Page 34 of The Eye of the Fifth
‘I will not step foot in that house ever again, not while she’s there,’ Kyra said scathingly. ‘Youcan answer my questions. Why now? Why has my power come forth now?’
She ought to have been kissing the Air Warden’s feet for saving her life, but that gratitude was somehow hard to come by now.
For a moment, Naal looked reluctant to answer. But then she crouched by the river, watching a shoal of fish dart this way and that as she said, ‘When you were just a babe, I visited you. I confined your magic to Daeiros Manor, so that as long as you stayed within the grounds of your home, your magic would remain dormant.’ She looked up, grey eyes forlorn. ‘The Great Earthling War did not end when the fae were driven out of Avaldale, Kyra. There are forces to the west of here that still work to tear down all that we who worship the Four Mothers hold dear. For some reason still unbeknownst to me, you are important to Zarynth’s Empress. I fought to keep you hidden, to keep your powers on a leash until you were ready to wield them.Your magic was untraceable so long as it remained undiscovered within you.’
Kyra spat, ‘I’ve been out of that damned house for seven years. So, why is it only now that my magic has emerged?’
Naal frowned. ‘I think, after so many years of being stifled, your magic became used to being hidden. Only a great surge of power could have released it.’
Power,Kyra wanted to scoff. More like a furious, emotional imbalance. ‘What does the Empress want with me?’
Naal didn’t respond right away. When she did, it certainly wasn’t a direct answer to her question. ‘I need time to explain these things to you, Kyra. Will you grant me that?’
Kyra held the Air Warden’s gaze. ‘Willyougrant me the whole truth in turn?’
Naal Westerra stood, slightly flaring her wings. The afternoon sun offset the pearlescent sheen in the grey feathers, and for a moment she shimmered. She was a seasoned warrior, judging by the worn, fitted silver armour she wore. Deep wisdom was etched into the lines of her face, and a certain calmness that was not to be mistaken as submissive. There was a greatness within her that could intimidate even the mightiest of men. She was the transcendent epitome of a perfect Warden. ‘In time… yes. I swear it.’
And who was Kyra to refute the word of the Air Warden? After a moment, she nodded her consent.
Naal lifted the satchel around her body over her head, and placed it on the bank next to Rosary. ‘You’ll find fresh clothing and food in the bag. Before we leave, I must speak with Winvara. Would you like to come with me?’
‘No.’
A nod. ‘Very well. Kindly remain here until I-’
‘Wait, what do you mean “we”?’
Naal blinked. ‘Surely you cannot mean to stay? I heard what Governor Oswald said to you as you passed him. You cannot stay here.’
‘I know that,’ she retorted, a little shorter than intended. ‘But Rosary and I had made plans to leave before I was strung up. I want to keep to them.’
‘I understand,’ Naal said gently. ‘But things are different now. You will not be safe-’
‘I made it this far,’ she countered. ‘I survived, even without your protection.’
Naal smiled sadly. ‘You did. Against the odds, it would seem. But I do not want you to simply survive, Kyra. I want you to thrive. Your Warden powers are… untamed. I would teach you to harness them, to work with what Roheia has given you, if you will allow me.’
As if in response to those words, the hibernating force within her purred. Like butterflies in her stomach. If she could control it, perhaps it wouldn’t scare her so.
She couldn’t look at Rosary. For if she did, the life they had been planning in Taru would flash painfully before her eyes. Forever out of reach.
Without a word, she nodded.
Naal gave her another smile, and Kyra hated how knowing it was. ‘Winvara is expecting me. I won’t be long. Remain here and await my return.’
The breeze from her wings washed over Kyra as Naal took off into the air, sending the water rippling.
She climbed out of the river, and Rosary handed her the satchel Naal had left. She clothed herself in the garments inside (a simple cotton skirt and blouse), scrubbed her boots clean and donned those once more. Rosary passed her the thick loaf of bread and she ripped into it, suddenly ravenous, idly wondering if Naal Westerra had stolen the items from the market in her bid to stay hidden. No doubt she would have dropped some coins into the merchant’s unsuspecting pockets for the thievery.
Only when half the loaf was settled in her stomach, too full for even one more bite, did Kyra look at Rosary and admit, ‘I don’t want to go with her.’
‘I know,’ Rosary said. ‘I don’t want you to either. But you have to, Ky. You’re the Earth Warden. You can’t ignore that.’
Kyra scoffed, ‘I wonder for how long? Earth Wardens have a habit of mysteriously dying, don’t they? And if a sorceress queen is after me-’
‘Don’t think like that,’ Rosary scolded quietly. ‘You’ll be safe with Naal.’
Kyra shook her head and said fiercely, ‘Since I left the estate, my life has been my own. I’ve made my own choices and I survived bymyself.I don’t need to be inducted into some elite Warden society by Naal Westerra to survive this. That’s not me.’
