Page 93 of Storm of Desire
"Sleepy." She yawned. "I feel like an enormousdrekijust battle-slammed me. Everything hurts. But I'll be fine bymorning."
"Are youhungry?"
The feral look in her expression didn't vanish, but she nodded. "Starving."
Crossing to the pot he'd swung over the fire, he stirred the soup he'd made. Game was scarce this far north and so late at night, but he'd packed dried strips of beef, and enough root vegetables to provide some nourishment. She'd devoured most of the goat by herself last night. He'd have to hunt soon if he wanted to continue to feedthem.
"You can fight," he murmured, as he ladled the broth into a small tincup.
"My father put a sword in my hand before you even drew your first breath," she said. "It’s tradition fordrekito duel with swords. We're such large, powerful creatures that the destruction we create when we battle each other can be catastrophic. My grandfather insisted blood debts and arguments be settled with the sword instead. I needed to learn how to protect myself from anychallenges."
He'd known she was older than he, but to hear it so blithely stated.... He knelt at her side, staring down into the broth. "You never picked up a sword when you were withme."
"I never had to." Árdís hauled herself onto her elbows, but her hands shook, he noticed. Not quite recovered then. "I enjoy the physical side of dueling, but if I didn't have to...." She shrugged. "And I knew you were there to protect me, if anything should go wrong. It was nice not to have to be on my guard all thetime."
It wasn't the first time she'd hinted she didn't feel safe in herworld.
"What was that?" he murmured, tilting the cup of broth to her lips, and cupping the back of her head to help her. She drank almost all of it, not even wincing at the blandflavor.
"What?"
"What happened today? The greendrekiof light that erupted from yourbody."
"Chaos magic," she said, pausing to take abreath.
Which explained precisely nothing. "How did you use it with the manacleon?"
"I don't know. Chaos magic is.... It's not like any other magic in the world." She looked troubled. "It doesn't obey the normal rules. It was what Tiamat used to shape theworld."
"It scared themaway."
"As it should," she said, and pushed the cup of broth away. "No more." She tried to sit up, and he helped her as best he could. "I scaredmyself."
"Why?"
"The great goddess, Tiamat, created thedrekiout of both Chaos magic and elemental magic. We're all able to access the elemental side of our power, but... Chaos magic is wild. Unpredictable. Somedrekican use it to create Chaos bubbles—a world outside our own—but what I did today"—she stared at her hands as if she saw something else there—"I was no longer inside my body. My spirit melded with Chaos magic, and I was able to affect the physical world with my spiritbody."
"I've never seen anything like it. One moment you were there, and the next this enormous being of pure light erupted from your flesh, like an aurora given shape and form." His voice softened. "It wasbeautiful."
Youarebeautiful.
He'd always thought her the most stunning woman he'd ever seen, but this creature was powerful and exotic in a way he'd never been able to imagine. It was like holding pure flame cupped in his hands, and wondering if it would burnhim.
She shivered. "I can name three livingdrekiwho are able to wield it like that and survive. My mother is one ofthem."
Hermother.
It wasn't the first time she'd mentioned thedrekiqueen, but she never spoke of the queen with any warmth or affection. No. There was fearthere.
He needed to understand what was going on. Something didn't feel righthere.
"So she's passed the gift ontoyou?"
"I do not think she would see it that way," Árdís whispered, staring into theflames.
"As agift?"
"Only my mother can wield Chaos magic," she whispered, grinding the heels of her palms into her eyes. "It's how she holds power, and why none dare challenge her. She doesn't have to challenge otherdreki, for they all know she can rip the spirit directly from their bodies without ever touchingthem."
