Page 12 of The Malice of Moons and Mages (The Broken Bonds of Magic #1)

Twelve

Audra

A udra squinted as she adjusted the rudder. The effects of the mage wind were nearly dizzying. If they kept this pace, they’d reach Oxton in a couple of days. From there it would be a steady climb into the mountains toward home. She was determined to reach her brother, regardless of the mage’s threats or manipulations. Getting the jade to Ferin was crucial for everything and her brother needed her.

She cleaned the gash on her arm with sea water, hissing at the sting. Moon grumbled beneath his robes before growing still again. Though he hadn’t moved for several hours, the wind stayed hale, hastening them westward.

Audra searched the water’s blue-green expanse for any signs of chase and found none, just the occasional ripple of a long silvery tail beneath the distant water. She’d only seen a sea dragon once before: from the bow of the Requin a few hours before the storm struck. It was strange to see another one so soon.

She ate a bit of pilfered food. Given that it was Munk’s creation, she’d had to force it down with sips of water. It left a sour aftertaste. By midday, just as her lightheadedness eased slightly, exhaustion took hold. Between the merciless burn of Starling on her skin and the boat’s rhythmic skimming across the water, her head began to bob. After she jerked awake for the sixth time and Moon showed no indication of rousing, she tied the rudder in place and cautiously stepped over the sleeping man to claim shade beneath the mainsail.

When she woke, Audra’s head throbbed. Her limbs were leaden. Moon still slumbered beneath his robes. She considered waking him but decided she preferred his silence to his sullenness. She sipped from the gourd, trying to save the small amount of potable water she’d brought with them, but felt no better.

The thinnest part of Raia’s ring rotated slowly above, muted by the setting Starling rays. Moon sat upright and rubbed his neck. He studied the direction they travelled with a scowl.

“Where’s your compass?” he asked.

She shrugged. “I never need one if I’m going home.”

He snorted with annoyance then nudged her out of his way. Gripping the rudder, he turned them thirty degrees due south. The setting light gave the world a haze that made it difficult for Audra to see anything other than water and clouds.

“Stay on course. We’re heading to Oxton,” she said.

Moon took a long drink from the gourd and didn’t reply. His face was cast in fiery shadows that gave him an eerie appeal.

She stretched to loosen her back, rubbed her sore neck. “I need something there.”

He ignored her, maintaining a sharp gaze on the horizon. She gasped as her chest contracted and the wind picked up. Another wave of exhaustion made her slump.

“You’re getting weaker. If we don’t find nourishment soon, you’ll be useless to me.” He shoved the gourd at her and watched as she took a long drink. “Finish it.” He ordered.

“There isn’t much left,” Audra said.

“You need it more than I do.”

“Where are we headed?” she asked, her voice was hoarse. He pointed toward a small fishing boat bobbing in the distance. Three figures scurried on board, pulling their lines in for the night. Their comfortable laughter bounced over the water toward them.

The hair on the nape of Audra’s neck prickled dangerously. She shook her head. “We shouldn’t,” she said. “Your robes aren’t something they’ll easily forget.”

Another gust of wind took her breath and propelled them forward. The closer they came to the boat, the more her vision blurred. Her head grew heavy. She slumped sideways, unable to fight the fatigue.

Moon stood over her, pressing the back of his hand to her forehead and propping something soft beneath her skull. “Sleep.”

She wanted to protest, but slumber claimed her. People were talking, voices raised. As Audra slipped into darkness, a man shouted.

“Where’re we going?” Audra asked. Her mother held Audra’s small hand while Ferin clutched their mother’s pockets. Beyond the walls of their home, screams echoed in the street.

“They’ve come for us.” Lorah’s face was fierce, hiding her fear for her children’s sake, though Audra hadn’t seen that at the time. The long blade that hung above the mantel for all Audra’s life, dusty and unused beside the dragon scales, was now secured to her mother’s waist. “We need to get to Auntie Zin’s.”

Audra had only met Auntie Zin a handful of times; the last time was when she’d still worn two braids. But the way mother said Zin’s name gave a sense of assuredness, as if this were the only thing to do.

“Stay close,” Lorah ordered. She picked Ferin up and opened the door. His small tail curled around her waist.

