Read Online The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Peter V. Brett
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unnatural?’
Renna considered. She looked at the way the power vented up from the Core, drifting across the surface like a glowing fog swirling at their feet. She saw it at the heart of plants and trees, even animals and people. Would life even exist without it?
‘Maybe not,’ she allowed, ‘but that don’t explain why you think you’re part demon, or why you still have powers in daylight when the sun burns magic away.’
Arlen hesitated, and his eyes flicked away, considering. Renna’s eyes narrowed, and Arlen caught the look. ‘Ent gonna lie to you, Ren, or hold back. It’s just something I ent proud of, and I don’t want you … thinking less of me.’
Renna moved in close, putting a hand on his cheek. His skin tingled with magic. ‘Love you, Arlen Bales. Ent nothin’ in the world ever gonna change that.’
Arlen nodded sadly, not meeting her eyes. ‘It’s the meat that gave me the power.’
‘Meat?’
‘Demon meat,’ Arlen clarified. ‘Ate it for months when I was living in the desert. Seemed only fair, the way they’re always eatin’ on us.’
Renna gasped and took a step back. Arlen met her eyes then, and she knew from his expression that the look on her face was horrified.
‘You …
ate
them? Demons?’
Arlen nodded, and Renna felt sick to her stomach. ‘Didn’t have much choice in the matter. Left in the desert to die, no food, no hope. I was wretched as a man could be.’
‘Think I would have let myself die.’ Renna immediately regretted the words as a look of anguish crossed Arlen’s face.
‘Yeah, well,’ he said. ‘Guess I ent as strong as you, Ren.’
Renna rushed to him, taking his hands and pressing their foreheads together. ‘You’re stronger than I ever was, Arlen Bales,’ she said, feeling tears well in her eyes. ‘You hadn’t slapped the fool out of me, I’d have let myself die to just keep the Tanner shame a secret. Ent no strength there.’
Arlen shook his head, and a tear of his own struck her lip, cold and sweet. ‘Needed the fool slapped out of me more than once over the years.’
Renna kissed him. ‘You sure it’s the demon meat gave you these powers?’
Arlen nodded. ‘Coline Trigg used to say that what you eat becomes a part of you, and I reckon that’s so. I’ve absorbed the corelings’ ability to store magic in their cells, but my skin has retained its proof against the sun. I’ve become like a battery.’
‘Cells? Battery?’ Renna asked.
‘Science of the old world. It doesn’t matter.’ Arlen waved the questions away in that annoying way he had, keeping the knowledge from her simply because he thought it too tedious to explain. As if she wouldn’t listen to him speak all night. As if there were a better sound in all the world. ‘Think of it as a drain barrel after a night’s rain. Full of water even after the sky clears and the ground dries up. Can’t tap the magic in sunlight, but I feel it inside of me, healing my wounds, making me tireless and strong. At night I can let it out like opening a bung, and I’m only just scratching the surface of what can be done.’
Renna paused, considering. Whatever Arlen might say, it was nearly impossible to see corelings as anything but evil abominations of nature, an offence to the Creator. Despite the fact she was often covered in the foul ichor they called blood, the thought of putting it in her mouth was abhorrent.
But the power …
‘Know what you’re thinkin’, Ren,’ Arlen said, snapping her out of her reverie. ‘Don’t go tryin’ this one.’
‘Why?’ Renna asked. ‘Din’t seem to hurt you none.’
‘You don’t know what it was like, Ren. I was crazed. Suicidal. Lived like an animal.’
Renna shook her head. ‘Alone in the middle of nowhere, no one to talk to but Dancer and the corelings. Know what that’s like. Apt to make anyone have a night wish, demon meat or no.’
Arlen looked at her, and nodded. ‘Honest word. But eating demon ent like painting blackstem
Renna considered. She looked at the way the power vented up from the Core, drifting across the surface like a glowing fog swirling at their feet. She saw it at the heart of plants and trees, even animals and people. Would life even exist without it?
‘Maybe not,’ she allowed, ‘but that don’t explain why you think you’re part demon, or why you still have powers in daylight when the sun burns magic away.’
Arlen hesitated, and his eyes flicked away, considering. Renna’s eyes narrowed, and Arlen caught the look. ‘Ent gonna lie to you, Ren, or hold back. It’s just something I ent proud of, and I don’t want you … thinking less of me.’
Renna moved in close, putting a hand on his cheek. His skin tingled with magic. ‘Love you, Arlen Bales. Ent nothin’ in the world ever gonna change that.’
Arlen nodded sadly, not meeting her eyes. ‘It’s the meat that gave me the power.’
‘Meat?’
‘Demon meat,’ Arlen clarified. ‘Ate it for months when I was living in the desert. Seemed only fair, the way they’re always eatin’ on us.’
Renna gasped and took a step back. Arlen met her eyes then, and she knew from his expression that the look on her face was horrified.
‘You …
ate
them? Demons?’
Arlen nodded, and Renna felt sick to her stomach. ‘Didn’t have much choice in the matter. Left in the desert to die, no food, no hope. I was wretched as a man could be.’
‘Think I would have let myself die.’ Renna immediately regretted the words as a look of anguish crossed Arlen’s face.
‘Yeah, well,’ he said. ‘Guess I ent as strong as you, Ren.’
Renna rushed to him, taking his hands and pressing their foreheads together. ‘You’re stronger than I ever was, Arlen Bales,’ she said, feeling tears well in her eyes. ‘You hadn’t slapped the fool out of me, I’d have let myself die to just keep the Tanner shame a secret. Ent no strength there.’
Arlen shook his head, and a tear of his own struck her lip, cold and sweet. ‘Needed the fool slapped out of me more than once over the years.’
Renna kissed him. ‘You sure it’s the demon meat gave you these powers?’
Arlen nodded. ‘Coline Trigg used to say that what you eat becomes a part of you, and I reckon that’s so. I’ve absorbed the corelings’ ability to store magic in their cells, but my skin has retained its proof against the sun. I’ve become like a battery.’
‘Cells? Battery?’ Renna asked.
‘Science of the old world. It doesn’t matter.’ Arlen waved the questions away in that annoying way he had, keeping the knowledge from her simply because he thought it too tedious to explain. As if she wouldn’t listen to him speak all night. As if there were a better sound in all the world. ‘Think of it as a drain barrel after a night’s rain. Full of water even after the sky clears and the ground dries up. Can’t tap the magic in sunlight, but I feel it inside of me, healing my wounds, making me tireless and strong. At night I can let it out like opening a bung, and I’m only just scratching the surface of what can be done.’
Renna paused, considering. Whatever Arlen might say, it was nearly impossible to see corelings as anything but evil abominations of nature, an offence to the Creator. Despite the fact she was often covered in the foul ichor they called blood, the thought of putting it in her mouth was abhorrent.
But the power …
‘Know what you’re thinkin’, Ren,’ Arlen said, snapping her out of her reverie. ‘Don’t go tryin’ this one.’
‘Why?’ Renna asked. ‘Din’t seem to hurt you none.’
‘You don’t know what it was like, Ren. I was crazed. Suicidal. Lived like an animal.’
Renna shook her head. ‘Alone in the middle of nowhere, no one to talk to but Dancer and the corelings. Know what that’s like. Apt to make anyone have a night wish, demon meat or no.’
Arlen looked at her, and nodded. ‘Honest word. But eating demon ent like painting blackstem