“Don’t get all carried away. These might not be enough for your delicate constitution.” Eunny offered a vial with scummy green liquid inside. It had a consistency like syrup, and just looking at it was enough to make Calya’s gorge rise.
“Whatever that is, no. But thanks?”
Eunny forced it into her hand. “To reach the Landing in under a week, the ship is going to be burning its mages at both ends.” She nodded at the vial. “That tastes about as good as it looks, but it’ll put you out no matter how rough the water gets. Goddess, I’m making even myself feel a bit sick just thinking about it. Maybe we’ll need a third plan.”
“I’ll consider it,” Calya said. She kept quiet about how she’d have to be absolutely desperate before reaching that point. She planned to study the information she’d gathered on the town of Desmond’s Landing during the voyage and make any additions to her small notebook of vital details. She couldn’t get anything done from a medically induced coma, even if it was a more comfortable way to endure the trip.
“I have something for you, too.” Anadae held a small velvet pouch, a nervous smile on her face.
Calya offered her palm out, blinking in surprise when her sister upended the pouch and a bar-shaped silver pendant on a matching chain spilled out. Etched into the metal was the outline of a wave, and even with her mundane senses, Calya felt the soft hum of magic warming her skin.
Holding the pendant between thumb and forefinger, she gave her sister a questioning look.
“It has a frost protection enchantment I’ve been working on,” Anadae said.
“Frost protection?” Calya held the clasp ends of the chain up in offering. “Are you becoming a battle mage?”
Anadae settled the chain around Calya’s neck. “Hardly. So, be careful about how you use it. Just snap the bottom?—”
“Your confidence gives me such confidence.”
Anadae mussed Calya’s hair, laughing as she sidestepped her answering swat. But the mirth dimmed as her gaze landed on the pendant. “Just… be careful, Calya. Brint’s, well, we all know he’s useless. But you’re trying to expose him.” She hesitated, voice growing softer, more distant. “It’s rare that he ever has to face consequences. When he does… he’s not the Brint we knew when we were young.”
Ezzyn slid his arm around Anadae’s shoulders, his lips grazing the top of her head. To Calya, he said, “If you’d like a fire charm as well, you need only ask.”
“I can probably whip up an emetic,” Eunny offered. “It’s been a while, though, so you’ll really need to time that one right. Don’t want to end up in the splash zone.”
“I’m touched, all of you,” Calya said dryly, “but no.”
“Coward,” Eunny said.
Calya examined the pendant. “So, I break it if I need to use it. What exactly does it do?”
“It should send out a freezing blast. Kind of like a wave you can direct.”
Her eyebrows went up. “Should?”
“You’ll be fine. Just… only use it if you have to.” Anadae hugged her. “Since we’re waiting, I’ve never visited the lake from this side. I’ll be back!”
Calya crossed her arms. “Ah, I see. So that’s why you really wanted to come early.”
“No,” Anadae said, drawing out the word. “Happy coincidence. Zhen, did you want samples, too?”
The pair hurried off to descend toward the lakeshore, ignoring Calya’s exclaimed, “It’s the same water as on the other side.”
Eunny clapped her on the shoulder. “It’s a mage thing.” She waved, strolling back toward the market. “I’m going to see what’s taking Nev so long.”
Calya and Ezzyn stood in silence as they watched Anadae and Zhenya kneel at the water’s edge. Anadae laid her palms against the gently lapping waves, faint shimmers of golden light gathering at her fingers.
“She worries about you,” Ezzyn murmured. “About HNE. Not your handling of it, but how your father and that trustee are acting. About Avenor.” His lip curled at the name of Anadae’s ex.
“They’re not making things easy,” Calya admitted. “But once I find out what Brint’s done, once I clean up his mess, HNE is mine. They won’t have any reasons left to deny it.”
“You’ve always been committed,” he agreed. “For as long as I’ve known you, the goal’s never changed.”
Though Calya had only been a budding teenager when Ezzyn became Anadae’s magic tutor, she’d loudly declared her life’s ambitions to anyone. Whether they asked her about it or not. “I do know what I want.”
A small smile accompanied her words, but it wavered as she watched her sister. Anadae played with the water, magic dancing along her fingertips as she directed a thin stream to jump around the air before finally landing in a specimen jar Zhenya held out. Their laughter reached Calya’s ears, making her heart clench. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen her sister reveling in her magic at all, let alone with fellow mage friends. Sure, Calya had seen her perform some magic since she’d returned to school, but it had been small, or instinctive. Never purely for fun.
