The wave came.
A black, towering wall. Shadowed. Soundless. It would wash away everything—his Reskala, the horses, their supplies. The wagon would be crushed. They’d be lucky if they had any bodies left to bury. Men screamed. Braced. Most were treading water when they saw it. His mind scrambled for a solution. A ward. A shield. But no magic could hold a wave like that at bay. No magic could—
His eyes moved to Auryn before he understood the reason for it. She sat, still astride Astenos, looking right at him. As though she’d waited for him to meet her eyes. To search for her. Toask.
Because what they needed now was not magic.
It was amiracle.
He said nothing. Made no motion.
But sheknew.
Auryn moved before Resh could shout her name. She spurred Astenos forward, sprinting straight into the rising mist. Her hair flew like a banner, silver and wild. She raised her hands and magic burst from her like dawn. Not a cast. Not a spell. Just…power. Raw and brilliant. Her mouth moved. Eyes lit like twin stars.
The wave stopped.
Stopped.
Suspended in the air like it had turned to stone.
“Auryn,” he breathed—horrified,awed.
She turned toward him, her hands trembling.
Go,she mouthed.
It was a sword through his chest. He moved. Grabbed the reins of the draft horses. Dragged them and the carts behind him. Shouted orders. Krâthar blazed on his shoulders. Time stretched and tore. When the last man stumbled across, Resh turned back. Astenos swam steadily across the river—calm, confident, bearing its tiny rider as though commanded.
Auryn’s hands lowered.
The light fizzled and died.
For a moment, the wave still hung as an executioner’s axe hesitating on the cusp of motion. Then it crashed down, roaring, foaming, hissing behind her like an outraged god denied his pound of flesh. Water splashed everywhere, drenching some of the warriors from head to toe. But none complained.
Dozens of eyes just stared.
In awe.
In fear.
He ran to her side just as she stepped forward.
Whispers followed him like footsteps.
“Did you see that?”
“But…where was her conduit?”
“Was she casting?”
“How? Without words?”
Resh stopped just in front of Astenos, grabbing his reins as Auryn slid down his flank. She landed with grace, though he did not miss the way she stumbled just at the last.
“You just…parted a river,” he uttered.
“Not parted.Reminded.” She mimed the motion of Serevyn with her hands. “It remembers being still. Once.”
