AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Dakin took a deep breath and exhaled. “Whatever’s in the water didn’t like your magic and attacked you. Not in the way you were attacked in the river, mind you, but something deeper.” He blew out a puff of smoke and the white mist drifted into the air. “Some people call it a fight between souls. That’s what shook you so bad that it nearly tore yer body apart.”
A contemplative expression crossed my face as I continued to stare at my host. “Then you think I have magic, too?”
He took a puff on his pipe and a smile touched the corners of his lips. “Is that so hard to believe?”
I turned my attention to the ceiling and shrugged. “I don’t know. I just. . .I just don’t feel that special.”
“Well, you aren’t.” My mouth dropped open and I whipped my face back to him. He chuckled before he wagged the mouth tip of the pipe at me. “There’s plenty of folks who have magic in these parts. It says something to the people on this island that the king is only now getting desperate in his search for sacrifice. So you’re not special in having magic, but ya might have a touch that’s just what we need.”
I blinked at him. “Come again?”
He nodded at my lower half. “Whatever magic didn’t like you is what our enemies are using against us. That means you can fight it with your own magic.”
I dropped my head back onto the pillow and snorted. “I don’t think I did a good job the last time I came into contact with it.”
“You should try winning next time.”
I glared at him. “I don’t even know what I’m doing. How does somebody even control their magic?”
Dakin put down his pipe and took up a bowl and ladle. He poured some of the contents of the pot into the bowl and stood. “It’s different for everybody, but not acting like a frightened cat every time you run into trouble would probably help.”
“Did someone call?” a voice piped up, and a moment later Qita slipped beneath the curtained door and trotted across the room. He hopped into the empty chair beside the bed and curled his tail around his front feet. The feline then proceeded to groom his face.
Dakin eyed him with a mixture of amusement and annoyance as he walked over to the bed. “What news, hairball?”
Qita glared at him. “I will ignore that detestable nickname this time. As for your question, it’s a rather chilly morning in more ways than one.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
The cat turned his head to face me. “There’s an unusual chill in the air that often isn’t felt for several more months, and dark rumors are spreading of a sickness among the people.”
“Then you should eat this before it gets cold,” Dakin insisted as he took a seat on the edge of the bed. He slipped one of his burly arms behind me and lifted me into a seated position where he then handed me the bowl with a spoon. “It’ll put some more muscle on those bones, too.”
I took up the spoon and stirred the contents. Bits of black meat and unknown brown vegetables floated to the surface. I swallowed hard to keep the bile from climbing up my throat. “What is it?”
“My own soup,” Dakin told me as he returned to his seat and took up his pipe.
Qita leaned close to me and his nose twitched. “Those aren’t bits of dakhma, are they?” The color drained from my face as I recalled that strange anteater creature.
A mischievous smile slipped onto Dakin’s lips as he took a puff on his pipe. My shoulders sagged, but I spooned out some of the soup and gingerly touched the utensil to the tip of my tongue. An array of spicy flavors hit me, but none of them were unpleasant.
Qita stuck his tongue out at me before he looked around the room. “The other human isn’t back yet?”
Dakin shook his head. “No, but he’ll be here soon, and hopefully without the trouble that seems to catch him.”
True to his prediction, Ben stepped into the cave a few minutes later. I had finished my soup and Qita his preening. I was thrilled to see him, but the weary look on his face dampened my joy.
He plopped himself on the side of my bed and managed a small smile. “Good morning.”
I looked him up and down and pursed my lips. “Is it?”
Ben draped his hands between his open legs and sighed. “Not as cheerful as I had hoped. There are clouds on the horizon and not just the usual ones. Something’s stirring in the shadows and the soldiers have been posted in dozens of places.”
My heart skipped a beat. “Looking for you?”
“And anyone else with magic,” he confirmed. “All of the patrols are carrying aqasa with them and they’re stopping anyone who manages to make the ball glow even in the slightest.”
“That means there’s trouble at the Thaqiba,” Dakin mused.
