him t’is mornin’.”
Gabriel seized Void, laid the searchers-pattern, and pointed west.
Mikelle sighed. “I will never get tired of that hair.”
“Raven black?” Afton smiled.
“No, white.”
“ White ?” Afton gasped, her face suddenly horrified. “Release Void!” she exclaimed and grabbed his arm. “How long have you had white hair?”
“A…month or two?” He set down the piece of bacon. “What does it mean?”
Afton wrung her hands. “You’ve spent too much time in Void. Void is dangerous, uncharted, and it strips us of our humanity. If you spend too much time using it, you will be lost to it. T’ white eyes is t’ first sign, white hair t’ next. By t’ time you turn transparent, it’s too late.”
“Lost to it?”
“You become one wit’ Void, a walker of t’ spirit world and reality but not fully part of eit’er.
Gabriel looked past her for a while, lowering his head with a groan. “I was told it was a sign of mastery.”
“Whoever told you t’at was tryin’ to kill you.”
He glanced at Mikelle and clenched his jaw. “How long do I have?”
“T’ere is no tellin’. Years, decades, mont’s. You need to detox it from your body.”
“How long will that take? I need Void to shift and search.”
“A mont’, maybe two. You’re betrothed, yes? You might…” she lowered her voice but Mikelle read her lips, “have fertility issues.”
“That explains why Maxine hasn’t conceived in years….”
“Robyn needs heirs,” Mikelle muttered.
He glared at her. “Go stick your face in something that muffles sound. Afton, I have to use Void. The Arch Mages use it, they have white hair and have been fighting for years.”
Afton bowed. “As you say.”
He gently grabbed her arm before she walked away. “Thank you for telling me. I would like to train in Void with you someday. You know patterns I have never seen.”
“I would be honored.” He let her arm go. “Please continue to rest as your body has not yet recovered.”
He looked at Mikelle accusingly. “Are you listening?”
With a bow Afton left them and closed the door behind.
“I knew it,” he whispered. “I always knew something was wrong.”
“You knew Maxine was trying to kill you.”
“Yes, but part of me hoped I was wrong about her.” He prodded the papers on his desk. “She vowed not to fight me.”
“I would not bet on it.” She folded her hands and did her very best to hide the grin blooming to her lips. “Finish your bacon. Council Meeting in two hours.”
Robyn awoke with the sun. Her bones ached, but her body was warm and cozy under the cloak. She adjusted her position and realized the ground was much softer than she expected, warmer too, and it smelled nice.
Her eyes flew open to see Virgil’s tanned chest slowly rising and falling in the dim light of morning. Her hand lay on his stomach partially covered with the cloak, and as she became aware of her surroundings, she felt his arm wrapped around her shoulders. She slowly pulled her hand back.
‘Whatever you do, don’t summon the Head Mage.’
The night had laid his wounds bare, and she could see bruises forming around the wound on his chest and on the knuckles of his hand resting against his ribs. From her lofty vantage point, she could see his hip had sealed nicely though a black bruise formed on the lower part of his hip bone. He took quite a beating to save her.
His chest rose higher as he took in a deep breath and raised his free hand to his face.
“Good morning,” she whispered.
He groaned an unintelligible reply in Arconian and stretched his back which cracked several times. “How did you sleep?”
“Exhaustedly. How do you feel?”
“Sore.” He raised up on his left knee to look at his hip, brushing off the congealed blood. “Not bad for a Queen.”
She rose.
“No, cold,” he muttered, but she raised up anyway, draping the cloak around him. The fire died long ago, but she did not want
Gabriel seized Void, laid the searchers-pattern, and pointed west.
Mikelle sighed. “I will never get tired of that hair.”
“Raven black?” Afton smiled.
“No, white.”
“ White ?” Afton gasped, her face suddenly horrified. “Release Void!” she exclaimed and grabbed his arm. “How long have you had white hair?”
“A…month or two?” He set down the piece of bacon. “What does it mean?”
Afton wrung her hands. “You’ve spent too much time in Void. Void is dangerous, uncharted, and it strips us of our humanity. If you spend too much time using it, you will be lost to it. T’ white eyes is t’ first sign, white hair t’ next. By t’ time you turn transparent, it’s too late.”
“Lost to it?”
“You become one wit’ Void, a walker of t’ spirit world and reality but not fully part of eit’er.
Gabriel looked past her for a while, lowering his head with a groan. “I was told it was a sign of mastery.”
“Whoever told you t’at was tryin’ to kill you.”
He glanced at Mikelle and clenched his jaw. “How long do I have?”
“T’ere is no tellin’. Years, decades, mont’s. You need to detox it from your body.”
“How long will that take? I need Void to shift and search.”
“A mont’, maybe two. You’re betrothed, yes? You might…” she lowered her voice but Mikelle read her lips, “have fertility issues.”
“That explains why Maxine hasn’t conceived in years….”
“Robyn needs heirs,” Mikelle muttered.
He glared at her. “Go stick your face in something that muffles sound. Afton, I have to use Void. The Arch Mages use it, they have white hair and have been fighting for years.”
Afton bowed. “As you say.”
He gently grabbed her arm before she walked away. “Thank you for telling me. I would like to train in Void with you someday. You know patterns I have never seen.”
“I would be honored.” He let her arm go. “Please continue to rest as your body has not yet recovered.”
He looked at Mikelle accusingly. “Are you listening?”
With a bow Afton left them and closed the door behind.
“I knew it,” he whispered. “I always knew something was wrong.”
“You knew Maxine was trying to kill you.”
“Yes, but part of me hoped I was wrong about her.” He prodded the papers on his desk. “She vowed not to fight me.”
“I would not bet on it.” She folded her hands and did her very best to hide the grin blooming to her lips. “Finish your bacon. Council Meeting in two hours.”
Robyn awoke with the sun. Her bones ached, but her body was warm and cozy under the cloak. She adjusted her position and realized the ground was much softer than she expected, warmer too, and it smelled nice.
Her eyes flew open to see Virgil’s tanned chest slowly rising and falling in the dim light of morning. Her hand lay on his stomach partially covered with the cloak, and as she became aware of her surroundings, she felt his arm wrapped around her shoulders. She slowly pulled her hand back.
‘Whatever you do, don’t summon the Head Mage.’
The night had laid his wounds bare, and she could see bruises forming around the wound on his chest and on the knuckles of his hand resting against his ribs. From her lofty vantage point, she could see his hip had sealed nicely though a black bruise formed on the lower part of his hip bone. He took quite a beating to save her.
His chest rose higher as he took in a deep breath and raised his free hand to his face.
“Good morning,” she whispered.
He groaned an unintelligible reply in Arconian and stretched his back which cracked several times. “How did you sleep?”
“Exhaustedly. How do you feel?”
“Sore.” He raised up on his left knee to look at his hip, brushing off the congealed blood. “Not bad for a Queen.”
She rose.
“No, cold,” he muttered, but she raised up anyway, draping the cloak around him. The fire died long ago, but she did not want
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