Chapter 31 #2
“Because you love me and your life would be entirely boring without me.”
“Nah, I think it’s because you have a frost cat familiar which makes you somewhat interesting.”
“That’s it,” Thea says, frost forming over her hands and I try to hide my smile as she starts pelting both of them with balls of soft snow.
Mia cheers from atop Isolde, Cece screams and hides behind her husband, Dessa grins, and a feeling I’ve never had before settles over me like a soft, comforting blanket.
Is this what it’s like to have a true family?
To be surrounded by love and joy instead of fear and anger and hatred?
I rub the heel of my hand against my chest. This is what life should be, what it could be once we finish this war.
Though I’d be more than happy to watch this all day, we’re here for a reason, so I clear my throat pointedly.
Thea stops her assault and Math shakes snow from his hair like a hound.
She comes over to me, the mood shifting subtly as she reads my emotions so clearly.
My stomach starts churning and twisting, worry worming its way through my veins.
She places her palm against my chest, just over my racing heart.
“Calm, Killian. Everything will be alright.”
I try to listen but…
“What if—”
“Those here know the risks, but believe in you, in this cause, enough to pay whatever the price may be. Trust in their belief.”
I close my eyes and exhale roughly, thanking the Makers all over again for bringing this woman into my life. I open them again and she smiles. I return it, put my hand over hers where it still rests on my chest, and nod. We head towards the group that’s gathered.
“Your Majesty,” the first volunteer says with a bow. My close friends obey my request to drop the titles, but the rest of the kingdom doesn’t seem inclined to do so.
“Aaron,” I nod. “Thank you for being here. For…” I trail off, not quite sure how to word what we’re attempting.
I don’t want to call it an experiment as it brings to mind the horrors that Barony and his alchemists have brought down on Gifteds all these years, but in truth, this will be an experiment of sorts.
I have no true idea of how to do what I believe I can save a whisper in my mind and my heart telling me to try.
-Have faith,- Isolde tells me and I glance her way, our connection bolstering my wavering conviction.
Mia is weaving flowers around her horns and Soren is keeping a watchful eye on everyone.
Aaron smiles. He’s of middle-age and works on one of the goat farms, hand-delivers milk and cheese to the palace every few weeks.
His Gift calls out to me now, and while I’ve always been able to sense a Gifted by the energy they give off, like a faint aura inside my mind, now I can truly see it.
I can see the true nature of the Gifts, their strength and power, how they might be used.
Thea had laughed when I’d first told her how my power had shifted since bonding.
“Well, it’s a good thing that Isolde didn’t decide to find you before you kidnapped me—I would have been fucked well and good.”
“Fucked well and good, you say…I can arrange that…” I’d rasped, making her squeal as I chased her around the room before catching her, tossing her on the bed, and doing just that.
But she was right, of course. If I’d been able to see the Gifts clearly when we’d first found her, I’m not sure what I would have done.
There would have been no real reason to keep her knowing she wasn’t Barony’s Gifted, no ransom to be had, but I like to believe that our love was blessed by the Makers, that they put each of us on our paths in life long ago so that we would find each other, and so one way or another, we would have fallen.
“Aaron, I don’t know…” I clear my throat and then sigh. “I have no fucking clue what I’m doing,” I tell him honestly and he huffs out a laugh, smiling wide.
“My Gift is not much use to me now, Your Majesty. If it should be gone…” He hikes a shoulder as if to say that wouldn’t upset him.
I swallow hard. “And if…it does more than take the Gift?”
His smile turns bittersweet.
“I lost my wife recently. My son as well. If I should join them in hereafter in the pursuit of stopping a monster like Barony, then I would be honored. My cousin can run the farm now.”
I don’t have anything to say to that, so I simply nod in thanks.
-Now what?- I ask Isolde, my palms sweating.
-You act as if I’ve done this before.-
-I thought a sage, centuries-old dragon might have some fucking insight to share.-
-I am quite sage, thank you for noticing.- I turn and narrow my eyes at the dragon and she meets my gaze, huffing out tiny blue flames from her nostrils and quirking the ridged line of scales above her eye that serves as a brow. -Let your Gift guide you,- she adds, more seriously this time.
So, I do. I turn back to Aaron, ask him if he’s ready, and begin. I let my Gift lead me, let it reach out to Aaron’s own.
