A Curse of Blood and Power: A Chronicle of Fanhalen by Viviene Noel

Author:Viviene Noel [Noel, Viviene]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fantasy book, ACOBAP, Viviene Noel, Fantasy, books
Publisher: Viviene Noel
Published: 2021-08-02T16:00:00+00:00

B

Emmerentia looked down at the gushing water falling down, down below—into a pool of crystal clear silverlight. The sun shone bright, reflecting off the various apple trees and berry brushes bordering it—pure, untouched, unconcerned by the world descending into chaos. A wicked grin spread on her face. She slowly turned to where Mahena stood, a frown deepening by the second, and wiggled her brow.

The girl held up her hands. ‘I am not jumping, no way.’

‘You haven’t even looked. It’s not that high.’

A wind brushed past them, ruffling their hair to the side. Mahena rubbed her arms as she stepped forward tentatively. The weather was still quite mild and Emmerentia could almost see the hair standing up on the other girl’s skin as soon as a slight breeze rushed through.

‘Are you really going to jump in clothed?’ Emmerentia had discarded her own clothes, only leaving her undergarments on.

Mahena sniffed at them—they hadn’t washed since they’d left the castle grounds—then at herself. She rolled her eyes and wiggled out of her trousers and shirt. ‘What do we do with it?’

Emmerentia grabbed hers from the floor, then extended her hand.

Mahena threw the clothes to her and Emmerentia chucked them down the waterfall. ‘There you go, they’ll wash themselves.’

Mahena leaned slightly over the cliff—and retracted straightaway.

‘You happily fight with twin swords, and against them, but this,’ Emmerentia pointed to the water below, ‘ruffles you? You’re not even afraid of heights.’

Mahena peered down again, scrunching her nose.

Emmerentia batted her eyelashes. ‘Want me to hold your hand, perhaps?’

‘Oh, fuck right off, will you?’ Mahena snapped, and gave her a vulgar gesture.

The twin laughed, stepping closer to Mahena. She looked at the girl shaking her head, that bemused look she usually had when she wanted to do something but fear had her in its grasp.

One second, she was awkwardly angling her head.

The next, a strident scream pierced the air as Emmerentia thrust her hand between Mahena’s shoulder blades. The twin didn’t wait for the girl to hit the water before diving headfirst.

When the cold water seeped into their bones, they laid down on the dry, lush grass and sunned themselves.

‘See, you didn’t die.’

‘My ass is going to be bruised for the next two weeks, thank you very much.’

Emmerentia closed her eyes and fell off the edges of time as the world paused for a heartbeat. It had been a miracle she’d convinced her brother to take a few hours of rest after the despicable weather he’d forced them to ride through. And after their little fighting session in the said shit weather, their bodies had needed a slight reprieve.

She had wanted the moment alone with Mahena to see whether her mind would allow for the glimpse of light to shine through, for the confusion and anger to retrieve. She was trying, really trying, to mind the pull and push games the girl had accused her of days ago. It wasn’t necessarily on purpose, but she couldn’t completely drop the knife down in her presence.

Not yet. Maybe not ever.

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