Page 18 of Acolyte (Tempris #2)

The beryl-blue robe was long and loose with whorls of gilded thread that swam across the whole of it.

A red sash cinched her waist, draped and pinned so that it wouldn’t bunch the fabric of her white silk tunic, and a single time crystal, gold and glittering with aether, had been fastened in the center—a perfect match to the crystals that decorated her ears and wrists and fingers.

Tailored gray leggings and soft kidskin boots tied just below the knee completed the ensemble.

Could be worse , Taly thought, smoothing a hand over the braids that had been coiled around her head like a crown.

When Skye had started his training, his uniform had looked far more ridiculous.

He’d been so adorably gangly as a youth, and the closely fit layers of violet and black that heralded his discipline had only served to emphasize his teenage awkwardness.

He had, of course, eventually grown into his looks. And the uniform. Filled it out quite well actually.

“Good morning!”

Taly jumped at the sound of the voice, whirling just in time to find herself crushed against the Queen.

“I always forget just how tiny you are!” Azura exclaimed, giggling at the squeal Taly let out when her feet abruptly left the ground. “Skylen’s right—you’re like an angry kitten. All you need is a fuzzy set of ears.”

“Put me down!” Taly snapped, wriggling like her life depended on it.

The moment her feet found solid ground, she stumbled back, desperate for space.

She hated when people picked her up. And from the way Azura smiled serenely, pressing a finger to her lips as she struggled to keep in her laughter—she knew it.

Shards, this woman—she was poking at Taly like an animal in a cage .

Azura was dressed similarly to Taly. She wore the same white tunic, and her robe had long, bell-shaped sleeves that nearly touched the ground. But instead of a single golden crystal, the Time Shard’s crest hung from her neck.

“I always did like this uniform,” Azura said, brushing an invisible speck of dust from Taly’s shoulder. “Of course, you should’ve seen the regalia when Graysen still held the throne. Anything would’ve been an improvement over that man’s horrendous sense of style.”

Chuckling at the memory, Azura turned and strode across the room to the table with the exam booklet—

“I finished already,” Taly said a bit testily, watching as Azura laid a hand on the completed exam. “I’ve been waiting for three hours. I’m not sure what else you expected me to do.”

Azura paused a moment. Then straightened. “Well… there goes my entire lesson plan for the day,” she said, turning on her heel as she strode for a small sitting area in front of the window.

The test booklet remained unopened.

“Aren’t you going to grade it?” Taly asked.

“No, dear. I trust you.”

Taly shoved down her frustration. After ignoring her for two weeks, the least this infuriating woman could do was look at the damned thing. “I don’t think that’s how tests are supposed to work.”

“I’m a queen,” Azura replied, gracelessly falling into an overstuffed red velvet chair next to the window.

“They work the way I say they work, and I always did hate grading papers. As far as I’m concerned, you’re an Initiate, and we can begin the second seal.

” Azura waved a hand towards a small dagger sitting on a nearby table. “Now—throw.”

Taly paused, confused. “What?”

Azura just snapped her fingers. “ Throw - it . The second seal requires combat training, and I need to assess your strength.”

Taly tentatively reached for the knife. “Where should I—”

“I don’t care. Just throw the damned knife.”

Taly hesitated only a moment, and then flicked her wrist.

A new body. That’s what it felt like sometimes.

One that was faster, stronger, and still not quite her own.

Her washroom door—a great massive slab of sturdy oak—had cracked down the middle the first time she shut it too hard, and she’d broken so many wine glasses at this point, Leto had started bringing extra.

And her poor piano… Taly sighed. She’d only tried to play it once, giving up after she’d cracked half the keys.

So, it was no surprise that the dagger flew across the room fast as a shooting star, embedding itself down to the hilt in the nearest bookshelf.

“Again,” Azura commanded.

Stepping across the room, Taly yanked the dagger from the wood, and then aimed for the door, managing to catch the center of an elegantly carved knot of wood. She used less force this time, but it didn’t matter.

The dagger stopped with a solid thud, embedded down to the hilt, the blade no doubt protruding from the opposite side.

“You’re strong,” Azura commented, running a thoughtful finger across her chin. “And you seem to have some fighting skill. Do you know how to use a sword?”

