Dragon War by Elana A. Mugdan

Author:Elana A. Mugdan [Mugdan, Elana A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-10-20T11:14:39+00:00

After a long meeting in the Council Chamber, Seba was finally in her palace room. She’d told her friends that she was packing, and that was true to some extent, but there wasn’t much to do. She’d received rations and stuffed spare clothes in her rucksack, and that had been the end of it. Now she was sitting on her bed, staring at her hands. The tremors had returned.

Nerves, or land sickness?

“That’s enough of that,” she growled, clenching her fists and standing determinedly. She had done a fine job of ignoring her illness for this long, and she wasn’t about to stop. If she dared to dwell on it, it might break her. Whatever the nereids had done to heal her the first time had worked absolute wonders. She’d be better off with them than she would be here.

She stood, shouldered her pack, and opened her door. With a yelp, she jumped backward. Danisan was there, his hulking mass blocking the doorway.

“I’m coming with you,” he grunted, turning and stalking away.

Recovering from her shock, she stomped after him. “I can take care of myself. Besides, I’ll be with the nereids. They’ll protect me from shadowbeasts, if it comes to that.”

“And who will protect you from the nereids?” Danisan growled, entering the central stairwell and prowling down the bifurcated steps. “If it comes to that,” he added rudely.

“Are you suggesting my people would turn on me?”

“They are an unknown entity, hostile toward humans. That young one was suspicious. Too interested in our so-called inhuman powers.”

Amanzi’s throwaway comment swam back to Seba. She peered sidelong at Danisan, trying to get a read on him. He noticed her scrutiny and tugged the bottom half of his headscarf up until only his eyes were showing.

“I do have timemagic,” Seba said slowly. “Inherited from my mother’s side. I’ve had many foresights and they’ve all come to pass.”

She thought of a sword being driven through Max’s chest, his eyes turning black and sightless as the life drained from him.

She thought of Keriya Soulstar being ripped apart by necromagic.

Foresights didn’t always show the truth of the future. . . but Seba’s foresights had been disproportionately accurate. It still didn’t mean those two visions would come to pass.

It doesn’t mean they won’t, either.

“Do you control it, or does it control you?” said Danisan.

“What do you mean?”

“Do you wield timemagic willingly, or does it seize you without your consent?”

Seba opened and closed her mouth. Her nostrils flared furiously. She didn’t like the way the conversation was heading.

“I don’t have to explain myself to you or anyone else,” she said, sniffing disdainfully. She didn’t want to admit that she’d never been able to control her foresights. The magic always took control of her, not the other way around. “I am Queen of the Galantasa. No one believes it of me, but I am strong. I don’t need to be coddled. Your presence is not necessary on this mission.”

Danisan rolled his massive shoulders in a negligent shrug.

“You’re being stupid,” said Seba, trying to sound assertive but only managing to sound shrill.

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