Page 33 of A Conduit of Light
“They’reso beautiful,” she spoke under her breath.
“Itgets better,”BaronRevichreplied softly, close to her, their hands still entwined.
Aflicker of blue, hazy light which began on one tree, soon turned into thousands of twinkling blossoms blooming from each branch.Thenitor moths then settled in their performance and began to drink heavily, the entire copse of trees alight like the moon itself—her glow a mirror to the one before them.
“Thenitor trees only bloom after the moths ask them.Andthe nitor moths only travel on nights of the full moon.That’swhyIwanted to show you tonight.Idon’t know thatI’mpatient enough to wait another few weeks.”Hissmile was drawn to one side.
Ashshook her head. “I’mglad you didn’t wait.Idon’t ever plan to miss this again.”Sheturned back to the captivating glow before them, her green eyes alight with more appreciation forFelgrenand the magic it held for all of its creatures.
“Ash…” he broke the silence with a breathless whisper, “canI…”
Hisface was close to hers, too close to imply anything other than what she had been longing to do for hours now.
“Kissme?Why,BaronRevich,Ithought you’d never ask.”Shegrinned, her lips lingering above his own, all sense of caution gone as she leaned closer to his warm body.
“It’sRev,” he whispered, mumbling the rest on her open mouth, “justRev.”
Theirlips joined, their embrace natural and fitting, the weight of her worries slipping away one by one with each caress of his mouth.
Shepulled away slightly, their breathing matched in rapidity.Asher thumb lightly stroked his cheek, she whispered, “Doyou know the cook well?Ineed her to bake some additional cinnamon buns in the morning.”
Confusionlit his face andAshlaughed, head back in reverie at the sight of it, the sound of her joy light upon the breeze asRevichgroaned, grabbed her waist and pulled her underneath him, the late hour long forgotten, as two hearts pounded to the same rhythm.
Chapter16
Ash
“That’syour fifth yawn this morning,Ash’Arah.”BaronHeimlen’stone reeked of rebuke. “Itold you to get some rest.Youapparently did not.”
Ashsat on her knees, both hands flat on the ground.Theexercise theBaronhad introduced this morning was about attempting to take magic directly fromFelgren’sforest floor.Itwas working, but it would have worked better if she’d had the energy to really concentrate on the task.
Shepushed her fingertips further into the damp earth, calling silently to the power radiating through the soil.Aprickle of magic met her fingertips in a calm greeting, lazily climbing over her fingers, across her conduit ring, and up her arms.Butthe tendrils of power were thin, often broken—only a shadow of what she knew she could request from the forest if her exhaustion had not weighed her down.
AshandRevhad kissed under the moon until their lips were red and puffy, holding onto one another, whispering in the dark until they fell asleep, wrapped in their warm cloaks and wool blanket in the glow of the nitor trees.
Asdawn broke,Revichwoke her, and hand in hand, they arrived back at theFortress.Ashstumbled up to her room for another hour of rest, running into an observantSylvawith a sly look in her eyes before tumbling into bed.Shehad skipped breakfast and knew she’d never hear the end of it fromFiguerahandClairanniawhen they made the connection of why.
BaronHeimlensighed heavily for what must have been the tenth time. “Whatails you, my dear?”Helifted her chin with a gloved hand and smiled faintly, though it failed to meet his black eyes which were filled with irritation.
Ashcould make an entire list of things that ailed her.Hyrithia, theQueen, thePrince,Geyrand,Revich, her role here and the pressure of what shemustdo.
Really, she thought,what doesn’t ail me?
Shelooked up toBaronHeimlen, wondering how much of her troubles she could really tell him.Herentire life she had lived without a single soul she could express her deepest thoughts to—the ones that made her question who she was and the extent of her shadows.Forhow could a soul be understood when it was not your own?Howcould anyone ever comprehend the words her soul would speak when it was a language only she seemed able to understand?
Notfor the first or last time,Ashblew air out of her lips, resigning to the choice of speaking little about her woes instead of speaking the truth of them.
“Iam sorry,Baron.Would—would it be alright if…ifIspent the day inViridis?”Shebit the bottom corner of her lip, waiting for the reply that didn’t come. “Ihaven’t been in days, andIpromise to spend my time there in theOriginsofFelgrenHalllike you’ve asked.Please,I-Ijust need a day to my own thoughts, and thenIpromise to be ready tomorrow.”Shecould hear the pleading in her voice, unsure if he would acknowledge it.
Hestared at her in an uncomfortable silence before replying, “Youmay have your day,Ash’Arah.Butfirst, you will again witness theBlight.”Hestood and held his black glove out to her, which she took and nodded. “Youwill be reminded of yourreasonfor coming toFelgren, yourreasonfor leavingHyrithia, and yourreasonfor your gift of magic.Ifanything ails you, it should be that you are not doing all you can to stop theBlight.”
Thereit was—the reprimand that stings.
Shewinced inwardly, the tone of disappointment thick on his tongue with the words of a father-figure finding his daughter to be less than what he believed she could be.
Ashfelt immense guilt and uncomfortable with her decisions as they rode silently on lumens to the edge of theBlight—closer to theFortressthan she would like.Shehad thought ofBaronHeimlenas an all-powerful force, the strongest living man on the isle, but she had seen it herself, andRevhad confirmed it—he was aging rapidly.Andthere she had been, out frolicking with his successor in the moonlight instead of taking her role here to heart and preparing for the day’s training.
Shefelt low, chiding herself the entire way to theBlight, determined to take the day as her own.Nodistractions, no wandering mind.Shewould study history, eat heartily, and fall asleep early.
