Silver Blood

Chapter 22

"Too much magic. You'll stand out. Thin out your magic to lighten up the shadows," Asha instructed as Lorana followed his advice. His trick was meant to hide their faces in their hoods so no one would remember or recognize them. That way everyone could focus on the overdressed merchant next to her instead. Blending in beside Minimer was easy when he stole all the attention. "That's better."

"It's hard to keep it up."

"Holding the magic will get easier with time. Just remember to avoid another's magic or it will interfere. If you turn into shadows and darkness, normal weapons won't harm you, but magic weapons with runes will. Your magic can't save you from them."

"Let me guess, the gold temple has fancy rune weapons?" She'd have to avoid all their weapons, dodge and run instead of relying on her magic.

"Yes. They do trade with the diamond temple and they have the best rune scholars." He glanced across the wagon toward Roan. "I'd also imagine that light magic can be used the same way. Be careful. Turning yourself to shadow is harder than simply hiding yourself. There's old, twisted fables about light and shadow bearers getting stuck that way. Let's not test them."

Roan slumped in his saddle, glowering. Neither of them had addressed their fight yet. Whenever she looked at him it felt as though a storm raged inside her, torn between anger and love and a desperation for him to accept her. Perhaps that was what made love well, love, a willingness to forgive. He'd risked himself for her on the trip plenty of times and if he was staying it meant he must not want to be rid of her. She clung to that hope.

Minimer slowed the wagons at the sight of the crowded road ahead. "Almost there." The steady stream of traffic turned into a jam on the packed road ahead, both people and horses spilling off into the muddy forest and meadows bordering the road. There'd be no getting around them all. Roan moved closer to the wagon and Asha fell back to Keelan's wagon.

Despite the threats Asha made at the tavern, he and Keelan chattered away about the festival like old friends. Then again for all she knew they may very well have been. Keelan seemed glad to have company that wasn't Fion and Asha scanned the road as they talked. Their conversation helped them blend into the crows of excited festival goers.

"The crowd already looks bigger this time," Keelan said. "I bet we'll sell out of wine by the end."

"I don't remember it getting this crowded this early last year." Asha turned his head from side to side as he observed everyone. "I hope the sun water maker comes back."

The people and wagon in front of them turned to gawk at Minimer's gold magic contraptions. With Orva's flame shining on them, the horses lit up, a kaleidoscope of yellows and golds reflecting off them. Signs alongside the side of his wagons advertised his wine, taking advantage of the attention. She wondered if the gold magic fed on the light of the flame, keeping the horses and wagons strong.

"No sign of Bellon," Minimer said with satisfaction. "The last I saw him he got into a drunken fight and the town watch were trying to arrest him."

"Why wasn't Moira with him?" Bellon was too far out of their reach to talk down, but she wondered about Moira. Despite their first few meetings, their time traveling together had made her fond of the guardian. Out of everyone she'd met from the high temple, Moira seemed the most determined to do right by the temple. Would her loyalty to Oran and Kael win out over her beliefs? Moira didn't strike her as the type to set her beliefs down quietly. And yet she'd been so nervous leading up to purification. She hadn't chased after them. Lorana clung to that, hoping it was a sign Moira didn't want them to die.

"Moira wanted him to stay in Tarsh until he recovered. He set out without her, refusing to wait. After he was arrested I didn't go to the magistrate's to release him. He can sit and sober up while he waits for Moira to catch up to him. Might be enough to keep him away from the festival altogether."