Read Online The Lady of the Storm - 2 by Kathryne Kennedy - Free Book Online Page B

Cecily showed no such restraint. “How glorious,” she murmured, opening her arms wide. The water responded to her call, forming shimmering columns in the air and snaking their way toward her. Apollo came to an abrupt halt and snorted as the beams of water curled around them to reach Cecily. Giles felt the cool glide of a tendril caress his face, curve about his neck, leaving behind a soothing dampness.
    For a moment, Cecily sat surrounded by shimmering columns, her eyes closed and a rapturous smile on her lovely mouth. She looked ethereal and beautiful and entirely dangerous.
    “You make the water look almost alive,” said Giles.
    She turned and looked at him, light gleaming from within the facets of her eyes. “It is. Can’t you feel it?”
    “I come from Bladehame, lady. The elven blood that runs through my veins is attuned to dry metal.”
    He patted Apollo’s rump, but the gelding did not need any urging from him, and picked up a quick trot.
    Cecily dropped her arms as the little mare followed, a loud splash and a new puddle behind her on the trail. But Giles noticed that translucent wisps of vapor still clung to the young woman’s cheeks and hair.
    The trail curved back toward the ocean and they rode atop jagged cliffs that ended in smooth rocks below, the view to their left now hidden by bush and tree.
    “You do not resist your magic now.”
    She brushed a rather damp tendril of hair away from her cheek. “It’s odd, but it feels stronger than it ever has before. It’s as if I unleashed a dam when I used it to save the village, and now the fallen stones resist my attempts to block it back up… Oh, it’s hard to explain.”
    “I think I understand.” Giles glanced down at the hilt of his sword. “We humans were not meant for elven blood and magic.”
    “Besides,” she continued, as if he hadn’t spoken,
“I see no reason to hide what I am anymore. My attempts at a normal life have failed miserably.”
    “Normal is boring.”
    “It is safe.”
    He did not reply. Safe was boring too, but the lady would probably argue about it for the next several hours if he told her so. They rode for a time in silence, twilight falling gently about them, until it grew cool enough that Giles pulled his coat back on. Just over the rise ahead they should be able to spy the small town that boasted an inn. He had stayed there many a time to barter his trade. The rooms were tiny and damp, but the innkeeper’s wife served up a delicious fish stew.
    Giles pulled back on the reins. He narrowed his eyes at the town below them and muttered a curse.
    Cecily pulled the mare a bit ahead of him, craning her head to see down the rise. “What is it?”
    “Bluecoats. Everywhere.” But it must be a somewhat peaceful occupation, for his sword did not try to fly into his hand, only hummed a bit in the scabbard. “Just keep the horses walking.”
    When trees blocked their view again, Giles urged Apollo to a trot, until they’d left enough distance behind them for comfort.
    “Why this sudden interest in our small villages?” asked Cecily.
    “There have been rumors that Breden of Dewhame is building up his army again, that he intends to win back the king from Mor’ded of Firehame.”
    Cecily wrinkled her rather pert little nose. “I don’t see why they care whether the king resides in Firehame or Dewhame. It’s not like the king has any true power anymore.”
    “It’s part of the game, my lady. Whoever wins the king has beaten the other elven lord in skill and battle… although it’s humans who suffer the true losses. For the Imperial Lords, it’s just a matter of pride and love of chaos.”
    “I wish they had never opened the door to our world,” she said with a shiver.
    “Then you never would have been born.”
    “Point taken. Then I wish they would open it back up and leave.”
    “Not very likely. They consider their home world of Elfhame… boring.”
    “Peace is not boring.”
    Giles shrugged. He would not