by Sarah Hawke
“Take a deep breath and focus upon my aura,” the old man instructed. “Can you feel it?”
“Yes,” Kaseya said. “I’m having trouble sensing anything else.”
The two of them were sitting cross-legged in front of the fire, their eyes closed and their faces creased in concentration. The entire house was filled with the musky scent of the strange incense Zalheer had tossed into the flames. It wasn’t helping, as far as I could tell, and the itch in my nose was making it more difficult to concentrate. Maybe that was the point?
“Keep your attention focused on me for now,” Zalheer said. “But every few seconds, try and increase your field of perception just a bit. Imagine you’re slowly opening your eyes to a bright light and don’t want to let all of it in at once.”
Kaseya nodded. “I can sense Jorem.”
“Of course you can—he’s wearing your bloody ring!” Valuri said.
“Stay quiet,” I scolded her. “This is serious.”
“Meh,” she grunted, propping her boots up on my lap. I placed my hands on her slender calves and squeezed. I understood her skepticism, and I genuinely felt bad for her. It wasn’t just that she had never felt the touch of the Aether like the rest of us—she had been completely inoculated against it as a teenage girl. Add to that almost two decades of brainwashing convincing her that magic was evil…
I sometimes took for granted just how miraculous it was that she had chosen to work with me, a rogue sorcerer, in the first place. And just because she had turned against the Inquisitrix and the Senosi didn’t mean she had suddenly embraced magic as the solution to all our problems. A lot of this still probably seemed like nonsense to her.
“Now shift your attention to the fire,” Zalheer said. “Ignore the smell of the smoke; ignore the heat on your skin. Focus on the smoldering embers. Focus on the raw energy as it consumes the air and wood around it.”
Kaseya shook her head. “I don’t understand. The fire isn’t alive. I can’t feel it in the Aether.”
“You’re not trying to sense it—you are simply trying to study it. When your Maskari summons flames to his fingertips, he is not creating real fire. He is merely using the Aether to mimic the power and energy of the natural world.” The old sorcerer let out a deep breath. “The Aether is many things—energy, life, thought—but at its most basic level it is like molten steel waiting to be shaped by a hammer. With time, you can learn to forge it into virtually anything you want—not just flame or lightning, but almost any physical substance you can imagine.”
“Like a big fat cock,” Valuri whispered. “Silhouette really, really needs to teach her that one.”
I clamped my hand over her mouth and squeezed her leg again. I was half tempted to tell her to go upstairs and try to sleep, but it wasn’t like she would actually listen.
“Return your focus to the flame,” Zalheer said. “Visualize it in your mind. Memorize every feature as it were the face of a stranger. Can you see it?”
Kaseya nodded. “Yes.”
“Good. Now open your palm and reach out to the Aether. Use its power to copy what you have just seen.”
“How?”
“It will show you everything you need to know. Allow its currents to wash over you, but keep your focus upon the flame.”
I opened my own hand and summoned a small wisp of fire into my palm. Energy manipulation had always been simple for me. Fire, frost, lightning—I’d never had trouble with any of them. Healing magic had come almost as easily, but charm spells had taken a lot more work. Beyond that, I hadn’t mastered much of anything…and I did sometimes wonder how much I’d stifled my own potential by never searching for a teacher. Not that I’d ever really had the chance—in Vorsalos, it had never been worth exposing myself as a rogue sorcerer in the hopes of learning a few more tricks.
From the look of strain on Kaseya’s face, I could she was struggling with his instructions. I wasn’t surprised. If she’d had a natural affinity for this type of channeling, her abilities would have almost certainly revealed themselves by now.
“It’s not working,” she said, reopening her eyes. “I can feel the Aether, but I have no idea what to do with it.”
“That’s all right,” Zalheer assured her. “I just wanted to see what would happen. It’s difficult to know where your strengths lie when you’ve been forced to repress your talents for so long.”
“She can sense Aetheric currents far better than I can,” I said. “Why not work on that skill?”
“How is sensing magic going to help us defeat Ayrael?” Valuri asked. “She’s Senosi—you can’t track her any more than you can track me.”
“I can track you just fine.”
Val frowned. “What?”
“I can sense a void where you’re supposed to be,” Kaseya said. “It’s cold, but there are tiny specks of warmth…almost like body heat left behind on an empty chair.”
“That’s impossible,” I murmured. “Her legs are in my lap and I still can’t sense her any more than I can that pot over there.”
“Curious,” Zalheer whispered. “I cannot sense her, either. The vatari crystals in her skin absorb Aetheric energy and conceal her life energy.”
“Not all of it,” Kaseya said. “I’ve always noticed it a little bit, but it’s stronger now.”
I grunted and smiled. “I told you, everyone’s a natural at something.”
Zalheer pursed his lips in thought. “What else can you tell me about her?”
“Not much,” Kaseya said. “She has piercing green eyes and cute black hair, and she wears the most ridiculous boots I’ve ever seen.”
Valuri smacked her forehead. “Oh, for the love of…”
Kaseya smirked. “There’s nothing else to sense. I just know where she is.”
