Royster’s smile widened. “Let’s see how well you move it back again—with Kiara’s help.” Royster gestured for Kiara to bring the lens and stand next to him. “For the first test, I want you to try holding the lens and have Brother Felix touch the lens at the same time. You’re already familiar with his magic.” Royster motioned for Felix to move so that he could lay his hand on the top of the lens while Kiara held it on the sides.
“Kiara, I want you to think about Felix moving the rock back to where it was, and picture it happening in your mind, but imagine that you look through the lens like a window. If you have any sense of your regent magic, focus it on the lens and then on the image in your mind. Felix, use your magic again, but pay attention to anything that seems different this time. Begin.”
Kiara closed her eyes. Before her coronation, the regent magic had always seemed elusive and very faint. Now, as Kiara held the smooth sides of the burning glass lens between her hands, she felt the regent magic flow through her, vibrant and strong. Kiara took two deep breaths, trying to concentrate. In her mind’s eye, she saw the boulder move and then, slowly, begin to tumble. She concentrated on the image through the lens, feeling the regent magic flow through her. As she watched, the boulder began to move more quickly, until it was back in its original position.
Kiara took another deep breath and opened her eyes. The rock had rolled back to its original position.
“Very good,” Royster said with a wide grin. “Very, very good.”
“Did you see that?” Brother Felix said, turning to Morane. “That rock moved twice as fast with her help as it did when I moved it by myself.”
“Now, let’s try it another way,” Royster said, but he moved off to the side a bit and drew a circle with a stick in the ground. He withdrew the pouch of runes from his belt, the runes that the ghost queen had given to Kiara. Carefully, he took each rune out one by one and laid them blank side up.
“What are you doing?” Kiara asked, straining to see.
Royster straightened. “When you helped Brother Felix move that rock, the runes in the pouch were positively dancing in response to the magic. It would seem that they’re very sensitive to your power. If they moved when you focused one mage’s power, let’s see what they do when you focus both mages.”
Kiara gave the circle with its runes a wary glance and then brought her attention back to the lens in her hands. She visualized the focused magic passing through the burning glass and the lens began to glow.
“Are you ready?” Royster’s voice brought Kiara back to the task at hand. She nodded, and Morane stepped up to stand beside Brother Felix. He found room to add his hand to the lens as well.
“I’m not certain that the mages actually need to be in physical contact with the glass,” Royster mused aloud. “Obviously, if they don’t, it would mean you might be able to focus the magic of more mages than if they all have to stand close enough to touch. We’ll try that next.”
On Royster’s count, Kiara closed her eyes again, focusing on the lens. Her magic seemed to leap up to meet the burning glass this time. Kiara saw the image of the lens glow even more brightly in her mind, and she felt Morane join his magic with Brother Felix.
Kiara concentrated on the boulder, and this time, it began to move almost immediately. She felt the magic flow through her, and then through the glass, as the boulder began to tumble faster and faster. It thudded to a stop in the middle of the road, moving too quickly to stop in its original resting place.
Kiara opened her eyes. Royster, Brother Felix, and Morane were staring at her wide-eyed.
“Damn! I’ve never seen a rock move like that when it wasn’t falling down hill,” Morane exclaimed. He grinned. “Oh, we can do some damage with this on the battlefield!”
Royster had crossed to look at the runes. He turned and shook his head. “Nothing. They moved in the pouch the last time, but nothing this time.”
“Maybe they’re too far away from the magic,” Kiara suggested.
Royster nodded slowly as he considered her words. “Perhaps. If so, that may change on this next round.” Royster brightened and looked from Kiara to Brother Felix and then to Morane. “This time, I want to see whether Kiara can focus the magic without you touching the lens. You’ll try to do the same thing with the boulder, and we’ll see what happens. Kiara, I want you to keep doing what you’ve done the last two times, only focus on the magic around you. Felix and Morane, I want you to imagine pouring your magic through the lens and then out to the boulder. Is everyone ready?”
Kiara could feel a pounding reaction headache and wondered how much effort it was costing her to channel the regent magic through the lens. Neither Felix nor Morane seemed to be feeling any effect. Kiara centered herself with several deep breaths with the lens clasped firmly between her hands.
“Ready?” Royster asked. Kiara gave a nod.
Kiara focused on the lens and visualized magic flowing from Felix and Morane like golden waves of light. She smiled to herself as magic touched the lens. She knew by its feel that it was Brother Felix. A second later, she felt Morane’s magic touch the lens and begin to bend through it, toward the boulder.
She was unprepared as a flood of energy washed over her. The magic seemed to come from everywhere: from the land itself, from the camp below, from places of power that she saw only as glimpses in her mind, roadside shrines, family crypts, temples, and altars. The power hit her like a tide, rolling her beneath it like a powerful wave, taking her breath away. From somewhere nearby, she could hear a low thudding noise growing nearer.
“Break the contact, Kiara! Break it now!”
The crashing noise was closer, coming faster. But the power that washed over Kiara was as unrelenting as the sea, and nearly as limitless. It seemed hungry to find her, and to drain through the lens. The ground trembled, and as Kiara struggled to free herself, someone plowed into her, knocking her off her feet and landing hard on top of her. The lens fell out of her hands and Kiara abruptly lost consciousness.
Slowly, light and memory returned. Kiara was still lying down, and her head was pounding. “Kiara, can you hear us?” It was Cerise’s voice, worried and close. Kiara murmured, but even that effort was too much to bear.
Cerise pushed a wad of leaves between Kiara’s teeth. In a few minutes, the pain of the headache receded and Kiara opened her eyes, squinting at the brightness of the sun. “What happened?”
Cerise had a dour expression. “Let’s just say that there’s no question about you being able to channel magic without the mages in physical contact.”
