Weakened by lack of sleep, Kai fell to his knees with the rest of the water, soaked to the bone and shivering.When he met her gaze again, she was smiling, proud and contemptuous as a cat – and then she was gone, leaving just River, arms crossed and leaning against the doorjamb.
Still coughing, Kai forced himself to his feet and dried himself off before going to stand across from River at the threshold.“Arright, dryshite?”he asked like nothing had happened, the posh accent gone, fuck it, River knew what he sounded like.“What’s the shtory?”
River’s disinterested expression cracked into a ridiculously smug grin.“Happy now?You got her to shield.”
It was a testament to Kai’s dwindling sanity that he felt gratified that River smiled at him, even if it was a decidedly mean smile.“Thrilled,” Kai said back; in the gods’ tongue he added an old proverb, “A devastating storm makes for a skilled mariner.”
River scoffed but had nothing for that.Point to Kai.
He hated losing, but Ione had unwittingly showed him how to win the war if not the battle.Kai would make a skilled mariner out of her yet.
The attendant delighted them all the following day by gracing them with advice.
The sun had returned, baking yesterday’s rain out of the courtyard’s plants and making their leaves curl.As had become the routine, the seleneschals flanked Ione as she rushed through her stances, her piss-poor spatial awareness setting Kai’s teeth on edge.He chewed restlessly on a toothpick on the opposite side of the courtyard, having given up cigarettes for today after Ione “accidentally” doused three of them.
In the name of fairness, he would at least let her finish warming up.
The attendant, quietly watching over some sewing project, sheathed her needle and scissors and set the bundle of blue fabric onto the breakfast table.Kai studied her as she crossed over to Ione at the fountain, curious.As he’d asked, she had stopped poking around his ward, but since that day, she hadn’t so much as spoken to him.
Lina Morrow was her full name, according to River.A southern surname, rare in these parts.It didn’t pair well with her northern accent and general nervousness.Even River pulled his face out of his book and watched as Lina meekly interrupted Ione from her increasing frustration with candle ice.
“Sorry,” Lina began, tapping Ione’s shoulder – much of what she said was prefixed withSorry.“I have a question.”
“Oh, Lina.”Ione pretended to swoon.“The answer is yes.”
Lina let out a sputtering laugh, and Ione grinned shyly, like she was proud of that.Kai stood and flicked his toothpick into the bushes, chastened by a brief and unpalatable remembrance that Ione was just as mortal and lost and stupid as he was.
He shoved the thought aside before it made him feel bad and strode over to them.
“What is your question?”Ione asked, her voice warm as it always was for Lina.
“Just…” Lina chewed her lip, apparently strategizing.“It was something the spellcasters at Caelos mentioned.I only thought of it suddenly, but when you use magic, what do you think about?”
As usual, Ione ignored Kai as he approached.She tapped her chin, her brows furrowed.“I’m not sure I’m thinking much.Perhaps,My gods, just do the thing.”
“You should be getting angry,” Kai said, and from the way Ione glowered at him, she was well on her way.“Anger, when honed correctly, is the best power source.”
“Wow, that’s…” Lina huffed, reproachful.“Not at all what I was going to suggest.”
“Ah, brill, theCaelosihas a lesson for us.”Kai spread his arms, cognizant of River’s and Cynthia’s vigilance.“G’wan, tell us about how love and kindness will save us all from the Moths.”
Lina shrugged, like that was actually what she had in mind.Kai almost felt sorry for her.
“Anger heals,” he told Ione.“Hatred empowers.”He opened his palms, drawing Menon’s energy out of the air and concentrating it into vapour, water droplets, ice crystals.“Pour it into every movement.Every attack.Think, always, about why you’re doing this, who you want to hurt, how good it’ll feel.”
To Ione’s credit, she seemed to be listening.But Lina crossed her arms, incredulous.“Living like that will poison you.”
“A slower death than getting barbecued,” Kai said, and although that was a great point, Lina didn’t smile.
“The strongest hydromancers I’ve seen draw their power from wanting to protect others,” she said.“Not from drowning themselves in self-satisfying loathing.”
“That is patently untrue.”Kai turned his wrist and summoned every ounce of water from the fountain to him, letting it sweep ice-cold over Ione and Lina on the way.“Because I’m the strongest hydromancer you’ve seen.”
Lina shut her mouth at that, her eyes on his hands, waiting.She moved to stand in front of Ione, but Ione pushed past her, dripping wet and furious.Good start.
Kai effortlessly melted the column of ice she summoned, twisting it into a thick trunk and using it to shove Lina out of the way.Something moved in the corner of his eye – Cynthia, her arm thrown out.Kai jerked back, adrenaline making his heart sing as an ice dagger whizzed past his head.River, too, was already on his feet, his sword poised, his eyes resolute.Like he’d been waiting for the opportunity.
Nothing would make Kai happier than fighting River, but unfortunately River wasn’t his meal ticket.
