Over the Sea [Dual Trilogy Book 1]

Kano

She asked if there was somewhere specific we needed to go, but there wasn't, so we wandered around the large city. In Nover, there were only three names, so I gave her one of them to ask for. She didn't ask why, and I didn't offer an explanation.

We walked around asking about the people for what felt like hours. We came away with information on all three, and surprisingly, it was no different than any of the others: magicians, killed by a nameless woman with no witnesses, in the middle of the night.

We had wandered pretty far from the tavern; in fact, we ended up on the other side of the city by the time the setting sun lit the sky with dark purple and red. As we made our way through the middle of the city back to the tavern, Melai halted, eyes wide.

"Shen," she whispered.

Following her eyes, I saw a young woman with blonde hair standing in the middle of the plaza facing an older looking man, whose wrists were strapped to the ground keeping him on his knees. The woman held a spear in one hand, the pointed end extending into a limp, grey phonx on the ground, in the middle of an angry crowd. Everyone shouted in Verinak, but I couldn't tell whether they directed their anger to the woman or the man.

The man sobbed over his dead phonx, sending chills down my spine. As a Magician, you're never directly told to protect your phonx with your life. Seldom would you hear stories of ancient Magicians who lost their phonxes. If you were lucky--or perhaps unfortunate--enough to hear one, the stories described the sudden loss of magic as being so painful, no words in any of the Paracosian languages could accurately describe it. As a Magician, you never want to believe it, but you still protect them regardless. Better safe than sorry.

I tucked my phonx underneath my jacket collar, and noticed Melai doing the same with hers. She then grabbed my hand and led the way around the crowd. We only stepped in the shadows of people and structures, and if I looked down at my feet, I couldn't see them.

I need a drink, I noted.

***

Three days later, we arrived in Willesden. After killing their High Nobles, the House of Fadenon, a snow storm prevented us from leaving. After two weeks of non-stop travel, though, we all welcomed the day of rest. Melai and I sat in her room talking, and displaying our favorite skills of magic. We had a mock fight to see who was better.

"I will go easy on you," I teased, rolling up my sleeves.

She rolled her eyes smiling. "I appreciate the gesture, but unfortunately for you, I am not going to be so kind."

I quickly discovered she was going easy on me, despite my very true efforts to beat her.

It didn't take her long to rope me down to my knees and hold a very real dagger to my throat. I looked closer and realized the dagger had a cloud of darkness around it.

"You have a magic-infused weapon," I observed.

She shrugged, dissolving the ropes and hollowing out the dagger. "My dad gifted us with weapons when we turned ten. Evan has his staff, I have a dagger. Don't you have one, too?"

I nodded, pulling out a dagger of my own. "Again."

She cocked an eyebrow, but didn't refuse. I liked my chances, now that I knew how she fought. It took several minutes, and I thought I saw panic in her eyes, but I finally pinned her to the ground, flat on her back.

Using darkness, she pulled one of my legs out from under me. I landed on top of her, barely catching myself before our heads smacked.

Heat rose up my neck and cheeks. With a sheepish smile, she looked anywhere but my eyes.

"It's only fair to rematch," she said, finally meeting my eyes. I wanted to nod, but my body seemed to have frozen still. "Are you going to get off me, at least?"

Scrambling to our feet, she looked at me expectantly. I nodded, wanting to rematch.

I refuse to say the outcome.

***

On our way to Haedleigh, Lily checked in on how the killings were going. When I said they had so far been successful, she tried to get me to return to Broasau.

It's not that I do not trust you, I told her, I just doubt Father had a sudden change of mind.

Please, Kano. She sounded desperate. Just come back and trust me.

Lily, we have already killed six families. Three are left. We cannot just turn back now. That change of mind needed to happen approximately six families ago.

Her presence left my mind disappointed.