The Pale Blade (Empire of Flame & Fang Book 1) by Alec Hutson

Author:Alec Hutson [Hutson, Alec]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-12-09T16:00:00+00:00

When Bren woke, she found herself staring into clouded blue eyes set in a nest of wrinkles. Bushy white eyebrows rose as the face that had been almost pressed against her own drew back.

“She returns to us!” cried the old man, clapping his hands together. He was dressed in robes of purest white, a golden circlet resting on his brow.

“What happened?” Bren slurred, looking around as she struggled into a sitting position on a mound of pillows. They were inside a large tent, the fabric spreading above her infused with a pale glow. This was not the only light, as a buttery radiance spilled from a strange metal contraption in the center of the tent, some kind of lantern with shapes cut into its sides. The cheerful, plump-cheeked girl who had met her at the docks had been fiddling with the device, and now she hurriedly snapped something closed and approached Bren. The other furniture in the room was just as strange, rounded chairs of burnished red wood and a low divan covered with brightly colored cushions.

“You collapsed, my dear,” the old man told her, coming closer again to rest the back of his hand on her forehead. “Overwhelmed by your first close encounter with one of our dragons.”

Not my first encounter, Bren almost said, but then she decided to keep that to herself. The less the Velaschin knew about her, the better.

“I sent for a doctor once we got you comfortable,” Jaleska said, coming to crouch near her. Bren found the concern she saw in the girl’s face somewhat surprising, given that they had just met. “Luckily, a patrol came by to investigate what had caught Mist’s attention. I don’t think I could have wrestled you into this tent on my own. You’re heavier than you look!” She scooted closer, eyes bright. “How do you feel? What happened back there?”

“I . . . don’t know,” Bren murmured, touching the side of her temple. She could still feel a fading echo of the sensation that had overwhelmed her. “There was this great black sadness, and it seemed to come out of nowhere.”

Jaleska and the doctor shared a glance, something passing between them.

“What?” Bren asked, surprised that they seemed almost excited.

“Well,” the doctor said, smiling gently. “I think we know what this is. And it’s nothing serious.”

“It’s actually quite auspicious,” Jaleska assured her with a pleased smile.

“Oh, really?” Bren replied sourly, rubbing at her still-aching head.

“Indeed,” the girl said, turning back to the doctor, who looked to be preparing to depart. “Thank you for coming so quickly. I’m sorry it wasn’t really necessary. This is my first aspirant, and I guess I’m just nervous.”

The old man paused in his gathering of various herbs and bottles strewn across a table and waved his hand dismissively. “It’s nothing, Sister. I understand completely. One can’t be too careful with these things.”

Jaleska bowed her head with her hands pressed together in what must have been a gesture of thanks. The white-robed doctor acknowledged this with a nod, then closed his now-bulging bag and departed the tent.

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