5. Lora #3
“We can’t go to war,” the man in jeweled black robes cut in, quietly readjusting the misaligned parchments. “It would destroy our economy.”
His concern over the finances confirmed my suspicion that he was the Treasurer.
“We still haven’t seen proof,” the Grand Moon Master interjected, her eyes snapping to Erion. “Show us these dual powers.”
“Dual Wielder…” the Queen murmured. Several heads turned to her. She straightened, adjusting her hands in her lap. “I agree. Show us.”
I took Erion’s hand and led him to the nearest fountain.
His first two attempts yielded nothing, and mocking murmurs erupted from the table. He squirmed under the weight of those stares.
I nudged him, offering a confident smile. “You can do this,” I whispered. “Focus on me, not them.”
His gaze fixed on me as his fingers curved through beckoning motions. The fountain responded. Water rose in a crystalline column, catching the light like liquid diamonds before gravity reclaimed it. The splash echoed through the sudden silence.
“Good,” I purred.
I pulled a candle from a wall sconce and returned to him. He stared at the floor, hands clenched into fists.
“Hey, look at me,” I said.
As he glanced up, I gave him a playful smirk. “Just have fun with it. Like we did by the river.”
His eyes twinkled to life. He drew a deep breath, then moved his arms, coaxing the fire. It flickered left and right, but it might as well have been the wind.
“That’s it,” I whispered. “Feel the flame. Don’t fight it.”
Nodding, he widened his stance and moved his hands with more determination. I gasped as the flame flared, bursting upward in a rush of heat, nearly singeing my hair.
Erion stumbled back and the fire snuffed out. “Sorry!”
I shook my head. “No, that was…” I swallowed, forcing a smile. “It was great.”
“It’s true.” The Queen’s voice barely carried, spoken more to herself than anyone. “A Dual Wielder.”
Twice now she’d uttered those words, as if referring to something specific. I opened my mouth to ask what she meant, but chaos erupted from the council.
The Grand Moon Master wanted to launch an investigation, going through old records. The High Lord suggested a ball to present Erion to the nobles. The General and Treasurer argued about attacking the Sun Kingdom versus keeping the finances in check.
“Enough.” The single word from the Queen silenced the room.
She rose and glided to the window. Beyond the lavish gardens, small hands reached through the palace fences—gaunt children begging nobles for scraps.
“War isn’t the solution,” she said, her bright voice soft and pensive. “Our people need hope.”
I pressed my lips tight as annoyance flickered through me. Hope wouldn’t fill empty bellies. What the people needed was food and clothes.
The Queen’s attention fixed on Erion, something almost desperate in her eyes. “You are our hope. Our savior.”
“What?” Erion’s voice cracked.
The council echoed his surprise, sputtering protests. The Queen raised her hand, silencing them. “You’re the Dual Wielder. Your destiny is to seal the rift.”
I frowned. How could she know that?
Erion shook his head. “But… my powers are weak. I can barely control them.”
The Queen nodded, her gaze shifting to the Grand Moon Master. “He needs training.”
The old woman eyed Erion, her lip curled. “He sure does. Plenty of it, from the look of things.” She sucked her teeth, weaving her fingers together. “I suppose we can arrange for one of our masters to squeeze in another pupil.”
“If you don’t mind,” Erion murmured, “Lora has started teaching me moon magic already, and I’d love to have her as my teacher. If…” Vulnerability flickered across his face as his gaze found mine. “If you want to?”
Warmth bloomed in my chest from his trusting words. I opened my mouth to say yes, but my promise to return as soon as possible to Father and Vela surfaced in my mind.
Before I could formulate a response, the Grand Moon Master huffed. “He needs a proper master.”
My spine stiffened. That salt-cursed title. Only nobles were granted the master title. People who truly deserved it, like my mother—who could freeze an entire lake solid—were never allowed to call themselves what they truly were. That entire privileged system deserved to be thrown to the tides.
The Queen nodded. “A moon master is a good start. But he also needs a sun wielder to train him.”
Silence settled like a damp cloth over the room.
A thin man I’d barely noticed, almost swallowed by his large chair, cleared his throat.
I scanned the council members. The Grand Moon Master, the General, the Treasurer, the High Lord… What role had I missed?
“There’s a sun wielder living in secret near the western border.” The man’s voice was a gravelly whisper. “Her name is Caldera.”
Of course, he had to be the Spymaster.
The High Lord curled his lip. “Why would we allow a sun wielder within our borders?”
“Because of her… services provided to the crown,” the Spymaster rasped, offering no further explanation.
The Queen’s expression sharpened. “Good. Send a message with a moon seer to this Caldera. Inform her she’s needed in Six River City.” She waved at Erion and me. “And show these two to our guest quarters.”