Tavi’s hand covered her open mouth. Aldin was right—she had seen nothing like this. He must be stride-blessed, but uniquely so. She laughed aloud before she remembered her true goal. But though Aldin was across the room, he was watching her. She didn’t know if she could get away quickly enough to avoid him catching her. She needed a way to distract him.
“You think that’s amazing?” Aldin shouted. “Wait ‘til you see this.” A moment later, he was on the ceiling, sauntering upside down as if he hadn’t a care in the world, somehow hiding whatever discomfort his gray magic caused him. Tavi shoved down her astonishment and forced herself to focus on her escape. Aldin quickly reached the center of the room, near where Tavi stood.
“You’re right—I’m amazed!” Tavi called. She pointed to the panels on the far wall. “Can you walk on all those surfaces? Even the logs?”
“Of course!” And Aldin did exactly what she wanted him to do—he turned his back to her, swaggering back across the ceiling. “I’ve been practicing daily . . .”
He continued talking, but Tavi was already on the move. She sprinted, focused and desperate, the rain drowning out the sound of her footsteps. In moments she had exited the front of the barn, leaving the sliding door open behind her. She barely noticed the rain as her legs churned, her pants making running easier than it had ever been before.
Once outside, Tavi turned left. She rounded the corner of the building, crouching low as she ran past the side windows, nearly slipping in a patch of slick mud. If she could make it behind the barn, she would be out of Aldin’s sight when he exited the building, which would certainly happen soon. To her left, through the windows, she heard him calling, “Tavi?”
But Tavi had reached the corner. She turned left, now hidden by the back wall of the barn, and again she heard Aldin’s voice. “Tavi!” he roared, and she was sure he was now outside. Her only hope was to make it to the woods, a hundred yards ahead of her. Even if he saw her, she was confident she could lose him among the trees. Never had Tavi so desperately wanted the gift of speed that Tullen had, but she willed her legs to travel faster. She blinked against the driving rain entering her eyes and focused on the tree line.
A sound entered Tavi’s ear, a rhythmic percussion, distinct from the rain. She risked a glance to the left. At the same time that her ears identified that terrible, natural drumbeat, she saw its source. Galloping toward her at top speed was a majestic chestnut stallion, ridden by Konner Burrell.
Chapter Forty-Six
I have taught countless lessons on power, tolerance, and control. Yet the more students I train, the more I am convinced that confidence is just as important as any of these other magical traits.
-From Training Sun-Blessed Students by Ellea Kariana
Tavi kept running, running, running, but she could not compete with the pure speed of the strong beast that Konner Burrell rode, and the gap was closing quickly.
The woods were still thirty feet away when Konner halted his horse halfway between Tavi and the trees. He stayed mounted. Tavi stopped and looked behind her but didn’t see Aldin; he must not know yet what direction she’d gone.
“I thought you’d gone to Savala,” Tavi called above the incessant barrage of rain. They were the first words that came to her mind. She didn’t care what the answer was; she simply wanted him to talk rather than riding closer to her.
“I turned around; I couldn’t stop thinking about the all-blessed girl,” he said. “You can’t leave so soon, Tavi. You haven’t even shown us your gifts yet.”
Tavi didn’t answer; she was too busy filling her mind with desire for her friends and filling her feet with magic. It was invisible behind the thick leather of her boots, but she felt it there, from her toes to her heels.
“Where were you going, Tavi?” Konner’s voice held no kindness as he watched her from the height of his horse.
She knew he thought he had her trapped; she couldn’t outrun four strong legs that had been bred to race. But her magic was warm and strong, and when she sent it into the earth, it rushed willingly between the cracks deep beneath her feet.
The horse started, backing up as the ground shook. Tavi saw her problem though. She was shaking the earth directly underneath her and would likely hurt only herself—or again encounter resistance.
Konner’s face filled with amusement. “Not very smart to start an earthquake underneath yourself,” he said, laughing. He looked past Tavi. “Over here!” he called, his voice cutting through the rain.