“Perhaps we can build on that in time,” Zalheer said. “If the vatari crystals aren’t absorbing all the Aetheric power around her, then perhaps…”
I shook my head when he trailed off. “Perhaps what?”
“It seems unlikely, but perhaps there is a way to harm the Senosi with magic after all,” he added. “A gap in their armor, so to speak.”
“I seriously doubt it,” Valuri muttered, crossing her arms. “And before you ask, you’re not using me as a test subject.”
“I’m sure they wouldn’t dream of it,” I said with a grin.
Zalheer continued his lessons for another few hours, and Kaseya listened attentively. Unsurprisingly, she didn’t have any further breakthroughs. Training like this could take weeks, months, or even years to really set in, which was a real problem considering that none of us had any intention of staying here that long. Still, anything was better than nothing. I was just happy that she finally seemed interested in embracing her powers.
When we finally retired for evening, Zalheer offered us his guest room upstairs. I wasn’t particularly worried about the old man murdering us in our sleep anymore, but Val insisted on taking watch regardless. I waited until Kaseya had passed out to sneak into the hallway and confront the paranoid Huntress.
“You know, you could come to bed,” I said, approaching her chair and rubbing her shoulders from behind. “At this point I’m reasonably sure he’s not going to kill us.”
“Reasonably sure doesn’t cut it,” Val replied mildly. “Besides, I wouldn’t mind having some time alone to think. None of this is going like I expected so far.”
“Me, either. I assumed the stories about Zalheer were bullshit, but I still figured he’d be at least partially insane.”
“You don’t think he is?”
I grunted. “I think he’s worried. I also think most sorcerers die long before they’re forty, so he’s had an extra few decades of Aetheric currents whispering in his ears. I doubt anyone comes out of that completely unscathed.”
“Mm, remind me to get rid of you after a few more years, then. I really don’t want to have to deal with your Aether-addled brain.”
“You’re too kind,” I said, brushing my
hands through her black hair. “You’re not upset about earlier, right?”
Valuri turned. “Upset about what?
“Just that Kaseya and I were out…you know.”
“Jorem, you’ve fucked her in front of me dozens of times,” Val said. “Why would I care that you plowed her into a snow drift?”
“I just…” I paused and licked at my lips. “I love her. You know that, right?”
“I just said I’ve watched you fuck her dozens of times.”
“Yeah, but that’s not what I mean. It’s not just the sex. It’s…”
Val turned and faced me, a coy grin on her lips. “She’s special.”
I nodded. “We have a connection, and not just because of the stupid collar. I’ve never met anyone like her before.”
“So you think I’m jealous.”
“I don’t want you to be,” I said, and meant it. “I want you to know that I love you, too.”
“Please don’t get sentimental. You know it makes me sick.”
“I’m serious. I love you and I always have. Nothing has changed.”
For a moment I thought she actually might slap me, but then she leaned forward and kissed me instead. “I love you, too, idiot,” she said. “I can’t believe you made me say it.”
I mock clutched at my chest. “I’m a romantic at heart.”
“I’ll remember that next time you’re fucking her face so hard she can barely breathe.” Val’s green eyes twinkled. “I like her too, you know, and as long as we’re all willing to share I don’t care about anything else.” She paused for a moment. “Though if Red learns that cock-growing spell from Silhouette, I’m locking myself in a room with her all day. Agreed?”
I chuckled and kissed her again. “Agreed.”
“Good. Now go and get some sleep.”
I smiled and started to turn away, but before I took a step her hand reached out and grabbed my waist.
“Actually, I’m getting a little tired and could use a quick boost,” she said, pawing at the front of my trousers. “Anything left in the spigot?”
I grinned and helped her free my cock. “Always.”
***
We were all awake shortly after dawn, and following a quick breakfast of fish and eggs Zalheer led us out to a clear, flat area at the center of the village. A bit of grass peeked through the snow here, enough that our footing wasn’t quite as unstable.
“If your Senosi friend is willing to help us, there’s something else I would like to try,” Zalheer said.
“Does it involve fire magic?” Valuri asked, her hands hugging her body beneath her coat. “Because it’s still cold as fuck out here.”
“I want to further test her ability to sense your presence in the Aether,” Zalheer explain. “On Nol Krovos, the moshalim are all but forbidden to participate in physical combat. Our amazons are expected to defend us, should the need ever arise. But there are many other channeling traditions across the world, including those that focus upon the blending of sword and spell. These sorcerers use the Aether to enhance their physical abilities beyond that of any normal warrior.”
“Jorem is already able to bolster me through our bond,” Kaseya pointed out.
“Good. The moshalim have used similar techniques for decades to great effect. But I want you to try something different.” Zalheer reached into his pouch and produced a blindfold. “I assume the Matriarch still trains potential amazons in kaal’vess ?”
Kaseya nodded and took the cloth. “Of course.”
“Then this should be even easier for you,” Zalheer said. “I want you to spar with your friend using only the Aether as your guide.”
“How original,” Valuri muttered, lowering her hands and unsheathing the tiger claws in her gauntlets. “What is this supposed to prove?”
