Page 81 of Kingdoms of Shadow and Ash

'Your words are far from the truth,' he said. 'They show how little you know of me, and how naïve you are of the north.'

She plucked the torch from his hand, and he frowned.

'Why would I partner with someone like you?' he said. 'Why commit my people to your impulsive, reckless obstinance?

'Just look at you now … this is not your land, and yet you treat it as your own. You ignore my wishes—even though you are my guest—not to mention that you are a danger to yourself. You could have broken your neck.'

Fyia couldn't deny his words, for they were true. But if she were a man, would he consider her reckless and obstinate, or would he think her confident, determined, and worthy of adoration? She was committed to succeeding by any means necessary, and she would not apologize.

Not to mention, her gut was sure he didn't want her down here for some reason she had not yet discovered. Or at least, part of him didn’t want her to discover it. He was still here, after all.

Fyia followed the raised edge of the aqueduct to where it disappeared through the far cave wall. She stepped onto the lip and leapt across to the other side. It was an easy jump, but Cal called out in alarm. 'Fyia, what are you doing?'

Getting hotter then. 'Exploring,' she said, following the cave's jagged perimeter.

Cal jumped the water too and came up behind her. 'Enough is enough,' he said, trying to make a grab for the torch. She ducked his hands and flitted away, stopping when her boots splashed in water. Warm water.

'This is the hot spring that heats the library?' she said, looking back at Cal.

'Of course,' he said tersely.

Fyia held up the torch, studying as much of the pool as she could, but it stretched past the circle of torchlight. She was about to continue her walk of the perimeter—at least the bits she could reach—when a glint on the far side of the pool caught her eye.

'What is that?' she said, stepping into the water a pace.

'What is what?' said Cal, looking about ready to shove her into the pool.

'That,' she said, the torch illuminating the edge of a metal object.

'It's nothing,' he said. 'Now, can we please go back? People will be starting to wake; they'll wonder where we are.'

Fyia stepped back onto dry land, and Cal's features filled with relief. 'Thank you,' he said, turning away. But Fyia didn't follow. She propped the torch against a rock and quickly pulled off her boots.

Cal spun and made for the torch, but she was too fast for him, snatching it up and dancing into the water. 'If you want it, you'll have to come and get it,' she said in a singsong voice fueled by her exhilaration.

Whatever he didn't want her to see was on the other side of this pool, so she hitched up her pants and moved swiftly through the water. It was shallow to start, but the gradient became steeper as she progressed, so she halted and held up the torch. She'd only made it a few paces, but that was all she needed, because the whole of the metal object was now illuminated, and Fyia gasped as she took it in.

'A clock?' she said. 'You have a dragon clock?'

'It would appear so,' said the King. 'And now you've had your fun, if I were you, I would get out of that water as a matter of urgency.'

'Why?' said Fyia. She cast nervous glances at her feet, worried some terrible creature might be about to pull her under.

'Because in three minute-spins, that water is going to boil.'

Cal watched the infuriating women with grim resignation. It didn't really matter she'd discovered their clock. It wasn't a great secret, even though the Queen Mother liked to make out it was, but short of man-handling the Queen back up the ladders—a task for which he had no stomach, and, if Fyia's reputation were accurate, might leave him with a knife in his back—there was little he could do but watch. The more he protested, the more curious she became.

Fyia scrambled out of the water and pulled on her boots. It had been a risk, letting her wade into the pool, but she hadn't gone far … he probably could have hauled her out in time, and he'd used the Cruaxee-touch to monitor the temperature of the water on her skin. She'd told him never to use it again, but this was for her own safety, and she'd refused to listen to his protests, so he had little trouble justifying his actions to himself.

Unfortunately, his bear had taken an interest in his use of the bond, and was now pushing against his mind, trying to glean as much about the Queen as she could. That meant he could smell Fyia, and see her, and hear her every move in startling detail. He was having trouble breathing, because her scent had hijacked his mind, so he closed his eyes to center himself, pushing his bear away.

'What is it?' said Fyia. She moved to his side, placing a hand on his arm.

He jerked away. 'Don't,' he snapped, his heightened senses sending shots of electricity out from her touch.

Fyia backed up, faltering. 'Sorry …' she said, studying him, 'but what …' Fyia frowned, then closed her own eyes. 'Did you …' She trailed off, seeming to fight something within herself too.

No. He reached for his bear, and tried to force her away from Fyia, but there was little he could do. Fyia was already using the bond, which meant she could sense the same things he could. He spun, striding back towards the aqueduct, but Fyia followed him, refusing to give him the respite he craved.

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