Page 11 of A Blightress of Wrath
Ilaid down my fork in defeat. “Thereisn’t enough time.Wecan’t waste the weeks we’ll be gone now thatIcannot travel throughRev’sportals.We’readding so much time onto the journey, and they need to have some training before we return with the new channelers from the mountains and theSpire.Ioffered forRevto go without me, but he refused.”Itook a sip of my tea.AtleastClairanniahad let me have that with sugar and milk, just asIliked it. “Iknow it’s unusual, but they’ll have to train with us outside ofFelgren.”
“Allof this is unusual,”Figuerahadded. “TwoBarons.Oneof them a woman.”Sheshook her head, sipping her own tea. “Ifor one, don’t mind the upheaval of tradition one bit.”
Clairannianodded. “I’mjust surprised, that’s all.Inanother month or so,Karus, you should be feeling better—like your old self.Ican come to you as far asLythglyn, but thenImust get back to theSpire.I’llsee you there in a few weeks anyway.”
Iwrapped my arm around her shoulder.Shetilted her head to mine, andIkissed the top of her thick black hair.
Shelifted her head with a contagious grin. “Now, let’s start discussing the nursery.”
* * *
MybrotherandIwalked the paths ofFelgrenin silence.
Allthe other channelers were either nursing headaches from drinking too much at the celebration the night before or nursing the ones who were sick.
Surprisingly,Philiusinformed me he hadn’t had anything to drink, even though drinking had been his favorite pastime whenI’dreunited with him just months ago inHyrithia.
Ourboots crunched over pinecones and dry needles along our path.Wehadn’t chosen a destination—only a decision that we needed to clear some of the silence between us.
“Areyou—” he began, just asIstarted, “It’sokay?—”
Wechuckled and fell back to the quiet.
Icleared my throat. “Yougo first.”
“Congratulations,” he offered, folding his arms across his chest.
Thenoon sun beat down over the cloudless sky, filtering through the shifting leaves of the trees.Thewelcome shade cooled our path in a reprieve from the late spring, which stubbornly refused to give way to summer.
Igave a snort, saying, “Thankyou.ButIknow you have much more to say than that.”
“Youhaven’t been listening to whatI’vebeen saying.”
“Sosay somethingIwill listen to,BigBrother.”Igrinned up at him, a good six inches taller than me.
Heshook his head and his black coils bounced in the movement.Herubbed his face, andIonce again thought ofHeimlen.I’dguessIalways would every timeIsaw the blackened hands of my brother.Theresidual evidence of theBlackFever, which had almost killed him, swam down his wrists in a spill of black ink against his mahogany skin.
Ilooked away quickly.Thelast thingIneeded was to linger on a subject which made me furious.
“Becareful.”Hepaused. “No, you won’t listen to that.Besmart.”
Ilaughed into the breeze, pushing his shoulder lightly.
“Imean it,Karus.Isee that you won’t leaveRevich?—”
“BaronRevich,”Iinterrupted, only concerned about my companion’s title when it came to my princely brother using it.
“Fine—BaronRevich.You’reless likely to come back toHyrithiawith me now, but please,Karus.Besmart.Thinkall of this through.Youpassed the conduit trials, you passed theBarontrial.”Heglanced at me with a smirk. “Iknew you had all of that in you, but theBlightress…” he trailed, his eyes furrowing along with his mouth.
“Whatdo you know about her?”Ipulled at a long blade of blooming grass along the path.
“NothingbeforeIsaw theBlight.Onlywhat you’ve told me anyway.”
Iremembered that day.Philiushad been asking to see theBlightwhich had played a hand in the disease that had killed countless channelers inHyrithia.Thelook on his face at the edge of the endless abyss inFelgrenhad been so strange.
Ilet the silence continue to fall as we walked.
Hefinally cleared his throat again and said, “Iheard her that day.Orreally, she heard me.”
