Page 192 of Swords of Soul and Shadow
He said it like thatstuntwasn’t the reason they were all still alive. Kase’s hand fell away from her back. Hallie peeked over at him. He didn’t say anything; he simply stared at the ground, arms crossed. While his and his father’s poses were similar, the men themselves couldn’t be more opposed. The tension between them was palpable.
Saldr, brave man that he was, merely said, “The Lord Elder’s power is painful to wield and difficult to control. He had many years to prepare for his role; Miss Walker has had a few weeks. The fact that she’s standing before us now is quite a feat in itself.”
Kase turned his head toward Hallie, his eyes finding hers. Her heart leapt and warmed; her body swayed toward his likethat look had some kind of magnetic pull. The heat in her chest grew, but it wasn’t painful. The haze in her vision flared.
They still hadn’t finished their conversation from earlier, and now it looked like they wouldn’t get to for a while.
She should try to put some distance between them physically and emotionally, but she couldn’t make herself do that. Not yet. Not after what he’d said before, about being his fate.
Her hand brushed his, and her skin heated at the brief touch. That wasn’t her power.
“You said something about a Relic earlier. What is that?” Harlan asked, bringing Hallie back to the moment.
Saldr nodded. “A Relic is an object made of the holy metal. It helps the wielder control their power.”
“So once you have that, she can restore the electricity?”
Kase opened his mouth to speak, but Hallie reached out and set her hand on his arm. She stepped past him and held her shoulders high. “When I used the power without one, I destroyed Achilles, and it’s only with the Gate’s help that Niels, Fely, and I made it to Kyvena in one piece.”
Saldr paled, and she didn’t miss the way his gaze darted to Fely.
“But with the dragon and the rest of the Cerls still out there, the consequences might be worth it,” she added reluctantly. “If the electricity will do that much good.”
“Miss Walker,” Saldr ventured, “using such power would take a toll.”
“Yes. But it might be worth it,” she repeated. Kase shifted uncomfortably.
It was at that moment that Jove Shackley spoke up. She hadn’t noticed him leaning against the wall; the golden haze fizzing around her vision had hidden him until he’d stepped forward. “Perhaps. But what about Correa? We know he’scoming here, and for all we know, he could have the rest of the army and air force at his back.”
“Yet another reason we need to be ready for a fight,” Harlan said gruffly. “I refuse to let them waltz in here again. We need Pilot Shackley and the others in the air as soon as possible.”
Kase shook his head. “I can handle the Cerls.”
“Not in one of their death machines.” Harlan’s voice was low and nearly as cold as it had been when Hallie had overheard them during the estate dinner months ago. “Your patrols are only a temporary solution.”
Kase’s voice only wavered slightly, but whether it was from fear, anger, or something else, Hallie couldn’t decide. “I’d say my ability to work the hover is an asset, Stradat Lord Kapitan.”
Jove stepped in between the two men. “Father’s right, Kase. From the intelligence we have on the technology, it’s dangerous.”
“But—”
“And furthermore, we’ve lost the element of surprise with you taking out the last squadron.” Jove turned to look at the Stradat Lord Kapitan. “It saved us, yes, but now Correa knows to look out for a rogue ship. They’ll have new protocols in place to keep it from happening again.”
Hallie wanted to argue on that front. She wasn’t sure where Correa was. She hadn’t seen him since Ravenhelm. But then again, what was to say he wasn’t already here in Kyvena, hidden among the refugees?
The soft golden glow winked in her vision. She turned toward it for a moment.
When she squinted, the golden fog narrowed to a point. It was unlike anything she’d experienced before…yet it also felt like a memory of some sort, or a dream that faded after waking.
Curious.
“But you don’t understand,” Kase said, gesturing with his hands. His words interrupted her thoughts, and she ducked just in time to avoid being accidentally hit as he pointed to his chest. “It’s like the hover is a part of me. It knows what I want to do before I even do. It’s the perfect weapon to fight them with. We’ll never accomplish anything in one of our standard hovers unless your goal is for your last few pilots to go down in flames.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Why?” Kase shouted. “Just trust me! I can do this. I’ve already proven I can.”
“You can’t, Ezekiel! The cost is yoursoul!”The Stradat Lord Kapitan’s shout rang off the walls so loudly, Hallie stumbled into Kase. His eyes were pits of darkness without much light in this part of the tunnels.