Tavi turned and saw Ash and Aldin approaching from the direction of the house. Ash’s hands were colored the same gray as the low clouds, and filled with the same lightning. Tavi’s breath caught in her chest as she wondered what the man planned to do. She couldn’t let Ash get close to her. A thought filled her mind. Perhaps my magic can be sent in other directions too.
Tavi pivoted, one foot facing Konner and the other facing the two younger men. She pushed her gift into the earth, powering it with every drop of desire that filled her, desire for friendship, love, and justice. Her magic was eager and malleable as she pushed it not directly underneath her, but into the ground in front of Konner and also in front of Ash and Aldin.
With a groan that drowned out the rain, two huge cracks formed between Tavi and the men. She continued to propel the magic in both directions, laughing as they all, even the horse, screamed. She widened the cracks into ravines, too broad to jump over, and again she pivoted, and created two more ravines. Tavi was standing on a rough square of stable ground, bordered on all four sides by crevasses. The cracks continued to shake and widen, until she called on her magic to halt, and the ground stilled.
Joy filled Tavi as she stood on her island of earth, safe from the three men who watched her with helpless eyes. She lifted her arms from her sides, tilting her hands and then her face toward the sky, welcoming the rain that continued to fall on her. Then Tavi released the barrier corralling her magic, allowing it to flow from her feet into the rest of her body. It was suddenly so easy. Her whole form was an empty vessel, eagerly accepting the flow of power that filled it. Strong, vibrant, golden light shone from her body, cutting through the gray rain, and she again laughed aloud.
Movement caught Tavi’s eye, and she turned to her right. Aldin was rushing toward the ravine nearest him. It was at least fifteen feet wide, and Tavi’s magic could sense that the bottom of it was dozens of feet below. But when Aldin reached the crevasse, he did not stop. He bent gravity and walked down its side.
Tavi gasped and rushed to the ravine. She attempted to send magic there, to widen it further, but she encountered immediate resistance. This man was not meant to be put in danger, and an animal roar of frustration came out of Tavi's mouth as she watched Aldin pick his way through the miniature mountains and valleys of the ravine’s sides. Konner’s deep laugh reverberated through the air.
Not wanting her magic to dissipate, Tavi did not push against the resistance. Instead she forced herself to take a deep breath, thinking through her options—but she seemed to have none. Aldin’s progress was rapid. He would reach her, and the men would find a way to get Tavi across the crevasse. And then they would hurt her, worse than they had hurt Narre. Tavi felt panic invade her chest.
Then a voice reached her—a young, strong voice that matched none of the enemies who now surrounded her, a voice traveling on the currents of magic filling her ears. “I’m coming, Tavi. I can see you, and I’m coming.”
Tavi didn’t allow her joy to show itself in a smile, but she stood straight, gazing all around her, unflinchingly returning the stares of Ash and Konner. A moment later, a figure exited the forest, running so fast he was a blur. Konner and Ash both bolted toward him, but Tullen easily outran them.
He approached the ravine at an unbelievable speed, and he wasn’t slowing. He wasn’t slowing! Tavi heard herself scream his name. “Tullen!”
Then he was there, and he still didn’t stop; instead he leapt, a jump so far it was as if he flew across that gr
eat crack in the earth that Tavi had created. He barely made it, and for a terrible moment, Tavi knew he would plummet into the ground. But he landed hard at the edge of her island, rolling past her, skidding to a stop mere inches from the opposite ravine.
Tavi wanted to collapse or cry, but instead, she held back her emotions, unwilling to let any of her magic slip away. She ran to the balled-up figure lying on the muddy ground, and when she saw his face filling with something halfway between a grimace and a smile, she said in a voice of quiet fury, “What was that?”
Tullen pushed himself to his feet. “That was an experiment,” he said, rotating his shoulders, wrists, and ankles. “I’m glad it worked.”
Tavi shook her head and was horrified to find a smile growing on her face. “You are crazy,” she said, “and remarkable. And remarkably crazy.”