“Nothing. It is merely an opportunity for her to further hone her senses.”
The whole concept of fighting while blind seemed incredibly silly to me, but I kept silent. Kaseya didn’t seem to mind at all—she put on the blindfold and calmly drew her sword as if she had done this a thousand times before. And knowing her, she probably had.
“Now, reach out through the Aether just like you did last night,” Zalheer said. “Focus on your friend’s presence. Track her movements as if you were the huntress and she was the prey.”
“Not bloody likely,” Valuri muttered. She circled around the amazon for several seconds before she abruptly lunged forward with an almost casual swipe of her claw. Kaseya easily caught the attack on her shield, then repositioned for another attack. Valuri repeated her assault from a few different angles, but the result was always the same.
“You rely upon your ears, not the Aether,” Zalheer said.
“That is how I was trained,” Kaseya told him, her forehead still creased. “I hear her breathing. I hear the crunch of her ridiculous heels in the snow.”
Valuri groaned. “When we get back to town, I’m making you wear thigh-highs for a week.”
“Try again,” Zalheer said. “This time, your physical senses will betray you.”
I felt rather than heard the rumble in the Aether. It took me a few seconds to realize what had happened, but then I finally noticed that I couldn’t hear either of the girls even though they were both still shuffling through the snow. It was only when I closed my eyes and reached out myself that I could feel Zalheer dampening all the vibrations around us. I didn’t understand how it was possible, but he had effectively created a sound-proof dome for several yards in all directions.
Valuri noticed what was happening before I did. Her lips curled into a wry grin, and she leapt forward in another attack. This time, Kaseya was much slower—she only caught a fraction of the claw strike on her shield, and the impact knocked her off balance. Valuri, sensing her opponent’s weakness, deftly dropped into a crouch and swept the amazon’s legs out from under her.
“It will take some getting used to,” Zalheer said, temporarily suppressing his spell, “but you were obviously able to sense something.”
“Yes,” Kaseya grumbled, vaulting back to her feet. “I know what to look for now.”
“Good,” Zalheer said. “Again.”
He resumed his spell, and I once again marveled at how such a feat was even possible. But before I could try to reach out and understand it, Kaseya’s body abruptly went rigid, and she signaled for the old sorcerer to stop.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
She tore off her blindfold and shifted her eyes up to the Peak. “We are not alone.”
I barely had time to turn before the bellowing cry of war horns thundered in the distance. My eyes latched onto movement near the area where we’d battled the barbarians, and a moment later I spotted a group of fur-clad warriors riding enormous gray-white wolves.
“Roskarim,” I whispered. “I thought you said your wards would deter them from attacking the village.”
“They normally do,” Zalheer said.
“Then what…?” I trailed off as the answer belatedly struck me. “Ayrael.”
My lungs seized and my heart skipped several beats. We had known all along that she might come after us, of course, but none of us thought she would chase us all the way up here—especially not so quickly…
“How?” Valuri breathed. “How the hell did she get here already?”
“Because this was all a trap,” Kaseya said, her eyes narrowing. “And Zalheer was the bait.”
I sank my incisors into my lip. It was all both painfully obvious and painfully irrelevant in retrospect.
“We need to get the fuck out of here!” Valuri shouted.
“You can head east out of the village,” Zalheer said, pointing. “There’s a path not far from here that will eventually lead you down the mountain to the Frozen Tear. The wolves won’t be able to follow.”
“We’re not going anywhere,” Kaseya said, her voice cold. “Not this time.”
I shot her a long, blank stare. “We’re no match for your sister. We knew that
before we even came out here!”
“I am not running away from her again.”
“Red, this is crazy,” Valuri said, her eyes flicking up to the mountain pass. “We came here for information, and we got it. Now it’s time to go!”
Kaseya shook her head. “She butchered these villagers. I will not allow her to harm anyone else again. One way or another, this ends here.”
I wanted to argue. I wanted to scream until I could talk some sense into her. Failing that, I wanted to tackle her and drag her along with us for her own good.
But it was already too late. We were out of time.
The war horns grew louder as the wolf riders emerged from the tall pines sheltering the pass. They fanned out into a straight line, shoulder to shoulder, and stopped just before they crossed Zalheer’s invisible wards. We were still several hundred feet away from them, but I reflexively sheathed myself in Aetheric armor and echoed the spell on Kaseya. A few moments later a red-cloaked rider emerged from the center of the pack, her blonde ponytail billowing out behind her.
“Okay,” Valuri said, drawing her crossbows. “We’re completely fucked.”
Kaseya strode forward, slowly at first but gaining speed with every step. I followed behind her, suddenly wondering if falling in love with an amazon warrior had really been such a great idea after all…
“Hello again, sister,” Ayrael called out as we approached. “I’m surprised you didn’t turn tail and run again. I wanted to make sure you had ample warning.”
I swallowed heavily and tried to steel myself. The barbarians were scary enough, and their wolves were even more horrifying—the bloody things were as long as horses, and their yellow eyes glimmered like they were peering into my soul. Then there was Ayrael herself, a tall, statuesque beauty who was somehow more terrifying than all the damn wolves put together.