Page 212 of Salt in the Seas
Aeliana’s desperation grew as spots formed in front of her eyes. She scrambled for something to hold on to, to find purchase to stand and defend herself. Her starlock heated against her chest, reminding her she had far more arsenal than the dagger at her waist that she couldn’t seem to grasp.
It was futile after the way her light shields had been sputtering, but in desperation, she let the magic of her starlock and starblood flow through her arms and into her fingertips, begging the Sun and Stars to give her something strong enough to defend herself.
Blinding white light filled the room, and the shield that formed before her forced the older man back against the wall, where he tripped over the mess of supplies scattered across the floor.
Aeliana’s surprise matched his. This time, when the light shield flickered, she knew it was her emotions impacting its success rather than her skill.
Had breaking her brand with Durriken freed up her somatic spoke? Or was something else at play? She didn’t have time to think on it further. And despite the light shield giving her room to breathe, Tobias still blocked her exit, and she needed a way out. Stalling, she inched to the right, picking through the now open drawer for the red vine-like bundle of valerian root and the shiny grey bulbs of the moon’s brew herb the old healer had unknowingly pointed her to. She tucked them into her belt, missing the deep pockets of her skirts.
“What will you do?” Tobias asked, eyes wide.
“I already told you,” she snapped. “I’m going after Mayvus.”
He shook his head in disbelief. “How can I trust you won’t kill my king?” As he cowered from her light shield, he seemed a decade older, his face holding fear and pain that made her ease up on the force of her light’s glow.
“I suppose you can’t,” she said. “But maybe after this is all over, you’ll be willing to trust me, because by then I’ll have proven to be true to my word.”
He hesitated, then barred the door, taking one last stand to force Aeliana’s hand. She didn’t have time for this.
The squeak of a ferret in a cage near her elbow reminded her they weren’t completely alone. As the sounds turned to a bark that was picked up by the other caged animals, it dawned on her that the animals weren’t necessarily afraid of her light shield. It was almost like they were rallying behind her. She scanned each of the cages, noting the mechanisms to open the doors required no key, just opposable thumbs.
When she glanced back at Tobias, his eyes held the same understanding, and they shifted to fear.
“How long have you been torturing these animals?” she asked.
“We don’t torture them,” he said quickly. “We extract only what we need to create the remedies the royalty require.”
Aeliana snorted and reached for the cage door. “Then they give it up freely, and you won’t mind if I let them loose.” She opened the nearest cage, and as soon as the animal bolted from its prison, she let her shield drop. Three more cages were open before she sensed the full force of Tobias’ magic crushing her chest.
She tried summoning another light shield, but it was an uphill battle with his somatic skills already on her, and she gasped as her power merely held off death from his energy targeted at her heart.
But then the onslaught suddenly ceased, and her light shield flared. Tobias’ cries echoed in the cavernous room, and Aeliana was thankful her shield blocked her view of the animals’ retribution. She rushed past the snarling forms surrounding the progeny and winced as their whimpers joined the fray. She might have just sentenced these creatures to death in order to defend herself. Hopefully they would have sense to escape, and hopefully the distraction would buy her enough time to escape as well.
She patted down her belt, reassured to find the herbs and roots still there, before rushing out of the apothecary and into the frigid night air. She scanned the skies, the lack of dancing Stars ominous in the night. At least it made it easier to spot Durriken’s dark form gliding in the glint of the moon.
He landed and skidded to a stop beside her, his frustration thick inthe air around them. She ran up his tail to find purchase at his neck once more.
That was too close.His rumble held a disapproval that Aeliana felt in her core, and as much as she hated disappointing him, she couldn’t regret her actions. As they flew, he dodged stray arrows from a handful of Ahmranans, who’d left the eastern gate to hunt for the dragon they’d spotted. Aeliana winced as she felt the sharp pains along with Durriken from a few arrows hitting his side.
They’re like splinters.His reassurance only went so far when she felt it too. Even so, his flight remained uninterrupted. He made a wide berth around the north side of the palace, finally angling in close when he reached Emeris’ room. Aeliana’s leap to her mother’s balcony felt reckless, the timing of such a small window of opportunity too precise for how little experience she had riding and dismounting a dragon. Sure enough, she slammed into the wall with the grace of an elephant.
Thankfully, Lukai and Marnok had been watching for her, and their hands reached out to keep her from sliding down the palace wall’s surface to her death. They pulled her across the balcony’s ridge before collapsing in a heap of three, and then Velden was grinning from above her. “I wish Gaeren had been here to see that.”
She shoved his face out from in front of hers with a laugh. “Why?”
“Because then he could feed that memory back to me over and over again.” His chuckle was cut off by Kendalyhn’s elbow in his gut.
“I think they know we’re up to something,” she said. “They’re trying to get in the room now.”
Aeliana stood, dusting off her trousers and pulling out the root and herbs. “I’m guessing the sight of a dragon flying around the palace tipped them off.”
The others ushered her into the room, where her mother sat serenely at the tea table. Marnok sat with a steaming kettle and teacups while Lukai held a knife. Aeliana passed the valerian root and moon’s brew over, not trusting herself to know accurate measurements for steeping herbs. The room grew somber as the reality of what they were about to do sank in.
“Are you sure you’re all right with this?” Aeliana asked her mother.
Emeris nodded. “It’s worth a try.”
Aeliana winced, hating the implication that if it didn’t work, her mother would die. Or if it worked too well, her mother would also die. There was too little margin for error in this plan.
