Page 104 of House of Embers
“A secret hidden talent that could get her killed,” Kerrigan reminded her. She’d told Zina as much as she could about their time in Domara to explain all that she knew of the place. “I told you that part too.”
“Killed where she’s from, but not wherever we are,” Zina said. “Have you been practicing? How exactly does it work?”
“Don’t mind her,” Kerrigan told Danae. “Zina is too curious for her own good.”
“It’s okay. I’m not used to people knowing. None of my classmates do or my teachers, except Cleora. And there’s a new problem,” Danae said, a flash of anger crossing her face.
“New problem?”
Danae met her gaze. “A Doma heir enrolled at the academy.”
Kerrigan let the weight of that assessment linger. “Gods.”
“Yeah. If he finds out what I am…” Danae shivered. “I’ll be enslaved like the rest of my people.”
Zina frowned. “Maybe kill him.”
Danae burst into laughter. “That’s your solution?”
“Might work.”
“Or it might bring more powerful Doma to the academy to investigate,” Kerrigan said. “Be careful.”
Danae nodded. “What was it you needed from Cleora?”
“Have you heard of a metal crown in relation to He Who Reigns?”
“Of course,” Danae said with a laugh. “Who hasn’t?”
Zina and Kerrigan exchanged a look before Kerrigan said, “Me?”
“Oh, I forget that you’re not from here. This is like basic information delivered to littlings,” Danae said. “Even in Andine, I’d heard the story. So it goes like this. He Who Reigns had a brother, Fairgate.”
“What was his name?” Zina asked.
“The brother?” Danae asked.
“No, the reigning guy.”
Danae shrugged. “It’s been lost. No one knows it any longer.”
“Okay,” Zina said, dragging out the end of the word. “And this person is a god?”
“He’sthegod,” Danae said. “Well, of the Doma religion. Not of the Andines, which is where I was born.”
Zina waved her hand. “Sorry. Continue the tale.”
“Anyway, He Who Reigns had a brother. They were fighting for supremacy of the land. Their father had been eaten by the giant snake of time, and their mother was imprisoned. Fairgate suggested they rule jointly to offer a fair union for their subjects, but He Who Reigns sought power above all else. He killed his brother with a white crystal blade. The blade drank his brother’s blood, and with the blood and power, He Who Reigns forged a metal crown that ate light itself.”
Kerrigan could barely breathe. That was the crown. It had to be. But how the hell had it gotten to Alandria?
“Fairgate’s wrath rumbled through the underworld, and with the strength of the Bridge of Passing, he returned to the earthly plane to challenge his brother once more. He stole the crown and threw it to the ends of the earth, where it was buried at the base of a mountain. He Who Reigns took up his crystal blade against Fairgate for what he’d done, sending him back to the underworld, where he has ruled ever since.”
“An excellent telling,” Cleora said, appearing behind them. “Alittle bit of the children’s version and enough of the adult version, but well done.”
“Cleora!” Kerrigan said, wrapping the tall woman in a hug.
“Hello, my dear. Blessed Lords, it has been too long.” Cleora patted Kerrigan’s head twice. “And who is your friend?”