Tullen grinned, then stepped close to her. “We’ve got to get you out of here, and fast. They'll find a way to get across these cracks.”
“One of them is walking down the side of that one,” Tavi told him softly, inclining her head to where Aldin was. They both walked there, and Tavi was horrified to see that Aldin had reached the bottom of the ravine and was on his way back up. He was still quite deep, the sides of the crack too close together for him to stand upright, but he was slowly crawling toward the top.
Tullen’s eyes widened, and he shook his head, as if to force himself to focus on something besides the gravity-bending young man. “I need to carry you, and we’ll have to jump for it,” he said.
“You barely made it across when you were at top speed. There’s no way you can leap that distance when you don’t have the space to accelerate.”
“We don’t have a choice,” Tullen insisted.
“Wait,” Tavi said, putting her hand on his chest. She could feel his tension when he covered her hand with his, but he didn’t argue. Tavi closed her eyes.
Ash’s words from the day before flooded into her mind. And once again, an idea filled her head, unlike anything she had tried before, as if it came from Sava himself.
Tavi stepped around Tullen, toward the edge of the ravine in front of them. Ash was to her right, Konner to her left, and both watched her intently. Tavi widened her stance, and once again, her magic was eager to rush into the earth. Two more chasms formed, starting at the far edge of the one in front of them, both lengthening all the way into the trees and beyond. In between them was a strip of solid land, a pathway for their escape—if they could get across the crevasse at their feet.
Konner’s voice was urgent and lacked his usual control. “Aldin!” he cried. “Hurry! She’s—doing something! Hurry!”
“I’m going as quickly as I can!” Aldin’s reply was far too clear; he must be near the top.
Tavi didn’t have time to ponder, delay, or doubt. Ash had suggested that she could use her gifts together, combining them in powerful ways. Tavi’s feet could move the earth, and her hands could heal, and her mind could see how things were formed. She stood at the edge of the chasm in front of her, between the two new cracks that extended away from her. Her mind magic saw the two great shards of earth that had cracked apart, and she knew how they must knit together, how the puzzle pieces fit. Placing both palms on the ground, she joined the healing power of her hands to the earth-moving power of her feet. She sent cascades of pure magic into the ground, moving it. Healing it. Just like the cut Tullen had given himself in the forest, the ravine in front of Tavi mended itself—more slowly than she wanted, but it was working. It was working.
Tullen’s cry cut into Tavi’s magical reverie. “He’s at the top!”
Tavi swiveled her head and saw Aldin, who was climbing over the final barrier of earth that protruded from the edge of the ravine. The crack in front of her was not fully closed, not entirely stable, but she hoped it was enough. It would have to be.
“Let’s go!” she cried, and in another second, Aldin was rushing toward them, but Tullen had already scooped her up, holding her in a way that felt just as unstable as the earth beneath them. The gifting in his feet led them safely over the remaining cracks of the not-quite-healed crevasse, and then they were speeding toward the forest on solid ground, pursued by Konner’s screams and by Aldin who, despite his breathless sprint, grew further away with every second.
Chapter Forty-Seven
This will be my last letter. My love, I pray that you live a life full of joy. I wish I could be part of it.
-From Savala’s Collected Letters, Volume 1
When they were out of immediate danger, Tullen stopped briefly so that Tavi could move to his back. Her body found its customary, comfortable position as Tullen continued to speed through the trees of the forest, putting distance between them and the Grays.
Five minutes into their run, Tullen finally spoke. “Are you all right?”
Tavi smiled, amazed at how relaxed she could feel when traveling at this speed. She kissed Tullen’s neck. “Couldn’t be better. And by the way, thank you.”
“For what?”
“For saving me.”
Tullen laughed. “I didn’t save you, Tavi. You saved yourself. All I did was provide transportation.”
Another minute of peaceful silence passed, during which it occurred to Tavi that the rain had stopped. She lifted her head from its position on Tullen’s shoulder, and she realized they were traveling south, rather than east toward Savala. “Where are we going?” she asked.
