“I was thinking last night about Zuleeka’s magic,” Caldon said, “how she shot those shadows toward us in the River Room — do you remember?”
Kiva sent him a deadpan look. “No. Why would I remember that?”
Caldon snickered. “Gods, you’re so grumpy in the morning.” He then sobered and said, “Next time you face her, we need to make sure you can avoid her magic striking you at all, since there’s no way to know what command she’ll have behind it. She might just repeat that instant-paralysis she struck us with, but she could also do something more sinister, like stop your heart or create a brain bleed. Since you can’t heal yourself, you’ll be dead in seconds.”
A sick feeling twisted Kiva’s stomach. Would Zuleeka really do something like that? To her own sister? But then she thought about how Zuleeka had stabbed Torell, and how she’d murdered Nanna Delora. There really was no telling what extremes she might go to, especially if she felt threatened.
“So along with focusing on your magical strength and endurance,” Caldon went on, “I think we also need to work on your reaction speed.”
Kiva was unsure if she liked the eager look on his face. “How?”
“I had an idea,” Caldon said, appearing very much like Tipp as he bounced excitedly on his heels. “And before you panic, hear me out.”
That didn’t fill Kiva with confidence, but she still said, “I’m listening.”
“I’m going to throw my magic at you, and you’re going to summon yours to try and meet it midair before it can touch you.”
For a moment, Kiva just looked at him.
And then she laughed.
“Wow, you really had me going for a second there,” she said, still chuckling.
Caldon crossed his arms. “I’m serious, Sunshine. You need to get used to magical attacks. If you freeze up, or if you don’t react fast enough, all it will take is one hit from Zuleeka, and you could be dead.”
“I realize that,” Kiva said, her eyes flashing, her humor gone. “But in case you forgot, I have healing magic, and you throw fire. I might be able to nullify Zuleeka’s shadows — and that’s still a big question mark — but my power won’t do anything to stop yours. You’ll roast me like a chicken.”
“Oh, you of little faith,” Caldon said, rolling his eyes. “What’s that around your neck, Sweet Cheeks? Is it possibly a crest that can protect you from magic?”
Kiva’s hands automatically moved to the amulet beneath her clothes. She bit her lip, feeling foolish for having thought Caldon would risk harming her, and sent him a sheepish, apologetic look.
“Come on, time’s a-wasting,” he said, waving to her hands. If anything, he seemed amused by her having doubted him, his cobalt eyes sparkling with mirth.
Quickly, Kiva dug the amulet out from her leathery armor. Caldon touched a finger to it, sending his power into the ruby gemstone of the quadrant depicting the fire element. Just like with the ring, the jewel glowed bright red before it faded back to normal.
“See? Now I can attack you anytime I want, and you’ll be fine,” he said, beaming.
A vision of being awakened in the middle of the night surrounded by flames came to Kiva, so she said, “I think we should lay down some ground rules.”
“No time for that,” he replied, striding away. “Are you ready?”
“I —”
Before Kiva could get her next word out, there was a ball of fire heading directly for her.
Suddenly, she was transported straight back to Navok’s throne room when Xuru had attacked her. Her veins filled with ice, her limbs tensed up, and she barely managed to raise her hands to protect her face in time for the blaze to strike her.
But this time, nothing happened, the amulet making the flames fizzle out to nothing.
“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?”
Kiva was shaking like a leaf, but at the sound of Jaren’s infuriated roar, she lowered her arms to find him racing over to them, his sword glinting in the early morning sunlight, his face drained of color. When he was only a few steps away, he slowed, his gaze shifting to the amulet, before touching on every other part of her, checking her for burns that didn’t exist. His cheeks flushed as realization hit him, and he avoided her eyes as he said to Caldon, his voice tight, “Make sure you keep replenishing the amulet. If it runs out —”
“I’d never let anything hurt her,” Caldon said, offended. Lower, he added, “Unlike some people, who are doing all the hurting.”
Jaren stiffened, and still without looking at Kiva, he turned and jogged back toward the sparring area.
“Hey — Jaren — wait!” Kiva called, shooting an angry look at Caldon before hurrying after the crown prince. She was still trembling from what had just happened, and with every step she took nearer to where Jaren had halted, she second-guessed her timing, but she also knew she had to speak to him before she lost her chance — and her courage.
Jaren continued to avoid her gaze, but he’d obeyed her call and was waiting for her to catch up, so she straightened her spine and approached, all while hearing the memory of his infuriated, panicked roar in her ears.
Hope rose to near bursting within Kiva, and she was desperate to ask about his reaction, but when she came to a stop in front of him, halfway between where Caldon stood and where the others were still sparring in the early morning light, all the words left her.
“Did you want something?” Jaren asked when she remained silent for too long, his fingers flexing around the hilt of his sword.
There was impatience in his tone, enough that Kiva winced inwardly and blurted out, “Galdric thinks we’ll have traveled far enough later today for him to windfunnel us the rest of the way to Ersa.”
Jaren said nothing, so Kiva toed the sand with her boot and continued rambling. “It’ll be good not to have to ride through the Forsaken Lands. Everything I’ve heard about them has been —”
“I need to get back to Naari,” Jaren interrupted, definitely impatient now. “Is that all?”
Kiva swallowed, her eyes flicking over to where Naari was busy sparring with the others, revealing Jaren’s lie. He just wanted to be anywhere that wasn’t with her.
But enough was enough.
Inhaling deeply, Kiva said, “No, that’s not all.”
Jaren sheathed his sword and crossed his arms, waiting.
Kiva, however, suddenly became aware of Caldon’s eyes on them, and also the sneaky but still obvious glances that the sparring partners were sending them, Torell, Ashlyn, Cresta, even Naari herself. Eidran alone seemed to be minding his business, fully absorbed in his training — or, more likely, choosing to give them privacy.
Coming to a decision, Kiva said, “Do you mind if we —” She reached for Jaren as she spoke, an instinctive move to guide him away from the curious eyes. But her words broke off when he physically jerked away from her.
Kiva’s hand fell, his reaction like a punch to the stomach. But she rallied and said, “Can we talk? Just for a moment?”
“We’re already talking.”
He was offering her nothing now, his tone and face emotionless.
She wasn’t sure how to proceed — or if to proceed. But she also knew she didn’t want to keep going as they had, so she tipped up her chin and said, “Away from the others.”