Page 107 of Echoes of the Raven
Espiritu blasts from Calierin’s hands—a blinding flash of violet sparks between their bodies that sends Rífíor flying through the air.
Something glints in his hand as he hurtles away, and I realize it’s The Eldrystone. He took it back, but his grip is tenuous. The amulet slips from his fingers, soaring through the night sky. Its iridescent opal winks as it travels. Briefly, it seems suspended in midair, and then gravity takes hold. With a sudden drop, the chain snags on a branch, leaving the jewel hanging like a pendulum, just out of reach.
Knowing I must do everything I can to retrieve it, I sprint toward the tree at full pelt. Rífíor writhes in agony, his chest smoking from Calierin’s blast. I do my best to ignore him. As I reach the tree, I scramble up the trunk, clutching at the rough bark and trying to reach the lowest branch. I manage to gain some traction, but quickly lose momentum. I fight to hold on, but my side is on fire, and a couple of my fingernails tear off their bed. I cry out, then helplessly slide downward. The bark ripping away under my weight, I tumble to the ground and roll to a crouch.
A growl of frustration escapes me. I shoot a glance over my shoulder.
Calierin is back on her feet and straddling Rífíor, this time with her hands around his throat, though I doubt she plans to simply strangle him. There’s still espiritu left in her, and she’s not stupid enough to underestimatean opponent like Rífíor. I might not have been a problem for her, but he’s a whole different story.
Panic surging, I look back to the amulet and mentally reach for it.
Blast her!I order.
The Eldrystone swings, mocking, useless.
Niamhara, why did you bring us this far just to let us fail?
Cursing the capricious goddess and her trinket, I do the only thing I can. I charge, fists clenched. I aim for the sorceress, hoping I can knock her down before she kills Rífíor.
Calierin jerks her head upward, and her violet eyes lock with mine. She grins, hands beginning to glow.
No!
I’m only a few steps away, but I know I’m too far, too late. Every fiber of my being screams it, yet I press on, hoping against hope.
The sorceress turns her attention to Rífíor again, bearing down on him, her espiritu intensifying.
Whizzing and barely audibly, Rífíor speaks. “Let the whispers… turn to screams if you dare defy me.”
Calierin’s eyes widen at the words.
“My crown demands obedience. My blade demands respect,” he goes on, his voice clearer as Calierin seems to lose her resolve and the pressure around his neck diminishes. “By the will of Niamhara and my people, I am your ruler! And in their name, you will stop.”
The words reverberate through the forest. This realm and all the others hold their breath, stilling at the powerful command. The trees stop swaying, and no insects chirp or owls hoot for leagues.
I realize I’m not running anymore. I’m at a standstill, my lungs paralyzed as I stare in disbelief.
Calierin, cruel and terrible Calierin, is rooted to the spot, unblinking, espiritu dead on her fingers. To my utter bewilderment, she slides awayfrom Rífíor and stops several feet away, one knee on the ground, her head bowed.
Rífíor coughs and struggles to a sitting position, hands to his throat, scorching marks of espiritu still smoldering on his chest. Blistered skin bubbles beneath his shirt, outlined by the singed imprints of Calierin’s hands. Rubbing his neck, he finally stands. His chest rises and falls visibly as he struggles to catch his breath. He glares darkly at the sorceress.
Slowly, Calierin holds her hands up in surrender. “Forgive me, my king. Forgive me,” Calierin begs. “I did not know.”
42
VALERIA
“Loyalty burns brighter than any blade.”
Tuathacath Proverb
Itremble as I regard the strange tableau: Calierin kneeling in front of Rífíor, her vicious expression folded inside out and replaced by incredulity and shame. And Rífíor… tall and unwavering, looking more commanding than ever.
“Forgive me, my king,” she said.
My king.
My king.