Though it was midday, the sky was blackened with angry clouds. Snow swirled in the air, reflecting gold and gray bursts. Homes burned as two sets of soldiers clashed, some dressed in dazzling white armor. The other’s clothing so black it sucked out the light and gave nothing back.

Magic whipped snow and ice, like daggers that sizzled when met with blasts of silver and gold fiery threads.

“Run!” Lorah twisted the hilt of her sword in her hand and dragged Audra behind her.

They darted down the street and veered right. Their elderly neighbor, Ma-Lu, lay on her stomach, her blood spread across the small path between their homes. Her head was turned at an awkward angle, as if trying to see the spear-sized icicle jutting from her back as it slowly dripped onto her body.

They skirted around Ma-Lu and snaked through familiar, narrow passages. They paused more than once, doubling back, and headed other ways until stumbling into the path of two clashing soldiers. The men’s blades sparked as the one in black pressed the other back. His footing slipped. The Moon soldier fell as the Starling’s blade plunged into his chest. Crimson sputtered from the wound as the Starling yanked the blade free.

Mother gripped her sword. The Starling caught sight of them. He was a giant man with skin darker than Audra was used to seeing, darker than hers or fathers by several shades. He towered over everything, his thick form terrifying as he advanced. His white braid swung in the wind. Magic sparked from his fingers, tinging the air yellow.

“We’ve been looking for you.” His smile was cruel, face rapt in post kill exhilaration. His eyes landed on Audra. “And your children.”

Lorah gently placed Ferin on his feet. Her breath shook as she stood between the attacker and her children. A thin green thread lashed from her fingers, slicing the man’s cheek before he could react. “Run!”

“Momma?” Audra cried, but she clutched Ferin’s hand obediently.

Lorah stepped forward, dark sword singing in the air. “Protect your brother! Find Auntie!”

Audra ran, dragging Ferin with her as magic clashed behind them.

Audra avoided remembering what happened next, the faces of the dead or the spell that nearly claimed Ferin’s life. But whenever she woke, her mind completed the story anyway.

Someone gently lifted her head. Fresh water dripped between her lips. Her skin warmed, eyes blinked open to find the mage holding her. The drape of his loose hair tickled her cheeks, a small line of worry dipped between his brows. Song and Raia glittered in the starry sky behind him.

He tipped the cup to her lips again, but she pushed him away. Frowning, he settled the cup on the deck beside her and stood. His face was fuller, skin dazzling in the moonlight.

Audra’s headache was gone, the ache in her limbs disappeared. They were on the fishing vessel. And they were alone. “What happened?” she asked.

He turned toward the bow, gesturing to a bowl on a small table. “Eat. There’s fresh fish and rice wrapped in coconut leaves.”

A sinking feeling churned her stomach. “Where are the anglers?”

He sighed.

Audra stood, shivering. “What did you do to them?”

His eyes glinted with scorn. “We needed nourishment.”

“You killed them.” Her breath hitched.

“Would you rather it was you who died?”

“Why wasn’t it me?”

He brushed a lock of hair over his shoulder. “I’ve told you. We are connected, growing strong or weak together.” His voice was bitter. “I cannot kill you now, no matter how much I might want to.”

She considered his words and the unspoken implications of what might happen to her later. “And the anglers?”

“Stronger magic depends on life force. And right now, I must use others or risk us both meeting death,” he said.

Her voice was a whisper. “They didn’t do anything. What about their families? What if they had children?”

“It was necessary, believe me.”

“Why should I?”

“Because for now, there is no other way to save us.” He turned back to her, shadows falling across his face. “Eat. I need you to stay strong.”

She licked her lips. “What if I don’t? What if I refuse?”

In a flash, he stood before her. Long fingers gripped her throat. Black robes and hair whipped around them. The sneer painting his face marred his good looks. His voice was low, nearly strangled. “Then I will force the food down your throat. It only takes a word to make you sleep, a thought to move your limbs. Make no mistake, if you test me, you will live as I see fit.” The thread between them seared behind her ribs. “Be grateful that I killed those men myself. If Dain were still alive...” His words trailed away; a hint of pain swept across his features before vanishing. He released her and took a breath.

Audra stumbled backward as the pull relaxed. “Who’s Dain?” she asked but flinched at the hard look in his eyes. “Why me?”

He headed toward the sails like a shadow drifting in the breeze. “I keep asking myself the same damn thing.”