She turned her steel-grey eyes to me, then, and fixed me with a look that bespoke of wisdom so far beyond her twenty-six years.
I nodded my head curtly. “Be quick.”
No sooner were the words out of my mouth than she was hurrying down the hill, her steps stirring dust as she crunched down the path to the entrance of Cellia. We’d buried or burnedall of the bodies in Cellia so there was nothing left for the crows to pick at, no physical reminder of the atrocities that were committed. All that remained were the burnt husks of homes and stores of the once-thriving village.
I doubted anyone would ever inhabit this place again, the ghosts of the dead haunting their final resting place.
Ellowyn stopped just outside of the open gates and fiddled with her hands for a moment.
“What is she doing?” Sasori grumbled.
Gods, she’s annoying.
“We need to get moving,” she barked and stormed after my wife. I grabbed Sasori by the arm and pulled her back roughly.
“Stop. Just wait,” I commanded, and Sasori stilled.
Ellowyn raised her hands to chest height, and I saw her shoulders hitch as she drew a deep breath. Seconds later, diaphanous strains of ashes and embers unwound from her hands.
There were a few gasps and soft exclamations as the other cadets watched Ellowyn work. She directed the stream of her magic to the remaining buildings, and I was awestruck as it twined between the structures, quickly reducing them all to no more than ash.
In seconds, Ellowyn had leveled the entirety of Cellia; not one building or store remained.
Just as her Destruction Magic faded, tendrils of the brightest green flecked with pure gold exploded from her palms in a swirl. A magical wind blew with the ferocity of her magic, scattering Cellia’s ashes completely.
Seconds later, Ellowyn closed her palms and dropped her hands, her magic dissipating with the movement. The cloud of Creation cleared, and in its place was a large stone monument, not unlike the obelisk that stood in the center of the square inVespera. It was pure white and shone in the sun; even from here, yards away, I could read the inscription:
“Here lie the brave men, women, and children of Cellia, who stood against a tyrant. May Fate watch over their souls and guide them home.”
I read aloud, the cadets shifting nervously at her awesome display.
Ellowyn trudged back up the small hill, the use of her magic clearly draining her energy. Her skin was pale and sweaty, dark circles under her eyes.
She didn’t look at anyone, didn’t answer any whispered questions, simply mounted her horse and pulled it back into line next to Leal.
The work of a queen.
“To Vespera,” I announced.
The rideback to Vespera was almost unnervingly quiet. The rowdy banter and idle chatter that characterized the cadets’ boisterous attitudes on our way to Cellia was notably absent; the sights and smells of the attack had muffled everything.
As is typical of the first battle—the first scent of death.
You never truly forget the smell of decaying human flesh, it’s always there in your nightmares. I’d encountered enough “Cellias” in my life that it all blurred together now.
The only reprieve from the oppressive silence was Ellowyn’s occasional question about her origins. Each time, however, I ignored her. As I told her back in Cellia, the information was sensitive and not what I wished to discuss in front of others. It was entertaining to watch, however, when she would motion for Sasori to ride in the column next to a Mage named Leal,simply so Ellowyn could speak to me. Sasori’s gaze was nothing but sneering hostility, a disrespect I normally wouldn’t tolerate, but Ellowyn needed to grow a thick skin, quickly. With each snub from Sasori, Ellowyn’s piercing aristocratic stare only grew colder, and I watched gleefully as Sasori finally caved under the pressure.
She will make a great queen.
But even with the entertainment Ellowyn provided, it was not enough to loosen my tongue.
Eventually she stopped trying to engage me in conversation, choosing to ride in stony silence, her eyes fixed studiously on the horse in front of her, though it was clear her mind was elsewhere. Occasionally she would fiddle with the golden band on her finger—I was surprised she even still wore it—the soft sound of metal scraping skin flooding my ears.
Three silent days later, we arrived back in Vespera, cold, hungry, and dirty. Lex led the rest of the cadets to the city stables while I directed Ellowyn to the personal stables near the manor.
“Are you going to speak to me now?” Ellowyn clipped, ice coating her words. The imperiousness shot a bolt of fire to my dick, but I tightened the reins on my lust. I would probably always desire Ellowyn—it was one of the reasons I’d made her my wife, after all—but it was clear she was no longer interested in that portion of our relationship.
Had to be done.