“We’ll be taking a different route home,” Tullen told her. “It would be too easy for Konner and his men to track us if we returned the same way we came. We won't be able to pick up our things from the hotel—including your red dress.” He sounded a little disappointed about that.
After a moment, a thought struck Tavi. “But, wait—” she began.
Tullen interrupted, “Don’t worry, Tavi. We’ll send someone else to pick up Miss Mella once we’re safely home.”
“That’s not it. We can’t go home yet. We’ve got to find Reba.” Tullen was silent. “Tullen, we have to find her,” Tavi repeated.
An uncustomary hesitation filled Tullen’s words. “We need to talk about that—but if it’s all right, I’d like Narre to be the one to explain,” he said. Tavi didn’t like that answer, but she let it stand.
A few minutes later, Tullen slowed to a stop. He let Tavi down, and she looked at him questioningly. “Almost there,” he said. His hands moved wet hair out of her face. “Narre is excited to see you,” he said. “And I’m probably terribly selfish to stop before we get there, but—” He paused, and swallowed before continuing. “I’m so very glad you’re safe.”
Then he was holding her to him in a grip so tight it almost hurt, but she melted into it. Her ear pressed against his chest, and her thoughts matched the rhythm of his heartbeat. I’m home. I’m home. I’m home. Tavi gently pulled away and smiled up at him. “Should we go?”
He nodded, but instead of letting him lead her away, she found herself touching his face, his arms, the shirt that stretched across his shoulders. She tilted her face toward his, and when he kissed her, magic filled her. She grew suddenly warm, and she couldn’t tell if it was from the glow of her gift or from Tullen’s tight hold on her and the pounding rush of blood through her body.
Tullen pulled back and took a deep breath. “If I don’t stop . . . then I won’t stop,” he said. He smiled, and the open desire in his face took Tavi’s breath away. At that moment she loved the gifts the Meadow had given him—his frankness, his lack of shame, and his respect. He laced his fingers in hers and led her through the trees toward their friends.
Tavi’s reunion with Narre was full of tears, wet hugs, and laughter. It was loud and joyful, and Tavi somehow knew Tullen had chosen this meeting place, a clearing surrounded by miles of trees, for that very reason.
When emotions had calmed, Tavi confirmed that her cousin was healthy and whole. Narre assured Tavi that she hadn’t even been cold for long after her rescue. Tullen’s stride gift had quickly gotten her
to Misty, who had brought extra boots and clothing.
They all sat to eat. Exhaustion hit Tavi, a byproduct of her lack of sleep, the rescue, and the amount of magic she’d used. But she turned to Narre and asked hesitantly, “Can you tell me what you know about Reba?”
Narre nodded slowly. “Reba wasn’t kidnapped,” she began. “She went willingly.”
Tavi had known that might be true, but it still made her heart sink. “She wanted this gray magic they’re peddling?”
“Yes,” Narre confirmed. “When she met Ash and Aldin in Oren, they convinced her she should go with them so she could learn to use gray magic. But they also asked her about her magical friends. She told them about all of us. Not just us”—and she pointed at herself, Tavi, Sall, and Tullen—“but all the other trainees in Oren too.”
Narre paused. “They wanted you, Tavi. But Reba didn’t think she could convince you to leave your house, so she came to me instead.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe I fell for it. She had ignored me for so many months, and I was excited that she wanted to be friends again.”
“It’s all right, Narre,” Misty said with a gentle smile. “Never be angry with yourself for trusting too much.”
Narre shrugged. “What happened, happened. When we left my house, Ash and Aldin were waiting a little way down the road. They forced me into their wagon, and we left town right then.” A haunted look filled her eyes.
Tavi didn’t try to stop her tears. “I’m sorry.” Out of the corner of her eye she saw a glow, and she turned toward Sall, whose mind magic was active. He took Narre’s hand, gazing at her with a look that left Tavi feeling she was intruding on a private moment.
After a pause, Tavi asked, “Where is Reba now?”
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