Page 81 of Godsbane
“If this keeps up, we’ll be sailing soon!”
A sheen of sweat coats Kieran’s brow, drops gathered on his temples beginning their descent to the column of his throat. He lifts his chin to the breeze, the cloak hood sliding backward and exposing a sliver of his curly hair.
The rising sun illuminates his auburn locks in a halo of fire. The steady wind he commands adds a dancing movement to the flames, and I wonder if his true calling should have been to summon that element instead.
The sea beast swishes her mighty tail across my tender flesh. Three minutes gone, only two remain.
I drop Kieran’s hand, replacing his hood to disguise his hair. Disconnected from him, the wind slows to a barely perceptible speed.
Shit. That’s the opposite of what we need.
I pull the thread of Cal’s magic again, allowing it to fill my veins. I focus on the air moving in and out of my lungs, on the breeze that moved the ends of my hair earlier. His power mixes with mine, tangling together in a symphony that plays too quietly. Our joined magic sizzles in my veins as if it’s waiting to be called to in the only language it speaks.
A realization settles into my bones as the serpent wriggles again. I can’t summon the air. If we had more time, I could try to use more of Cal’s power, but even that isn’t guaranteed to work and we only have one minute left.
But I am not powerless. The depthless well of magic hasn’t run dry, and I’m willing to try anything to get us off this dock.
With an unsure exhale, I push the unstable, raw core of my power directly into Kieran. It races across my skin, down my arm, and into where our hands are joined. His grip tightens, his eyes boring into me as I channel my power directly into him.
“What are you doing?” Kieran whispers.
“Just summon, air wielder.”
A strong burst of wind cuts across the deck as my magic weaves into the faint red threads of Kieran’s. His magic is weak, nothing like Cal’s. No wonder he couldn’t sustain it.
Shouts and heavy footsteps sound around us as the soldiers hurry to unfurl the sails, one loud voice booming over the others.
“Make ready, men! We might just leave this dock after all,” a man who must be the ship’s captain barks.
“Whatever you’re doing, keep it up.”
Kieran’s voice is low and strained as he slowly increases the wind. His power, though weak, is sustained and controlled in a way that I haven’t mastered. How many years must he have trained to accomplish this? How long has he been a part of this resistance?
The wind slows as magic rushes back into my body to soothe the ache that forms as self-doubt takes root. The sharp sting of pain replaces the power that surged through me only moments before. Time is running out, and I know the beast will signal the end of our window soon.
Cerulean washes over me in a comforting wave. The power that feels like second nature wraps me in a warm embrace that reminds me I’m not alone. Not anymore. The only thing that matters right now is getting off of this dock and across the Alloy River.
I gather our combined power, full of doubt and desperation, and push it all into the hands of a man I haven’t trusted for ten years.
The heartbeat of the sea beast pounds through my body as a strong northeastern wind billows through the waiting sails.
“Underway! Shift colors!”
The men around us rush to carry out the captain’s orders, a blur of Corinthian gray in my periphery as I lock gazes withKieran. There’s a relief that I don’t share in the eyes that stare back at me.
“Holy gods, Ivy,” he breathes.
If Marks finds out that I can funnel my power into someone else, he won’t hesitate to use me in all the ways I’ve been so terrified of. And I’ve just handed that knowledge to a known enemy.
“If you betray me again, Kieran Rollins, I will kill you.”
CHAPTER 30
The port city at the edge of the Diamond Region is swarming with activity. The docks are loaded with ships ready to make their way up and down the Alloy to trade with Topaz and Sapphire.
Kieran and I slip easily amongst the brown cloaks, melding into the bustling crowd that splits as the Captain of Corinth steps off the gangway. The black-clad god parts the throng of people, their faces colored with equal parts fear and disgust as they take in the creature who walks in their midst. Power surges in my chest, the sea beast undulating against my skin for an entirely different reason.
In another life, another fate, I walk alongside him. Not in hiding, but in emerald green. The feelings that warred within me only days ago as we rode through the streets of Gathe no longer battle for control. The urge to bring them all to their knees in submission takes root in my gut, and it requires a power stronger than magic to subdue it.
