Page 31 of The Spark that Ignites
“If you say so. That’s the second time I’ve saved your life in less than two days.”
Emmery glared at him and snatched the canteen from his hand.
Vesper happily trailed behind, eyes closed, and head tilted back, soaking in the sun’s rays. The gate disappeared, tucked away by magic and the further they ventured the more the air sparkled in the sunlight. Emmery reached out to touch it and whatever hung in the air followed her fingers. She breathed it into her lungs, never wanting to exhale. Was this magic?
A strange pulsing shimmer like white stardust caught her eye and as she glanced back at Vesper, her jaw slackened. An aura clung to his body—the same moonlit paleness of his eyes. Surely her mind was playing tricks on her, but it thickened by the second.
She swallowed hard. “Vesper?”
“Hmmm?” He cracked an eyelid and seeing her expression, a slow smile crept onto his face. Evidently her concern was amusing.
She gestured to the glowing shimmer encasing his body. “What’s this?”
He crooked a dark brow, that stupid smile still on his lips. “This is how we carry our magic. We call it a vestige.”
She had certainly seenKennabut notthat. Well, seen from a distance, but still. Emmery waved a hand through the blank air surrounding her. “Then where’s mine?”
“You don’t get it until you pass your trial. Don’t get ahead of yourself.”
Emmery crossed her arms over her chest, walking backward, cautious to avoid any uneven ground. “You didn’t have it ten minutes ago.”
“Magic doesn’t look the same beyond the Iron Gate.” He waved his fingers through the shimmer. “It was there; you just couldn’t see it.”
Vesper caught up to her and shoved his hands in his pockets. She couldn’t help staring. The white glow was beautiful and by that wide grin on his face, he enjoyed the attention.
Her cheeks warmed and she yanked her gaze away. “What does it do?”
“Our magic resides in our blood, but it holds the remainder of our power. It’s like a reserve. When our magic depletes our vestige fades. You have to be careful not to burn through it. If you drain your magic, you’ll faint. Or worse, you could Collapse. And that’s—well, it’s fatal. It only happens if you drastically overextend yourself. But you should be mindful. Especially because you’ll be learning.”
Emmery sank her teeth into her lip as worry swelled in her belly. She’d been in the dark for her entire life, not really knowing who or what she was. How long would she be playing catch up? “Humans know so little about your people.”
“Ourpeople,” he corrected again.
“Right.” Emmery almost smiled. “It’s quite embarrassing really. Humans are so afraid ofKenna.” She kicked a rock with more force than necessary. “I suppose, the generation raised with magic have all passed at this point.”
“People fear what they don’t understand.”
“They call usDamned Onesand demons. Innocents were burned, drowned, beaten to a pulp, and horrifically murdered before crowds. It’s more than a misunderstanding. It was ... some sickgame. They hunted us. Huntedmelike an animal.” She stared at her feet, her chest shaking with each breath. She’d never said that aloud. Never acknowledged the things she’d seen or been through. The fear she’d lived inside—her own personal pocket of darkness. “I’m a person too. We all are.”
Vesper clasped a hand around the back of his neck, uncertainty in the set of his jaw. “I’m sorry you had to see that. To endure that. It—” He paused, his mouth twisting to the side and voice quiet, contemplative. “It must have been terrible.”
It didn’t matter anymore. She was over the gate and safe for now. Eager to steer the conversation away, she said, “Aside from mist and smoke, what other things can you do?”
A grin devoured his face. “Would you like me to tell you or show you?”
Emmery opened her mouth to respond, when a weak cry flitted through the air like a wounded bird. Her eyes darted to the flowers lining the road and a lump formed in her throat. Tangled in what looked to be an abandoned spider web was a tiny white fox no longer than her forearm. It thrashed, failing to free itself from the sticky tendrils. Immediately, Emmery moved toward it but Vesper caught her by the shoulder. She scowled at his urgent stare, but concern knit the lines of his face.
“Don’t touch anything, remember?” Vesper warned, his severe and foreboding tone making her pause.
Emmery looked at the fox and back at him, her eyes wide and pleading.
“I know, Emmery, but ... please,” he assured but she wasn’t convinced he knew what she was feeling.
“Look at the little thing. It’s sohelpless.” She clutched her chest as the creature surveyed her with pleading eyes andthrashed in the web. How many times had she needed someone to save her or called out for help and been spat on? Her heart cracked wide open as she watched it struggle. “We have to do something!”
“Kaah has his reasons for everything.” Vesper’s tone softened but he shook his head. “We’re not meant to understand but we have to respect it.”
“This?” Her voice shook as the creature cried out again. It was like watching herself snared in that web, the threads wrapping around her throat. “This iscruel. Who could be this hateful?”
