Grail of the Summer Stars (Aetherial Tales) by Freda Warrington

Author:Freda Warrington [Warrington, Freda]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates
Published: 2013-04-23T06:00:00+00:00

14

Circles and Sacrilege

Stevie surged upwards, powered by the force of her companion’s fins. Entwined like a single entity, they torpedoed through fierce clouds of bubbles. She felt her head break into the air, felt the waterfall’s weight splashing over her. They kept rising, as if thrown by a wave right out of the water to land painfully on the flat stones of the bank.

There they lay, gasping.

Stevie saw the sea dragon changing. Leafy fins were reabsorbed. Its vibrant, fire-laced blue-black hues leached away to ivory as the sinuous body smoothed and flattened into human form. The seahorse head tipped back, metamorphosing until she found herself looking into Mist’s stricken face. Only his eyes stayed the same, black orbs wide with shock.

She was changing too. One outflung arm was coated in dewy fur … then it was suddenly her own pallid, human arm again.

Too weary for speech, they lay side by side, panting. Their naked bodies streamed with water, as if they were made of ice and dissolving.

Virginia had gone, but she’d made preparations for their return. Two dark blue towels, as big as cloaks, lay folded on the dry grass. Stevie sat up, racked by a violent coughing fit. She was aware of Mist wrapping one of the towels around her shoulders. The fabric was warm and delicious against her chilled skin. She huddled inside, coughing and shivering.

When she could breathe again, Stevie looked at Mistangamesh. He sat wrapped in the other towel, squeezing water from his hair. The brief sight of him naked would have been thrilling, if she hadn’t been too exhausted to appreciate it. Her experiences replayed through her mind but she felt weirdly calm now, all emotion spent. She understood … not all of what she’d seen, but most of it.

When she managed to speak, her voice was croaky. “Well, I found you.”

“You were looking for me?” He seemed disoriented. His black eyes were lightening gradually to their familiar grey-green.

“Of course, but I wasn’t expecting to be … ambushed.”

“I’m so sorry.” His head dropped. “I’ve changed into my Otherworld form so rarely, I’d almost forgotten. How could I forget?”

“Forgetting seems to be part of our condition.”

“Stevie, are you hurt? How are you?” He moved so their shoulders were almost touching. She wanted the physical comfort of his arms around her, but they both held back. What had happened was too raw. He’d sunk serpent fangs into her. After that, you couldn’t simply … hug someone, as if nothing had happened.

“Wet. Shaken up. I feel as if someone’s blasted my brain out with a flamethrower. But yes, I’m all right.” She touched her collarbone. The small double wound flared with pain. “You bit me!”

“I know. Unforgivable. There seemed a good reason at the time, but now—gods, this is dreadful. I don’t make a habit of it, and I’m sure I’m not venomous … If you never come near me again, Stevie, I wouldn’t blame you.” He rested his head on his knuckles. “I would never have wanted you to see me in that form.

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