-Unclench your jaw, Killian, you’ll crack your teeth,- Thea whispers inside my mind, the presence a warm, crimson glow.
-This is nothing like Barony,- she adds, knowing exactly why I’m holding back, apparently trying to grind my damned teeth to dust. I make an effort to do as she asks and unclench my jaw.
-As my queen commands,- I whisper back and I can feel her smile in my head.
I’m not like Barony. I’m not taking what does not belong to me.
I’m not reaching for Aaron’s Gift with malice in my heart or ill intent.
I know this is different and let myself relax.
I’m still worried about what might happen, of course, but I’m able to let my Gift fully explore this new facet now.
My power wraps around Aaron’s, almost in greeting, and his responds, glowing brighter, welcoming.
A surge of power sparks through my chest, and then Aaron’s Gift.
..joins my own, the two of them existing side by side within me.
I inhale sharply at the same time Aaron gasps quietly.
“Are you alright? Is this hurting you?” I ask urgently, keeping his Gift steady beside my own. It’s strange, going from feeling the energy or essence or whatever you want to call it outside, to feeling inside my own body, to have it greet me like an old friend and open itself to me.
“No, not at all, Majesty. I can just feel your Gift...asking mine for access?” He huffs out a laugh. “That sounds ridiculous, apologies.”
“No, no, it doesn’t. I understand what you mean, I think. I...hells, I think it worked?”
Aaron blinks at me, excitement and intrigue dancing in his eyes. “One way to find out, I suppose.”
I take a deep breath and turn from Aaron towards the wall of weapons to our left. I let his Gift rise, not quite sure how to—
“Holy fucking Makers!” Thea and Math both say at the exact same moment as one of the swords comes flying across the space into my waiting hand, slamming into my palm as if...
“Magnetism,” I whisper and Aaron inclines his head, a warm smile curling his lips.
“Yes, Majesty. I can call metal objects to me as if I’m magnetic. Mostly small things, but I’ve been able to get the plow out of a ditch a time or two over the years with it.”
“And can you still wield it? I didn’t...I didn't take it from you?”
He purses his lips, looking contemplative.
“I don’t believe so...surely I would feel it if it was taken?
But let’s see...” He looks to the wall and a small war hammer sails to him, admittedly more gracefully than my sword had come to me.
“Looks like everything is in working order.” He smiles widely. “Well done, Majesty.”
Thea runs up and throws her arms around me.
“I knew it! I knew you could do it and see—absolutely nothing to worry about, right, Aaron?”
“Right, Your Majesty.” His eyes go wide in surprise when she throws her arms around him as well, but he quickly recovers and gives her a gentle squeeze back.
“How does it feel?” she asks me after she releases Aaron.
“Strange,” I tell her honestly. “But...good.”
“Do you know how long you’ll be able to hold it?”
“No fucking clue, but I guess we’ll find out.”
“What if...well, what if they stay forever? What if you can just collect Gifts like Ryker collects crystal sculptures of winged horses.” I quirk a brow and she winces.
“And that was not something I was supposed to share, so erase it from your memory immediately.” I laugh at that and she smiles, but presses on.
“I’m serious. What if you could have multiple Gifts, Killian?
What if that’s the reason that the Makers made your father the way they did, collecting all of these Gifteds here within these walls?
So that you would have some of the most powerful Gifts in the empire here to.
..not take, that’s not the right word really, is it? Copy? It doesn’t matter—but what if?”
I can see the excitement churning inside her, the possibilities of what this could mean for the coming war.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, love. We need to take this one step at a time. Let’s just see how long I can hold onto Aaron’s contribution first, make sure he doesn’t suffer any ill effects, and then we’ll go from there.”
She rolls her eyes, but agrees.
I turn to the other volunteers. “If you would all be so kind as to come back in...I don’t know, let’s say three days. I think we’ll be ready to try another test by then.”
They all agree without question, excitement and wonder in their eyes.
There’s never been any Gifted like this in all of Hypathia, at least not that I’ve seen record or heard tale of.
I try not to let Thea’s excitement fill my own heart, but if this works, if I can replicate some of their Gifts and keep them, at least for a time, this could change the tide of battle entirely.
This, plus a fucking dragon? Barony and his Alliance will be crushed beneath our might.