It only took a few hours for Zalira and Ahyana to wake up, and they both felt refreshed and invigorated. I had thought they might sleep longer, given how long they’d kept using the magic, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
When we got back to the palace, it was late—we had missed dinner. I was hungry but I was also in a great deal of pain. The others went off in search of food and I stumbled upstairs to my room. I considered checking in on Io, but all I wanted to do was go and lie down. My thighs and buttocks were sore, and my abdomen felt like I’d been punched. I got into my room, patted Luna, and then lay in my bed, not wanting to move. This had to be from riding Eos.
Someone should have told me that riding a horse would hurt. This was worse than the day after my first training session with Demaratus.
Wanting to distract myself, I thought about all that had happened today. Not just the way my adelphia had performed magic, but being back in the gymnasium had made me relive what Lysimache had said to me there. She had repeatedly told me that she and I were the same. That I would have made the same decisions she did.
Her aspect was fury.
If we truly were the same ... what if that was mine as well?
I was so glad that Maia had made us memorize the list containing the names of the various aspects of the goddess.
“Dea Erinys.”
Power slammed into me, filling me with icy heat and fiery cold. I felt connected to everything around me, brimming with an energy that made me think I could do anything. Conquer the world. Vanquish every foe.
And it was all underlined by a throbbing beat of unimaginable anger.
Then the world went black.
“Lia?” I awoke to see Xander leaning over me, looking concerned. “What happened?”
I felt disoriented. “What?”
“Did you get yourself beat up today?” he asked, gesturing toward his legs. “I can feel your pain.”
That caused me to become aware again of the throbbing sensation that had been blocked while I’d been unconscious. “I think it’s from riding my horse.”
Understanding lit up his features. “Some people do get sore after riding for the first time. But you’ll get used to it. It’s often the same way with sex for women.”
He said it so matter-of-factly, but his words made my entire body flush with heat. Almost like I was performing magic again.
This was not something I could think about right now. “I think I have a power.”
“What is it?” he asked, interested. He sat down on the bed next to me. I moved into a sitting position.
“Fury.”
He blinked a couple of times but didn’t respond.
“You’re not going to say anything?” I finally asked.
“Were you expecting me to be surprised? It seems about right.”
I sighed. “I’m trying to not be vengeful and angry. To choose differently.” I didn’t want this to be my aspect.
“I understand, but remember that there is such a thing as righteous fury. You can be upset about the evils that people do and use your outrage to protect others. You don’t have to shy away from the parts of you that you think are dark. They can help you and drive you just as much as the others.”
“I don’t even know what it can do.” It could apparently curse a nation and turn it into a wasteland, but I didn’t know how else to utilize it.
“Fighting,” he said, like I was foolish for not immediately realizing it. “Come on. Get your xiphos.”
He pulled a dagger out from his belt and I realized that it was the one I’d given him on our wedding day. Why did that make my heart beat faster?
I stood up, ignoring the pain I felt. “I thought we weren’t going to fight anymore.”
“I’ll go easy on you,” he said with a grin.
