Chapter 27 #4
The light flashed back into the room before I could even get close to reaching it. A blood red beast appeared in the corner of the room, its body something between that of a dragon and a wolf, sharpened fangs lining its snarling jaw.
It leapt towards us suddenly and my cry of alarm was swallowed by a roar which came from behind me, a flash of brilliant gold scoring across the room above my head as an enormous bird born of nothing but magical flames flew to meet the beast.
They collided with an explosion of multicoloured fire, and my mouth fell open as they disappeared, tiny sparks falling from the place where they had been, tumbling into the water and making it spark and fizz with power.
“By the Fallen,” I muttered, my heart still thrashing and my knuckles blanched with how tightly I was gripping the edges of the tub.
“Do you want to see more?” Kyra asked curiously, not seeming the least bit flustered by that unbelievable display as she moved to stand beside me.
I could only stare up at her for a moment, my mind trying to marry the sight of this tiny, beautiful creature with the explosive force of power that I had just witnessed.
She was so much more than I had even given her credit for.
She was something beyond the realms of mortality, a true little goddess born of power and destruction.
“He didn’t shit his britches,” she muttered to herself. “He isn’t even wearing britches.”
I cleared my throat, pushing myself upright and releasing the edge of the tub as I regained myself, shaking my head to dispel the awe I had felt at seeing the extent of her power. And I had no doubt that she could do far more than that.
“You’re incredible,” I told her plainly. “I’ve never even heard rumours of power like yours. Are you certain you aren’t a god?”
Kyra’s lips parted then closed again, a crease forming between her brows before she finally shrugged.
“No,” she admitted. “I’m not certain. I’m not really certain of anything, but I don’t think I am.
I know things even if I don’t remember them, and I know that I was bound to this life and given this power.
I don’t think that is how the gods were born, is it? ”
I snorted a breath of amusement. “You’re asking the wrong man for information on the gods,” I told her. “I have no time or patience for forgotten deities who turned their faces from us.”
“Oh,” she said, seeming a little disappointed that I couldn’t offer her any kind of certainty.
“But if I were to worship at the feet of a goddess, I could only hope that she would be half as breath-taking as you,” I added, watching her disappointment turn to coyness as she flushed, her cheeks heating and lashes batting.
“I’m going to get out of the water now,” I warned her. “So you may wish to look away.”
“Look away?” she questioned, but I was already heaving myself up and out of the tub, water sloshing around it and running down my skin as I stood with my back to her, taking the towel which had been left for me and using it to dry myself.
“Would I be able to get something fit to wear for dinner?” I asked her, looking back over my shoulder as I tied the towel around my waist. “Cassius seems to believe I need to change my clothes again already.”
Kyra was staring at me, her teeth capturing her bottom lip as her fingers gripped the edges of the chair she sat on like she thought she might slip from it if she let go.
My pulse picked up a notch, my eyes roaming over her in a way that was wholly inappropriate as I questioned my assessment of her interest in pleasures of the flesh, before she burst that bubble with her words as simply as breathing.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to do anything to fix your appearance?” she asked, her eyes widening with what I could have sworn was pity. “I know that you don’t expect there to be a part of the pageant which focuses on looks, but what if there is and you lose points because of your face and-”
“No, Kyra,” I barked, irritation prickling through me. “I would gain points for my face, not lose them.”
“O…kay.” She bit down on her tongue so hard that I was surprised she didn’t make herself bleed with the effort she was making to hold in whatever thoughts remained in her head on this subject.
“We will be late to dinner at this rate,” I said, my tone sharper than usual as I fought to contain my annoyance. I wasn’t one to be riled easily but I also hadn’t had anyone try to poke holes in my vanity before, and I couldn’t say I enjoyed it.
“Oh, sorry, of course.” Kyra didn’t even move but her magic wrapped around me like a trail of soft fingers caressing my skin.
Within moments the towel was falling to the floor and I found myself dressed in a pair of black britches and a white silk tunic, the edges of which were stitched with blood red embroidery, the quality of which I hadn’t even seen worn by the nobility when I prowled among them lifting purses and liberating kurus from their too full pockets.
Kyra got to her feet before me, her own dress seeming to peel away from her body to reveal a set of bright pink harem pants and a matching top beneath it while her previous outfit just shimmered out of existence in the air around her.
Technically, she was better dressed than a maid should have been, but I made no comment on it, seeing no reason for her to have to lessen the quality of her clothing.
Surely it would only add to my appearance of wealth anyway.
“I suppose we’d best go fill our bellies then,” I said, leading the way towards the door, my stomach rumbling at the delicious smells which were wafting up to us from the kitchen.
Kyra moved to walk with me as I headed out into the corridor, and though I kept my gaze ahead of me, I couldn’t help but feel overtly aware of all the power she was able to wield oh so easily.
Sometimes it was easy for me to convince myself that she was nothing but a beautiful girl, but I would be a fool if I ever let myself fall for that. Kyra was a force of nature, a vat of power and an unpredictable creature beyond my comprehension.
She was just like me in that way. All kinds of dangerous hidden behind a pretty face.
I’d be certain not to let myself forget it again.