Page 17 of Up In Flames
Death Magic didn't rise to threaten my morality. It didn't try to consume me and turn me into a second Corrupter. There were none of the close calls I was prepared for. In fact, Death was becoming my friend.
Maybe it was because I had pulled away from Caleb. I wasn't avoiding him, but I didn't seek him out either. I wasbeing careful, as both Taroc and Death had advised me to do. But without Caleb, I didn't have anyone to talk to about my life. Specifically, my love life. I needed a confidant who I could talk to intimately about my lovers, and Death filled the void. I began to look forward to our daily training sessions.
Good,Death said.Do you feel its heartbeat?
“Yes.” I was so focused on the bird circling the ravine before me that I couldn't see anything else. Its heartbeat thrummed in my ears and through my blood.
Feel how fast that tiny heart pumps. Feel the glory in that little life. Death is the opposite of life, but that doesn't mean it’s the enemy of the living. Death supports life. It is not an end, but the start of a new phase. Look deeper into the bird.
“What am I looking for?”
Death. Look for my magic within that life. It is there, Ember. All life on Varr possesses magic. Not all life can wield that magic, but it is inside them.
I searched those vibrant feathers, the hollow bones, and strings of muscles, but I saw no death. It was impossible to see death in so vivid a life.
Focus harder,Death said.Go deeper. Past the muscles, into the blood, then deeper still.
I went deeper. Part of me, the detached part that analyzed everything I did when I trained, did the looking while another part of me marveled at this ability to see into another living thing. And it was seeing, not just sensing. In my mind, I said threads of blood flowing out from the bird's heart. Arteries. I saw the blood, saw what it was made up of. Little pieces of the birdthat I wouldn't normally see, even were I to dissect it. Its blood wasn't just a red liquid. It was made of tiny spheres and each of those spheres had a mission. They were to live.
And they were to die.
Shivering in revelation, I pulled back, out of the bird's body, and gaped at the incredible creation as it soared. The Goddess had made this. She had formed something so intricate that none of her creations would ever know how wondrous it was. But I had seen it. Little Ember, the human, had witnessed the true glory of life. And death was a part of it.
“For the bird to live, pieces of it must die,” I said in revelation.
Yes!Death exclaimed.You understand now, Ember! Without death, there is no life. It is not merely an ending to an existence. It is existence. An integral part of every living thing. Pieces of you, even you immortals, die every second. Tiny pieces, but those pieces are so vital to your wellbeing. Without them, your wounds would not heal properly, your skin would thicken and harden, you would go blind, and you would die. Instead, they die, so the whole of you may live.
“I see that now. Life and death are woven together, inseparable.”
Precisely,Death said.I am not evil, Ember. Nor will my magic taint you. It is as natural as Fire or Air.
“Thank you, Death,” I said. “This lesson has helped me understand.”
Death's tone softened,You're welcome, Ember. Knowing you has helped me too.
“It has?”
Of course. Before you, only Aranren would acknowledge me. I was alone with a madman. Now, you speak with me. You've gotten others to listen to me. I feel . . .
“You feel,” I said when he couldn't find the words. “And that is what's important.”
Yes, yes, it is. The sun is rising. Time to go back to your lovers.
“Are they awake?”
No, not yet.
“Good. Then we have some time.”
Some time for what?
“I've been meaning to ask you some things. Now that we know each other better, I think I can trust your answers.”
I'd be pleased to answer your questions, Ember. What is it that you want to know?
“What started the war? Everyone assumes it was Aranren using Death Magic. Is that what happened?”
As I've said before, Aranren didn't have the mental fortitude to cast the spells he found in my book. He should have trained with me harder before he tried them. But he was impatient and arrogant.
