Page 180 of War Queen
Naavi gave an exasperated sigh. “Fine.”
Norah glanced back at Soren. “You’re welcome.”
“For what?”
She rolled her eyes; he remembered nothing of this place. “Never mind.”
Norah was no stranger to the Wild, but it took her breath away nonetheless. The forest cathedral was still one of the most beautiful sights she’d ever seen. The high walls of trees and woven medallions of vine and stained glass stood like dreams from the gods. Hanging stars floated above, kissing the rooms with their light.
“I’ve been here?” Soren asked.
She smiled at him. “You were a little grumpier back then. Didn’t appreciate the full beauty of things. That, and you were also coming off almost killing Mikael, so…”
“That I remember.”
And that reminded Norah—“Is Sana still… mad? About how we parted last?”
“Yes,” Naavi answered shortly.
And…“Do you think she’ll help me?”
“I don’t know.”
Well… that didn’t inspire confidence.
As if on cue, Sana stepped into the hall. “You return,” she said to Norah coldly. Then her eyes moved to Soren. “Very foolish.”
“He’s a twin,” Naavi said, as if there was no underlying threat to Sana’s comment. “The Northman has a twin.”
Sana’s scowl turned to surprise, and her lips parted slightly. “Of course.”
Norah glanced at Soren and then back to the Wild women. “Can someone explain what that means?”
Naavi drew an uneasy breath. “Twin travelers are the most powerful of seers. One carries the sight, and one carries the shield. Their bodies individually are not burdened with both sight and shield, so they’re able to grow the gift more, handle more of its power. Think of it as… double the power”—she shook her head—“more than double, it’s exponential.”
Norah nodded slowly, absorbing the information. “So that’s why you couldn’t see Alexander? Because he carried the shield?”
Naavi nodded. “And it explains why his shield was so strong. It was meant to cover them both.”
“But Lucien was still seen in visions.”
“If they were far apart… A shield is not infinite. At least not while both twins are alive.”
“What does that mean?” Soren interjected.
Naavi sighed. “Together, they remain balanced, but when one twin dies, there is nothing to balance the power, and the remaining force will only grow.”
“Grow to what?” Norah asked.
“There is only one record in our library of twin travelers. They lived a thousand years ago. The twin with the sight perished in a fire. The twin with the shield survived. His power grew, encompassing the earth, shielding all the world and blinding all seers for eleven years until his death.”
That’s what would have happened if Lucien had died and Alexander had lived. “But it’s Lucien who lives, and he has the sight. What does that mean? What will happen?”
Naavi shook her head. “I don’t know.”
Soren snorted, but Norah shot him a daggered gaze, and he kept silent.
“Perhaps he might eventually become powerful enough to break the confines of the blood spell,” Sana said, “travel into the minds of others without their consent. Take control of them, even.”
