Page 81 of Of Serpents and Ruins
Covering the bruises, I swallowed hard. "I’m sorry. I just…I couldn’t stay away from him. I had to be close to him. It was like…if I could touch him, somehow it would be all right, even though part of me knew it wouldn’t. In the back of my mind, I always knew." My breath snagged. "This magic makes no sense," I said hoarsely. "What part of it is magic? What part of it is…" I shook my head, tears rolling down my eyes. "I’m so confused, Kine! And I feel horrible. It’s not like I want to die, and I don’t want him to die or go insane."
"It’s not your fault, Bug," he said.
It felt like it was. Surely I could have chosen to strengthen my will in some other way. "Every time it happens, it’s harder in a different way, and it's impossible to prepare for it."
Auntie Runa’s warning flashed into my mind. We were fortunate that some subconscious part of me had remembered how to shift, but being lucky wasn’t something to count on.
"Your instincts are something to be proud of though," Kine said. When I opened my mouth to protest, he gave a sharp shake of his head, azure curls dancing. "No, Bug, I mean it. That was actually a good sign. All your practice with the base forms? It really paid off. I’ve rarely been happier to see someone shift, and you remembered your old form like you’d done it yesterday. Your horns and whiskers were crooked, so your balance was not on point, but it wasn’t too bad."
"I turned back into a human halfway up the wall—"
"You held the full water serpent form for over two minutes, and you stayed out of his jaws. You also managed to respond swiftly in the crisis and not plummet to your death." Kine bumped me with his arm. Concern and torment marred his eyes, despite the comforting smile he offered. "It wasn’t flawless, but it was a fine start."
"I didn’t even think about being a water serpent. It just…happened, but then Candy couldn’t shift at all. What’s that about?"
"No idea. It’s just something that has started happening. It happened to me in the valley and several others in different scenarios," Kine said. "It’s been this way since your arrival, especially after the Gola Resh released you from that chasm." He braced his arms against the balcony and stared out over the storming sea.
"Will she be all right?" I asked.
Elias strode around the corner, steps slow and expression heavy. His dark-red hair hung limp around his shoulders, one section especially ragged. He tugged on it and smoothed it back behind his ear, but when he turned his head, the hair slipped back over his eyes. "Candy is fine," he said hoarsely, "or will be but barely. They've got her fixed up and resting, though she definitely doesn't want to be left on her own." He lifted his gaze to mine, shaking his head. "You’re damn lucky, Stella." His focus turned to Kine. "And why didn’t you shift? Could you not either? Or were you just watching to see what happened?"
Kine shook his head, his lips in a tight line. "It’s becoming too unpredictable."
"We should leave even with the storm." Elias glowered at the window.
The torrential sheets of rain had not let up at all. The torchlight barely illuminated a foot or so beyond the tall window, though when the lightning brightened the sky, the churning sea was clearly visible.
"It isn’t safe here for Stella." He raked his hand through his hair again. "It isn’t safe for anyone."
"I am afraid I have to advise against leaving." Hord’s deep voice rumbled from the doorway.
I turned in his direction. Lightning forked across the sky behind him beyond the lancet window, illuminating his imposing silhouette.
"The seas are treacherous, and the land is even worse," Hord continued. "You'd never make it in this storm."
Kine frowned, folding his arms across his chest. "We may not have a choice. If Stella stays, who knows what will happen next time Brandt loses control?"
"We agreed to get Stella out of here before the next earthquake." Elias scowled as he moved closer to me. "What happens when Brandt’s curse is triggered again? What if we can’t figure out what this other trigger is?"
Hord shook his head. The light played over his dark-orange and black hair. "If I may speak bluntly, it is more important than before that you remain. This storm is harsh and powerful. It will last through the night. The king has been restrained and can do no further harm in this cycle, even if something should trigger the curse again. The plan should move forward as originally intended. If the storm has passed, you may depart in the morning."
Elias stood beside me, stance wide as he glared at Hord. "How can you be certain that Stella is safe?"
"The king has been restrained in chains strong enough to hold him regardless of the form." Hord paused. A muscle in his jaw jumped. That flash of pain in his eyes spoke even more than his words. "He regained consciousness enough to speak of his desires moving forward. He intends to remain chained in his lower chambers unless absolutely essential until the curse is broken. He has additional concerns regarding the advancement of the curse."
I fidgeted with the necklace, stroking the charm faster as I worried my lip. "This is wrong."
"Perhaps so, but it is all that we can do to ensure everyone lives." Hord's shoulders drooped, and he rubbed his nose. "The curse has become too unstable. We just don't know enough."
"Maybe the thunder was like the earthquake this time," Kine suggested.
"Perhaps the Gola Resh is tampering with her own magic," Elias muttered.
"Regardless," Hord said. "In the fifty years of the queen’s absence, this did not happen. The intervals between the curse overtaking his mind varied by an hour or so as it shortened the window little by little, but the charm itself provided enough of a warning that he could trust it."
"And since my return, that has changed," I said.
"Everything has changed since your return, but this does not make you responsible," Hord said firmly.
