, it’s him,” she mumbled and I swore I could see a hint of blush in her cheeks.
I shifted in my chair. “Zandyr moves fast, too.”
Allie slashed a look my way. “How fast?”
“Fast enough that I can barely see him sometimes,” I whispered, as if it was some deep, dark secret that I shouldn’t have told. It felt strange to reveal that to Allie, as if I was betraying Zandyr’s trust. Which was insane. He hadn’t tried to hide his speed, from me or in battle.
Allie straightened her lavish golden chair and plopped back into it. She steepled her fingers. “Perhaps Blood Brotherhood magic is more powerful than we thought.”
Maybe. But right now I was more concerned with Protectorate magic.
“About that.” I cleared my throat, nudging closer to the portal.Come on, you can do it. “I wanted to ask you–”
“You did good at the temple,” Allie interrupted. “Buildings can be rebuilt, even sacred ones. Some of the Serpent attackers were captured and can be interrogated. You protected innocent lives and that’s what matters. But the way you did it…”
Allie worried her bottom lip between her teeth. My nerves simmered with anticipation.
“I’ve never heard of adults doing that,” she said at last. “Having such a powerful surge of magic burst out of them. No incantation, no spells. Children’s first magic surges that way, but it’s the equivalent of a bump. You produced an inferno.”
Fantastic. I deflated further into my chair. “How do I control it?”
“Maybe we should focus first on how to stop it.”
I stilled.No.Not again. “Stop it?”
“Not like that.” Allie waved off the concerns I hadn’t even voiced. “Do magic, but learn how to suspend it when it threatens to get out of control.”
I sighed in relief. “Like a switch.”
