She plunged her hand into her pocket and grasped her speaking stone.
Fine, she growled into his mind.You lit a candle. That does nothing to help me. The gods do not answer my call.
Because you are angry at them, Arawn’s voice snapped back. She swore she couldfeelhis frustration, even as he turned and walked away, pacing about the space as if he weren’t speaking to her at all. All the while, his voice caressed her mind.Trust me. I understand more than you know. You feel abandoned by the Five. You feel insignificant. But they are still here, Minder.
Across the room, she saw him pause and place his hand over his own heart.Here,where it’s quiet. Then he reached up and tapped the side of his head.Not here, where things are often a battleground of their own.
You know nothing of my mind, Ezer thought to him, even as he was currentlyinit.
He smiled at that.I wasn’t talking about you.
Then he was back before her again, his shadow overpowering as he knelt before her, and plucked her dripping candle out of the water.
He whispered an invocation into her mind, practically purring the request for power.
It had nothing to do with her.
But it left her breathless, wishing she could hear him sigh the invocation all over again.
Before her, the wet wick flickered to life.
His fingertips just barely grazed hers as he handed it back to her, still lit.
Then he leaned even closer, enough that she could smell the scent of woodsmoke upon him, could feel the heat coming off his skin, like he was a raging fire. His breath tickled her ear as he whispered aloud, ‘You saved me, in the woods, when my own magic failed. You have power, Minder. The gods chose you to be here. And when you finally come to know it …’ He paused, and chuckled, his eyes meeting hers as he backed away. ‘Gods help anyone who stands in your way.’
And then he was back to pacing the rows of younglings.
She watched him go, all too aware of how close he’d just been.
All too aware of her pounding heart.
Little by little, the room cleared.
And still, Ezer tried.
Truly, she did, but eventually her head began to spin, so she set her candle down, and spent the rest of training staring out of the window instead. Watching the flashes of war, a place that Six would someday soon enter … and leave Ezer behind.
The thought pained her more than she cared to admit.
Eventually, Izill bid her goodnight with a gentle squeeze on her shoulder.
‘Don’t give up,’ she whispered. ‘It’s only day one for you. It’s been over adecadesince I first tried, and I’m still here, hoping and praying.’
Ezer felt selfish, and terrible, as Izill walked away.
And then it was just her and Arawn, alone in the enormous room.
‘Tell me about your magic,’ he said, watching her closely. ‘There’s no reason to hide it. And besides. It’syourturn to tell a truth.’
Even if it was unpillared, stained magic.
But he wasn’t going to imprison her again. She trusted that much. So she sighed and tucked a dark curl behind her ear. ‘I have always had a connection with the birds. It isn’t just a liking, it’s more like … they see me, and understand me. As if we are one and the same. And sometimes … I hear a whisper.’
‘A whisper?’
‘A warning on the wind,’ she explained. ‘It’s a bit like the power of the speaking stone. But when your voice speaks, it’s right there. I can …’ she frowned. ‘I canfeelyou in my mind.’
She didn’t know why that made her stomach give a strange little flutter.