Kiara moved her fingers and felt grass beneath them. “How did I end up here?”
“Thank Morane. He’s the one who bowled you over and landed on top of you,” Royster replied. “And it’s a good thing, too, or else the boulder would have done it.”
With Cerise’s help, Kiara struggled to sit up. Her eyes widened. The boulder had moved far from its spot on the road, but instead of going back to its starting point, it had rolled twice the distance toward where she had stood with the lens and then past that point and down a small rise, to rest in a gully. “I did that?”
Brother Felix knelt next to her as Cerise finished checking Kiara for injuries. “Not exactly. To some extent,
we
did that. You channeled our energy without Morane and me needing to touch the lens. But it wasn’t just our power. I felt part of what hit you, and I bet he did, too,” Felix said with a glance toward Morane, who nodded, wide-eyed. “Somehow, I think you tapped into the power of the rest of the mages in the camp, maybe in the Temnottan camp as well, and I’m almost certain you touched the Flow.”
“I saw images of shrines and temples, places I’d never seen before,” Kiara murmured.
Royster frowned. “When you feel better, I’d like to show you the map I made of the nearby places of power. I have drawings of most of them. I’m betting we’ll find more than a few matches.”
“And the boulder?”
Morane chuckled nervously. “It moved, all right. Unfortunately, it headed straight for you as if it had been thrown by a giant. I’m afraid you’d have more than a headache if it had hit you.”
Kiara looked toward where the boulder lay, and shuddered. Then she glanced over her shoulder to where Royster had spilled out the runes. “What about the runes? Do they say anything?”
“How about, beware of big, fast-moving rocks,” Morane muttered.
Royster was frowning when he straightened and turned back toward her. “Very strange. Only four of the bones show their runes. The others remain blank.
Aneh
, the rune of chaos.
Sai
, the rune of death.
Est
, the rune of darkness, and
Tivah
, the rune for the Flow of magic.” He shrugged. “I’m sorry, Kiara. The runes speak, but I can’t interpret them for you.”
Kiara squeezed her eyes shut against the headache. “It’s probably just as well,” she said. “The dead queen warned me about relying too heavily on runes and portents. Perhaps the runes just remind us that the outcome is in our own hands.”
T
hank you for showing me the way out.” Aidane gave Ed a smile as she drew a deep breath of fresh air for the first time in three days. It was late afternoon, and the winter sun cast long shadows.
Ed did not return the smile. “As dodgy as it is in the tunnels, it’s more dangerous above, in my opinion. That Buka fellow doesn’t come beyond the cellars, but he roams the streets. Watch yourself, Aidane. I’ll make sure Kir keeps your spot for you.”
Aidane gave Ed a peck on the cheek. “I’ll be careful. I promise. I just need to earn some coin and I’d rather do it telling fortunes than… other ways… right now.”
“Fair enough. You remember the way back to Kir’s place?”
Aidane nodded. “Thank you, Ed. I’ll buy you a drink when I get back.”
Ed managed a grudging smile. “Since it’ll mean you’re in safely, I’ll drink to that. Now best get going before the light fades.”
Despite the assurances Aidane had given to Ed, she
was jumpy once she reached the outside streets. She watched passersby warily, and cringed when anyone followed too closely. Though it was midafternoon, Aidane could not shake the feeling that she was being watched by someone other than the ghosts that clustered around her.
Has Buka been near here lately?
If the ghosts were intent on following her and pressing her for favors, the least she could expect in return was information.
At the name, even the ghosts recoiled.
We don’t speak of him
, one of the spirits said.
But he’s been quiet for a spell. No new killings; least, not that anyone’s found
.
Makes it worse
, chimed in another ghost.
The longer since he’s killed, the more likely he is to kill again
.
What do you care? You’re dead
. Aidane felt the ghost shudder.
Dead isn’t safe. Not now. Not when those Black Robes come around and hollow spirits so that there’s naught left but anger and pain. Buka reaps and the cursed Black Robes glean the souls he harvests. It ain’t right
.
Have you seen Black Robes recently? Since the new queen came to the throne?
She thought that the ghosts might not answer. The subject seemed to frighten them, but finally, a response came.
Only a few. Just a few are left. Bad enough
.
Aidane sighed. Although she and Thaine’s ghost had done their best to warn the queen and help the soldiers arrest the Black Robes, it wasn’t really a surprise to discover that a few had slipped the net.
At least it’s better than it was
, Aidane consoled herself, drawing her cloak more tightly around her.
That’s something I did to help
.
The winter air was cold, though the sun occasionally peeked through the sky between clouds. Aidane remembered
passing several taverns on her way into the city, and it had occurred to her that telling fortunes might raise some coin without the need to resort to practicing her other services. Even though she had resolved not to use her
serroquette
abilities to broker reunions between the dead and living, Kir had been game enough to give her a place to sleep and enough food to get by on out of her wages as a common whore. But that wasn’t something she could bring herself to face, not just yet.
Nothing says true love like a whore’s chastity
, she thought, chiding herself. She had not been with a client since the night she had enabled Elsbet’s spirit to make a final reunion with Kolin. She was reluctant to have the memory sullied by the crudeness of a strumpet’s tryst, not when the memory of Kolin was so fresh and her heart still ached.
He said he cared about me. Could it have been real?
She sighed.
It was real for me. But even though Kolin knows I can’t bring Elsbet back to him, it had to be her he wants, or the memory of her using me. He might be
vayash moru,
but he was a noble once. Nobles don’t fall in love with whores, no matter how fancy. Better this way. I can imagine good things when I remember him, instead of finding out that he would have eventually grown tired of me. After all, he’s immortal, and I’ll be lucky to live twenty and five seasons
. She quickened her pace as if to leave the bleak thoughts behind her. “Enough of that. There’s coin to earn,” she muttered to herself.