grew and grew into five separate orbs of water. They looked like water bubbles glistening in the air as they began to turn and then dance around each other midair. Shade giggled, finding the little dance exhilarating as the water moved faster and faster. She could feel the tingle traveling up her arm and deep into her chest.
She knew right then that he was right. Her magic might have restraints on it, but it was still there, deep within, desperate to escape. It felt amazing, like a part of her heart had been reanimated after far too long. She made the orbs collide into one big ball until it shrank down to its original size of a drop and plopped right back into the bowl.
It had given her the same euphoric feeling it had at the fountains and whenever she had used her water magic. It always was the same, whenever it spilled onto her skin it would leave her drugged in bliss. She wanted to use it even more now, but it had left her exhausted from this tiny bit of exertion already. She uncorked the ampule and watched as she willed the drop to slip back into the vial before she closed it once more, holding it out to Stanis.
His eyes were no longer greedy, but were wells full of awe and admiration.
“Thank you for showing me that.” Stanis nodded toward her and plucked the ampule softly from her fingertips. He studied it closely, rolling it between his slender, twitchy fingers.
“Fascinating magic,” he whispered, almost to himself.
“Now, will you tell me, please? How do I find Corb, the Winter Ancient?”
Ripping his eyes away from the vial, Stanis nodded, a dreamy look had overtaken his features and the entirety of his demeanor was tamer than before. “Of course, princess. Anything you ask.”
Chapter Eight
LEAVING STANIS’ TENEMENT felt a lot different than when Shade had arrived. The sun was brighter and the air seemed less confining somehow. She was exhilarated that she’d been able to use some of her water magic again with the Pith. Even though it only worked on elemental magic, as Stanis had stated afterwards, it had been enough to rejuvenate her quest to gain her powers back from Corb.
They shuffled out into the less crowded, but still thick evening crowd of the city. They walked less urgently, now that they knew where they were heading. Returning to the Glass Castle was a must to obtain a more suitable wardrobe for the freezing temperatures where they would be heading to−the depths of the Arctic.
Shade wasn’t sure she ever had even thought of visiting the Arctic, let alone comb through it to find an ancient kingdom. She was certain she’d hate the freezing below zero weather and wasn’t looking forward to going there, not one bit.
Dylan and Soap stopped in their tracks, causing a small congestion of bodies in the middle of the sidewalk. Dylan grabbed Shade while Soap pulled Brisa against the stone wall of the nearest building. Their faces were concerned; their senses on high alert. Shade felt the tension seeping off them like waves and darted her eyes down both sides of the street.
“What’s going on? Something happening?” She whispered to Dylan as he immediately drew an invisibility shield around them. To an outsider, they would have been standing there leaning against the wall one minute, and then gone the next.
Dylan pulled his sword out, as did the others as they stood there, still studying the crowd for something Shade couldn’t see. When nothing happened, she began to wonder if they were just being paranoid. What would attack them in broad daylight, on a street full of people? Just then, Dylan grabbed her hand and began running through the crowd.
Glancing back, she could see Camulus had Brisa in his grip and Soap followed close behind them. She still couldn’t see what was chasing them but a fear crept up into her as they continued on, dodging thick bottlenecks of people as they eased their way through the more dispersed patches.
“Dylan? What’s going on?” He continued to tug
She knew right then that he was right. Her magic might have restraints on it, but it was still there, deep within, desperate to escape. It felt amazing, like a part of her heart had been reanimated after far too long. She made the orbs collide into one big ball until it shrank down to its original size of a drop and plopped right back into the bowl.
It had given her the same euphoric feeling it had at the fountains and whenever she had used her water magic. It always was the same, whenever it spilled onto her skin it would leave her drugged in bliss. She wanted to use it even more now, but it had left her exhausted from this tiny bit of exertion already. She uncorked the ampule and watched as she willed the drop to slip back into the vial before she closed it once more, holding it out to Stanis.
His eyes were no longer greedy, but were wells full of awe and admiration.
“Thank you for showing me that.” Stanis nodded toward her and plucked the ampule softly from her fingertips. He studied it closely, rolling it between his slender, twitchy fingers.
“Fascinating magic,” he whispered, almost to himself.
“Now, will you tell me, please? How do I find Corb, the Winter Ancient?”
Ripping his eyes away from the vial, Stanis nodded, a dreamy look had overtaken his features and the entirety of his demeanor was tamer than before. “Of course, princess. Anything you ask.”
Chapter Eight
LEAVING STANIS’ TENEMENT felt a lot different than when Shade had arrived. The sun was brighter and the air seemed less confining somehow. She was exhilarated that she’d been able to use some of her water magic again with the Pith. Even though it only worked on elemental magic, as Stanis had stated afterwards, it had been enough to rejuvenate her quest to gain her powers back from Corb.
They shuffled out into the less crowded, but still thick evening crowd of the city. They walked less urgently, now that they knew where they were heading. Returning to the Glass Castle was a must to obtain a more suitable wardrobe for the freezing temperatures where they would be heading to−the depths of the Arctic.
Shade wasn’t sure she ever had even thought of visiting the Arctic, let alone comb through it to find an ancient kingdom. She was certain she’d hate the freezing below zero weather and wasn’t looking forward to going there, not one bit.
Dylan and Soap stopped in their tracks, causing a small congestion of bodies in the middle of the sidewalk. Dylan grabbed Shade while Soap pulled Brisa against the stone wall of the nearest building. Their faces were concerned; their senses on high alert. Shade felt the tension seeping off them like waves and darted her eyes down both sides of the street.
“What’s going on? Something happening?” She whispered to Dylan as he immediately drew an invisibility shield around them. To an outsider, they would have been standing there leaning against the wall one minute, and then gone the next.
Dylan pulled his sword out, as did the others as they stood there, still studying the crowd for something Shade couldn’t see. When nothing happened, she began to wonder if they were just being paranoid. What would attack them in broad daylight, on a street full of people? Just then, Dylan grabbed her hand and began running through the crowd.
Glancing back, she could see Camulus had Brisa in his grip and Soap followed close behind them. She still couldn’t see what was chasing them but a fear crept up into her as they continued on, dodging thick bottlenecks of people as they eased their way through the more dispersed patches.
“Dylan? What’s going on?” He continued to tug
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