Taly shrugged. “I manage.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I prefer guns,” Taly answered simply. “Or bows. Any ranged weapon, actually. Ivain always told me to avoid getting too close.”

“Smart man,” Azura mused. “I’ve never seen a human win a fight against a fey.

And I’ve been alive a long time.” A snap of her fingers had the dagger shuddering, and Taly ducked as it yanked itself out of the wood, flying across the room to land back on the table like it had never left.

“Leto says you were unhappy with your reading assignments.”

Taly bristled. It seemed the Queen had been getting her messages—and just hadn’t cared enough to do anything about it.

“I have a solid background in aether mechanics,” she said.

“Something you would’ve known if you’d taken just a few moments to speak with me.

But since you didn’t, these past two weeks have been a waste. ”

Azura chuckled softly, clasping her hands in front of her as she settled back in her chair. “Already concerned about time, I see.”

Taly’s heart pounded out her frustration. “Of course, I’m concerned. I don’t want to be here, remember?”

“And just where do you want to be?”

“Home,” Taly bit out. “I want to go home.”

“Back to Skye, I imagine.”

Taly remained silent, refusing to look away from those strange, golden eyes.

“Funny,” Azura said, the edges of her mouth lifting into a mocking smile. “You were so eager to leave him at Ebondrift. I wonder what changed. ”

She had survived, that’s what had changed. The more Taly thought about it, the more she came to realize that she had never expected to come out of the Vale relay. She had left Ebondrift fully expecting to die, but now that she hadn’t—she wanted to go back. She wanted her family.

Azura rested her head on a fist. “I’ve already told you—you’re here until I say you can leave.”

“Actually, you said I’m here until I can earn my third seal.”

“And I suppose you’re looking to hurry that up?

” Azura arched an amused brow. “As if running back to the man you abandoned will change the fact that you ripped his heart out when you left? Or did you not think of that? I’ve always wondered—does Talya Caro ever think of the people who get hurt when she decides her life isn’t worth as much as theirs? ”

Taly’s temper finally snapped, and the air in the room began to spark as she snarled—actually snarled —in a way that was more beast than woman.

“ Tem-per ,” Azura crooned.

Taly followed her gaze, sucking in a gasp at the wisps of golden aether that snaked around her arms. She shook her hands, and the fog immediately dissipated.

“Good,” Azura muttered, letting her head fall back.

“I rather like this room. It would be a shame if you reduced it to dust on your first day.” Before Taly could ask what she meant, Azura continued, “Now then—for the second seal, we’ll be covering basic spellcasting and aether management, so from now on, I want you to spend at least an hour each morning meditating. ”

Taly resisted the urge to roll her eyes, muttering under her breath, “Shards, I knew that was coming.” Every mage learned how to meditate, to inwardly manipulate the rate at which their bodies absorbed aether from the air.

“Look,” she said, putting her temper on a tight leash, “are you sure meditation is the best use of my time? Surely there’s something else I could be doing, like casting or crystal inscription. You know—useful things.”

Things she would need for her third seal.

Azura fixed her with a stare. “Meditation is a necessary skill. Every mage has a pool of magic—a set maximum concentration of aether that can be dissolved in their bloodstream at any one time.”

“I know.”

“No, child—I’m not sure you do. Knowing a thing is not the same as doing it, and while the size of your aether pool is immutable, the rate at which your body replenishes itself can be trained. Your magic is a muscle, and though you may have potential, make no mistake—right now, you are weak. ”

“Fine,” Taly sighed, and sat down in a chair opposite Azura. “If it’s so important to you, I’ll meditate.” Maybe , she added silently. If there was time.

“Good,” Azura said with a slight nod of her head.

“Now then—aether manifestation will also be important. Your magic has been suppressed for so long, you’ve more than likely lost any instinctual ability to manipulate your magic.

So, in addition to meditation training, I want you to practice summoning.

Every night—summon and dismiss your aether until it becomes second nature. No casting—not yet. ”

“Why not?” Taly asked, trying to keep the sharpness from her tone. They were never going to get anywhere at this rate. “I’m hardly a child, and I would appreciate it if you stopped treating me like one.”

Azura refocused her attention, giving her a calculated look. One that was cold and cutting, ancient and shrewd and—

Gone. In an instant. Replaced with a smile so sweet, it had Taly inching back in her chair.