13. The Message
The Message
Cahira
Cahira rubbed the back of her head for the fourth time in an hour.
Her vision still blurred at the edges and her body ached with the lack of sleep.
Aradia’s power had thrown her to the ground and still hummed in the back of her mind.
Less than twenty-four hours had passed since golden light erupted from Aradia in pulsing waves, saving the lower city and shocking Cahira to her core.
She wondered if every highborn had felt the surge of magic again.
Had her father?
Aradia’s magic was ancient and pure, unlike anything she had ever seen or felt. Cahira was too young to remember when Eslanda died, but she had heard Eslanda was one of the strongest priestesses of her time. Now, it seemed, Aradia had taken that spot.
Cahira shifted on top of her horse. Her backside was beyond sore, but Aradia had yet to stir behind her.
Cahira hadn’t meant to hit her so hard with the shovel.
She was only half sure Aradia’s unconscious state was due to the effects of burning through her magic.
No one could have let out that much power and not been depleted, especially one who had no control like Aradia.
Before the townspeople could understand who Aradia was and what she could do, Cahira had fled with her.
Aradia’s unconscious body slung on the back of a second horse, trailing behind her.
Good.
Cahira needed to create distance from Gail and get as close to Vidrena as possible before Aradia awoke. She hoped Kaiden was on his way. The thought made her pull on her reins, stopping the horse. She dug through her bag for pen and parchment.
I have the priestess — Aradia Damali. Traveling to Vidrena now, possibly three days out.
She crumpled the message and breathed on the parchment. “Meňora t?l Kaiden Valencia.”
Sparks ignited and covered the message in an orb of fire. Parchment turned to ash and disappeared into the wind, carrying their secret. It wouldn’t be long until her magic found Kaiden and formed back into a complete letter for him to read.
Cahira glanced back at Aradia whose head lolled side to side with the horse’s movements. How was she going to explain this? She sighed and kicked her horse’s flanks, picking up her pace.