Page 54 of Consort

But my hands are stronger than hers. And I’m fully charged with fury. I release my magic, engulfing her wrists and hands in flames.

She screams in agony as her skin melts away. I press harder, and her bones grow brittle under my heat. They soon break into shards in my grasp, and I let go only because there’s nothing left of her hands to hold onto.

I strip her of her cloak and flip her back over. Her eyes widen when she sees me, but she’s in too much shock from the pain to speak. And she’s powerless without her hands. I leave her in the dirt and turn to check on the kelpie.

“Are you okay?” I ask him. “What can I do?”

He snorts as he struggles to stand, too proud to accept my help. His skin looks slightly better, but he’ll need a healer to recover completely. Sadly, I think his eyes are beyond repair.Restoring sight is a daunting challenge, even for the most powerful healers. It’s likely gone forever.

I feel a wave of sorrow over what he’s lost. His whole life has changed irrevocably, just for the thrill of a heartless soldier.

I turn back to Lyta and watch her tears fall as her own loss sinks in. “My hands… You took myhands!” she wails, staring at the scorched nubs left below her elbows.

I allow the kelpie to get up on his own while I rip the cloak into strips. After balling one strip up, I stuff it into her mouth to quiet her. I use the others to tie what’s left of her arms against her sides.

Once I’ve finished, I hear the kelpie stomp, and his mane brushes against me. Now that he’s standing, I hope he’ll allow me to help him.

“Where is your lake?” I ask. “I’ll lead you there.”

“My home is in the dark lake,” he grunts. “No one wants to go there.”

“I’ll go with you,” I tell him, resting my hand on his muscular shoulder.

He shakes off my touch, but doesn’t lash out, focusing instead on the noble who deserves his anger.

“What of her?” he asks, tossing his head toward the muffled sound of Lyta’s cries.

“That’s up to you,” I tell him. “We can bring her with us if you’d like.”

He chuffs as he considers it. “Sure. I’ll drag her behind me.”

I smile and begin a makeshift rope with what’s left of the cloak. After lifting a sobbing Lyta to her feet, I attach the rope to her bindings, then secure it around the kelpie’s girth. She stumbles and falls a few times along the way but manages to remain on her feet for most of the journey.

The kelpie remains quiet, following the sounds of my footsteps until the dirt turns to coarse sand beneath our feet.The trees thin, and the vast, still water stretches out before us. The moon shines down from behind the trees, casting gnarled shadows upon the lake. It looks like hundreds of long, bony fingers reaching across the surface.

Figures dart back and forth beneath the water. The kelpies’ songs rise from the depths, distorted but tantalizing. I’m lured to the water’s edge, captivated by the sound.

Luckily, Lyta realizes where we are just in time and screams around the cloth in her mouth. The sound drowns out the songs and shakes me out of my trance.

Silhouettes of kelpies begin to emerge from the water. Some resemble smaller versions of kelpies’ horse forms but with big, luminous eyes. Others look like sultry fae, swaying their hips with a hypnotic grace as they advance on us.

I hear the huffs and stomps of kelpies closing us in from behind. When I turn, a tall, black kelpie with piercing eyes and a domineering aura towers over me, taking the three of us in.

Given his size, I assume he’s their leader. Even Lyta stills when she sees how massive he is. I bow my head in reverence and allow the kelpie I arrived with to speak to his kind.

“Shamere,” the leader says. “Explain this.”

“Majestic,” he answers, keeping his head down. “The noble attacked me and took my sight away.”

The kelpies on land stomp and snort in anger. The ones in the water screech. My stomach drops as I realize I’m wearing a noble’s uniform, but Lyta no longer has her cloak.

Misinterpreting Shamere’s words, the leader takes a step toward me as if I’m the attacker.

“The other noble,” I say, bowing my head lower.

Shamere’s head jerks up, and he shakes it in confusion. “Othernoble?” he asks.

“I’m Durin,” I tell him, wishing I’d explained everything to him on the way. “I’m a noble as well, but not by choice. I killedMitah to avenge a shifter’s death, and I was caught. I assure you, the work I do is to the queen’s own detriment.”

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