for me, girl."
"Maybe not," Ciara said. "But he is."
With a flick of her right hand, Ciara sent the power of Andrakaos streaming from her fingers. At the same time, she gathered up the bits of her earth magic that lay scattered at her feet and held them ready in her other hand. The figure leapt forward to meet the onslaught and as it did, Ciara sent her earth magic out with a single w ord driving its purpose: Canil .
Shadow and ancient power collided . Ciara shuddered with the impact, crying out in pain as it jarred her with the force of a battering ram. She nearly lost her grip on Andrakaos, and the denizen pressed its advantage. As it lunged, her earth magic latched on to the only visible aspect of Canil still remaining, and surrounded him with blinding light. It ripped him free, and in that instant of confusion Andrakaos closed vice-like jaws around the creature and crushed it into nothing.
A rush of victory ripped through Ciara. She fought the desire to leap skyward in exalted flight as she had done in the old woman's chamber. She could do so again. She could be one with Andrakaos, and never fear man or beast. Everything she wanted would be hers.
"Ciara!"
Nialyne pushed to her feet, her gown in rags, blood streaming down her arms. Ciara's breath caught, a moment's hesitation that made her unprepared for the magic that swarmed suddenly around her. Andrakaos's triumph turned to rage. He moved to rend the bindings that closed in on him, but every hole he made reformed twofold. He thrashed against it, Ciara lost in the intensity of his emotions.
"Look at me."
She turned to face Nialyne. They were still within the veil. Canil stood beside her, blinking as though the light hurt his eyes.
"Be calm," Nialyne whispered, and breathed ac ross her palm.
The scent of fresh flowers and green grass warmed by the sunshine filled Ciara's nostrils. She inhaled deeply and the rage of Andrakaos left her .
***
Ciara gasped as the room snapped into focus. Then her knees gave out, and she landed on her backside on the hard floor. Nialyne helped her to her feet, no sign of a wound on her.
"Well done, girl," Konly said. "I don't know what you did, or how you managed it, but I'd say you saved this lad's life." The master healer slid her a measuring glance. "There's sweet water on the table there."
Ciara looked in the direction Konly bobbed her head. She made her way unsteadily toward the pitcher, and gulped the contents of the first mug in three huge swallows before pouring herself another. She drank half of that one before coming up for air. When she did, she caught Nialyne's narrowed gaze directed her way.
"What did you do?" The way Nialyne phrased the question to sound like a demand put Ciara in mind of Bolin.
Ciara's legs shook. She rested her backside against the table, and downed more sweet water before attempting to answer in a manner that wouldn't get her in serious trouble. "I think I saved both your lives?"
"How?"
Ciara wrinkled her brow. "I'm not sure what you're asking, Danya."
"That power is not allowed to be called within these borders."
Her explanation didn't make things any clearer. "I didn't mean to."
"It cannot be called within these borders." Nialyne's expression pinched, and her skin took on an ashen pallor. She turned to Konly. "What caused this man's wounds?"
The master healer shrugged, and wiped her hands on her apron. "Some kind of wild animal if I had to guess. We can ask Canil when he wakes. Which hopefully won't be until the morning. He needs that much rest. From the looks of you two, he's not the only one. What happened?"
"That's exactly what I'd like to know," Bolin said from the doorway, and Ciara flinched when his eyes landed on her.
"Whatever caused this man's wounds lingered within him." Nialyne laid her hand on Canil's forehead.
"Who is he?" Bolin asked.
"An Imperial messenger," Konly said. "He was looking for you."
"Did he carry anything?"
Konly gestured toward the corner.
"Maybe not," Ciara said. "But he is."
With a flick of her right hand, Ciara sent the power of Andrakaos streaming from her fingers. At the same time, she gathered up the bits of her earth magic that lay scattered at her feet and held them ready in her other hand. The figure leapt forward to meet the onslaught and as it did, Ciara sent her earth magic out with a single w ord driving its purpose: Canil .
Shadow and ancient power collided . Ciara shuddered with the impact, crying out in pain as it jarred her with the force of a battering ram. She nearly lost her grip on Andrakaos, and the denizen pressed its advantage. As it lunged, her earth magic latched on to the only visible aspect of Canil still remaining, and surrounded him with blinding light. It ripped him free, and in that instant of confusion Andrakaos closed vice-like jaws around the creature and crushed it into nothing.
A rush of victory ripped through Ciara. She fought the desire to leap skyward in exalted flight as she had done in the old woman's chamber. She could do so again. She could be one with Andrakaos, and never fear man or beast. Everything she wanted would be hers.
"Ciara!"
Nialyne pushed to her feet, her gown in rags, blood streaming down her arms. Ciara's breath caught, a moment's hesitation that made her unprepared for the magic that swarmed suddenly around her. Andrakaos's triumph turned to rage. He moved to rend the bindings that closed in on him, but every hole he made reformed twofold. He thrashed against it, Ciara lost in the intensity of his emotions.
"Look at me."
She turned to face Nialyne. They were still within the veil. Canil stood beside her, blinking as though the light hurt his eyes.
"Be calm," Nialyne whispered, and breathed ac ross her palm.
The scent of fresh flowers and green grass warmed by the sunshine filled Ciara's nostrils. She inhaled deeply and the rage of Andrakaos left her .
***
Ciara gasped as the room snapped into focus. Then her knees gave out, and she landed on her backside on the hard floor. Nialyne helped her to her feet, no sign of a wound on her.
"Well done, girl," Konly said. "I don't know what you did, or how you managed it, but I'd say you saved this lad's life." The master healer slid her a measuring glance. "There's sweet water on the table there."
Ciara looked in the direction Konly bobbed her head. She made her way unsteadily toward the pitcher, and gulped the contents of the first mug in three huge swallows before pouring herself another. She drank half of that one before coming up for air. When she did, she caught Nialyne's narrowed gaze directed her way.
"What did you do?" The way Nialyne phrased the question to sound like a demand put Ciara in mind of Bolin.
Ciara's legs shook. She rested her backside against the table, and downed more sweet water before attempting to answer in a manner that wouldn't get her in serious trouble. "I think I saved both your lives?"
"How?"
Ciara wrinkled her brow. "I'm not sure what you're asking, Danya."
"That power is not allowed to be called within these borders."
Her explanation didn't make things any clearer. "I didn't mean to."
"It cannot be called within these borders." Nialyne's expression pinched, and her skin took on an ashen pallor. She turned to Konly. "What caused this man's wounds?"
The master healer shrugged, and wiped her hands on her apron. "Some kind of wild animal if I had to guess. We can ask Canil when he wakes. Which hopefully won't be until the morning. He needs that much rest. From the looks of you two, he's not the only one. What happened?"
"That's exactly what I'd like to know," Bolin said from the doorway, and Ciara flinched when his eyes landed on her.
"Whatever caused this man's wounds lingered within him." Nialyne laid her hand on Canil's forehead.
"Who is he?" Bolin asked.
"An Imperial messenger," Konly said. "He was looking for you."
"Did he carry anything?"
Konly gestured toward the corner.
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