Quill of Thieves

Chapter 27

"I would think it's what we are."

"But I—" Sebastian clicked his tongue as his thoughts changed direction—"The trait's passed genetically, correct? So, Queen Davina...?"

Astrid shook her head, tremors rolling down her arms. From the cold, the conversation, or her draining reserves, she couldn't be certain. "My mother can't use the elements. It was my father, but I know little about him. I've never found anything written about him except for his lineage mapped out in some genealogy I found in the library as a kid." She scowled at the struggling flames. "The father who destroyed my mother: Niklaus Verilibros."

Sebastian straightened. "Norham Verilibros?"

"Most would relate that family name back to Lady Guinevere Verilibros." Her back slumped against Sebastian's knees, her spine aching in exhaustion. "I should have known you would come up with someone more obscure. Who is Norham?"

"My tutor back in Eilibir," he answered. "And your father now...?"

She knew what he insinuated and disregarded it just as quickly. "He's gone. Destroyed during The Purge. Even if he weren't, I doubt he'd be hiding out in a dank fishing village such as Eilibir."

The tram rocked as Sebastian leaned against it, deep in thought. Astrid had no such luxury. Not now. She felt her vision pop with small black dots as the flames sputtered. If the fire stopped, the tram would stop, and they were on such an incline that Astrid imagined the tram careening backwards on the tracks. It wasn't an adventure she particularly wished to experience.

"How opposed are you to trying out Fire's threads?"

"How opposed are you to staying alive?" he countered. "Because I would prefer to make it back down this mountain without suffering third degree burns."

It was hard to keep her tone neutral as another elemental thread burned away from her fingers. "Curse the Skies, Seabass! You're an Author, a descendent of Lady Guinivere like myself, it seems, so you better just accept it before—!"

Sebastian yelped when the flames extinguished completely, dousing them into the darkness of the night. Astrid sucked down a breath. For a hopeful second, the tram simply stuttered to a stop. It paused on its tracks, the wind jostling it side-to-side as it fell still. An eerie silence settled around them until Astrid gasped against the pounding in her head and fell against Sebastian's chest. Her hooded head banged into his shoulder with an awkward thump.

His hands caught her. "You really shouldn't move right now. The momentum could—" he must have caught sight of her pained expression. Either that, or her breaths were actually rattling around inside of her and he could hear them. He gripped her elbows, right where her cuff normally sat.

"It's gone again, isn't it?" he asked. "You're drained."

"In my defense—" Her head swam—"I tried to tell you."

The tram rocked backwards.

Sebastian swore, bracing them both against the cabin floor. "The fire! We need to get it back!"

"You can't!" Words were difficult to form. She swallowed the dizziness. "Not even Authors can make something from nothing!"

Astrid knew it was coming, had known it from the moment her hold on the elements had started to slip, but it still didn't prevent her scream as the tram lurched once more and then careened down the mountain. The speed of it drowned out all noise. All she could feel was Sebastian's arm around her waist, the feel of her prayer as it strangled her throat, dislodged to her lips, and then exploded.

"Voíxili!"

"No!"

Sound rushed back as Sebastian tackled her. His weight fell heavily atop her spine as he pinned her, his eyes half-wide above her. Astrid craned her neck, heart slamming against her chest, but they weren't moving. Even the air seemed to have halted around them. It lay thick and somehow humid. She felt like she couldn't breathe.