Now when I reached for the remnants of tainted power, they came eagerly, leaping to my grasp as soon as the thought was formed. On the previous occasion, I had thrust them away from me, sending them hurtling through the air. I wanted them to do a similar thing now—but taking the boat and the topmost layer of water around it with them.
I would have assumed it was impossible except that I knew someone had already achieved it. Which meant there must be a way for it to work.
I called more and more of the tainted power to me, collecting it in the water directly beneath the boat. The surface began to bubble and foam, and I felt the boat lurch, rocking violently as someone leaped into it.
I tried to open my eyes to see what was happening, but my body was no longer responding to my commands, all its efforts centered on self-preservation. It was hard to think through the pain, but the only way to relieve it was to make this work.
I imagined the power like waterweeds, directing it to wind itself around the boat from beneath. As soon as it had a good latch, I pushed it away from us. But unlike with the power I had gathered during the attack on the Viridian, I sent it gently, merely directing it toward the center of the river.
It went, dragging the water around us and the boat along with it, in the same direction.
Gia let out a cheer as warm, strong arms wrapped around me, lifting me from where I had slumped in the bottom of the boat.
I had expected the tainted power to resist my attempts to shape it, as normal power did, but it offered no resistance. Only the slightest push was enough to make it merge with the power further upriver. It wasn’t stable and stationary, like ordinary power, but instead all the vines and strands and roots of tainted power seemed connected with a pattern I couldn’t grasp. It wanted to join together, the momentum to seek out other tainted power increasing with only the smallest encouragement from me.
As our boat began to move upriver, a shout rang out on shore. Another voice joined the first and then another. They were probably clamoring for our return, or calling a warning, but I didn’t lift my head to look in their direction. The pain was growing worse, and I was running out of time.
The boat jerked and shuddered but held together, following the thin stream of water on the surface that was moving against the current, dragged along with the tainted power. Whether the power felt a call back to its place of origin and proper location, or whether it was merely the draw to greater concentrations of tainted power, I didn’t know. But whatever the cause, it was achieving our aim. We already moved far faster than the downstream flow of the river.
“We’ve gone far enough,” Zeke whispered in my ear. “They won’t catch us now. You need to disconnect.”
I shook my head, or tried to, anyway. I wasn’t sure if I’d actually moved. I had to find a way to make the upstream pull continue without my input.
Sinking the power that surrounded us further into the wood of the boat, I anchored us to the forward movement. The momentum had increased again, the tainted power that clung to us leaping forward to join more like itself and taking us along with it.
I pulled myself free of the weeds of power, but nothing happened. I remained entangled. I tried again, with more force this time, and popped free. It took too many precious moments, but I managed to find a shred of regular power, pouncing on it like a cat on a mouse and holding it tight until it smoothed my ability back to normalcy.
I shuddered, sweet release filling me at the sudden absence of pain. Taking a moment to assess our situation, I noted with satisfaction that our pace hadn’t changed. If anything we seemed to be moving a little faster.
“What in the history of power was that?” Evermund asked.
My eyes flew open as I twisted toward his voice, my mouth agape.
“Evermund? What are you doing here?”
“Contrary to your obvious assumptions, I like to keep a watchful eye on minors under my charge,” he said blandly.
I continued to gape at him, trying to absorb the significance of his presence. Had he followed me from the ballroom? How much that I thought had gone under his notice had he actually observed?
“Might I inquire where you’re all off to in the middle of a ball?” he asked.
“We’re going to rescue Airlie.” I kept my voice level and strong. I didn’t think he could do anything to turn us around, but I wasn’t sure.
Would he even want to? The Royal Mage and I had always dealt well together, and he understood why I had to do this more than anyone.
At least I hoped so.
“I thought that might be your aim.” He eyed the boat. “You’ll excuse my skepticism, but this seems like an insufficient vessel for the task.” He glanced at the swiftly passing shore. “But then, it seems there’s more going on here than I yet understand.”
“Do you mean to stop us?” Gia asked defiantly.
He raised an eyebrow. “That depends on where, exactly, you’re going. If this is the start of a second lengthy tour—this time through barren and dangerous lands—then I might be forced to attempt my insufficient best. Although I confess, I have no idea how to stop this boat, and I’d prefer not to dump you out into the river.”
“We’re going to Lake Aterra,” I said, making the split-second decision that he could be trusted with my plan. “I have reason to believe the raiders might be based beside the lake.”
“That,” he said slowly, “is a very interesting piece of information. May I ask how you arrived at such a conclusion?”
“Well…” I looked at Zeke before turning back to the others. “I think the time for secrecy is well and truly past. At least with you three. There’s something you should know about me.”
“That much is obvious,” Evermund said gently.
“I’m a power mage.” I dropped the words baldly.
“Excuse me?” Whatever Evermund had expected me to say, that clearly wasn’t it.
“I’m sorry I let you believe my seed was weak and not yet activated. Zeke activated it the night Airlie disappeared which is also when I found out I’m a power mage.”
“Zeke activated you?” Evermund looked between the two of us, his expression unreadable.
“He knew about power mages from his tribe, and he guessed that’s what I was. We wouldn’t have driven back the raider attack that night without my ability.”
“This story just keeps getting more and more interesting,” Evermund said dryly.
“But you can’t be a power mage,” Gia exclaimed, her eyes almost bulging out of her head. “There aren’t any power mages left.”
“Actually,” I said, “there’s one. Me.”
“And she’s powerful,” Zeke said, looking at Evermund. “Very.” He gestured around us. “Which is how we’re doing this right now.”
“Did I mention my extremely great interest in this story?” Evermund leaned forward. “I don’t suppose you’ve told it to King Marius?”
I shook my head quickly. “No one knows but Zeke.”
“No one at the Guild, at least,” Zeke said with a hint of guilt.
“Ah, I see. So Annora knows. That does explain a few matters that had been puzzling me.” Evermund’s enigmatic eyes rested on me.