Page 25 of The Demon Tide

The cloud above Tierney’s head spits out threads of lighting. “You want me to work with your power?” she fumes, moving toward him. “Fine, Fyordin.”

Incensed beyond reason, Tierney grips Fyordin’s muscular upper arm. Wresting hold of their joint power, she raises a palm to the sky and hurls it upward, whipping the clouds into motion.

The sky darkens to roiling slate, then darkens further as the cloud frenzy blows out fierce gusts of wind. The Vo’s waves grow choppy as countless bolts of lightning scythe down over the river, the Wyvernguard, and the city of Voloi in a series of explosive, dazzling whitecracks.

Stunned, Tierney gasps and releases Fyordin just as he reaches up to grab hold of her in turn, his grip firm around her upper arms, the anger in his eyes vanished, only a look of astonishment remaining as torrential rain breaks out over the city.

“That was extraordinary,” Fyordin breathes as their powers cyclone around each other.

“Asrai Fae’kin!” a voice booms, and they turn.

A soldier is striding toward them, sharp face unforgiving. “You are both summoned to Commander Ung Li’s chambersimmediately.”

Ung Li’s eyes belie her calm demeanor as their spike-haired commander stares at them from behind her indigo, dragon-marked desk in her tower chambers.

“Commander Lir and Apprentice Calix,” she says. “Are you not sworn to protect Noilaan?” Her mouth is set in a tight line, as if she’s restraining herself from killing them both.

“We are,” Tierney answers in unison with Fyordin as their water powers covetously eddy toward each other. Tierney yanks her power back, enraged and flustered by his damned Asrai effect on her. She shoots Fyordin a sidelong glare to find his lip giving a slight, obnoxious lift that makes her want to blast magic at his ridiculously handsome face.

“Does raining lightning down on Voloi seem like something you would do toprotectit?” Ung Li inquires.

Remorse spears through Tierney.

“No, Nor Ung Li,” both she and Fyordin answer as Tierney fights the urge to shoot him another glare.

“Commander Lir,” Ung Li states, clasping her hands on the desk before her. “I’m relieving you of your position as Commander of the Asrai Division.”

Tierney can feel the sudden undertow of outrage rip through Fyordin’s power.

“Nor Ung Li,” he says, his deep voice forcibly measured, “if I erred in pushing Apprentice Calix too hard, it’s simply because she is one of the most powerful Asrai in the Vu Trin forces. Like myself, she is bound to the largest river in all of Erthia—”

“Which is why,” Commander Ung Li states, “when you continue to train together, you need topaceyourself.”

“Wait,” Tierney blurts, forgetting herself. “Did you just say ‘continue to train together’?”

Ung Li narrows her blade-sharp glare at Tierney. “Yes. You’ll deploy west together the day after Xishlon. I’m assigning you both the new, equal rank of Fae Military Advisors. You two are the most powerful Asrai in our forces and are equally bonded to the largest river on Erthia, so it makes sense to match you in military authority. An uneven rank is proving detrimental to you both and possibly Noilaan, as well.” She fixes her attention back on Fyordin. “Your initial efforts will be directed toward working with Advisor Calix as she hones her vast power.” She levels another glare at Tierney. “Worktogether.” She sighs, her expression losing some of its rigidity. “We needbothof you in this fight, Asrai’kin.”

Tierney looks down, humbled to be so rapidly elevated in rank and deeply cognizant that she’s forgotten herself during the last few trainings. Forgotten what’s important. As infuriating as it is to admit, Fyordin is right in this one thing.I need to work with the Vo, not against it.

And suddenly, Fyordin’s power is rippling around her in a different way. Almost tentative. Almost...gently.

Tierney swallows, unsettled. She ventures a look at Fyordin to find him doggedly focused on Commander Ung Li even as his water power remains wholly fixated on Tierney.

“I’m pleased to work with Advisor Calix,” Fyordin states.

Commander Ung Li eyes him. “Share your military expertise, Advisor Lir.” Her gaze flashes. “But if there are any more out-of-control lightning strikes, I’ll discipline you both.” She fixes her attention on Tierney. “Advisor Calix, take this evening off from Asrai training to reflect on what it means to workwithyour fellow Vu Trin instead ofagainstthem.” She holds out a formal summons, and Tierney accepts it. “For the remainder of the day, you’re to report to Or’myr Syll’vir’s geomancy laboratory. He’s just returned from Northern Noilaan and it seems he’s in need of water power. He’s been informed of your elevation in rank.” She stares down each of them again. “You’re both dismissed.”

As Tierney shoves the summons into her tunic’s pocket, she doesn’t look at Fyordin, finding the gentle touch of his water power in this moment to be more unnerving than the angry lash of it. She salutes Ung Li and strides out the door.

“Tierney,” Fyordin calls as she stalks down the torchlit hallway. His normally dominant voice seems unsure, which whips up Tierney’s unsettled emotions even further.

Ignoring him, she makes her way up several spiraling staircases toward Or’myr Syll’vir’s laboratory.

Tierney barges into the purple-lit geomancy lab with the force of an incoming typhoon, her emotions a roiling mess. The tall, young rune sorcerer she finds there pauses in scribbling something down in a notebook and meets her confrontational glare.

She looks over his purple-hued, point-eared form, her attention snagging on his out-of-place deep-green eyes. They shine like beacons against the overwhelming purpleness of both him and practically everything in this laboratory, the cramped space cut right into a swath of violet stone at the pinnacle of the Wyvernguard’s South Island.

His Vu Trin uniform is outrageously tinted purple, and the tables of his cluttered lab are covered with lilac crystals and stones, along with a smattering of dark stones imprinted with glowing lavender runes. There’s something familiar about him. So familiar, she feels flustered by her inability to place her finger on it.

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