I cursed again. A cut across Innis’s abdomen had driven the Anima out of him, and I’d had luck with the possessed woman tonight. But my blade was gone, and I obviously didn’t want to do that to Wren. I wasn’t even sure Icouldhurt her; she was ten times the fighter I was.
“Fight it, Wren. I know you’re in there, and you’re strong enough to fight back.”
I’d have sworn I saw the flash of humanity in her eyes. Maybe that was the secret? Not to fight the practitioner or the Anima, but to help the human?
She swiped out. I spun, the hem of my shredded tunic swinging like a ribbon as I moved.
“Wren! Stop! I don’t want to hit you. And if you kill me, I swear on all gods and their acolytes that I will haunt you forever in a very annoying way.”
We faced off again, and she prepared to lunge. I tried the pivot move again, but she knew it was coming, and I got an elbow against the skull for my trouble.
“Damn it,” I said, grabbing my now-spinning head. “Maybe that’s payback for the time I pushed you in the river, but it wasn’t even that cold.Fight this arsehole.”
Another swipe with that blade.
“I’ll give you my good socks. The thick ones. They only have the one hole—and I’ll mend that!”
She drew closer, glimmering with Aether from the Anima the practitioner had shoved into her. “I’m sorry,” I said, tears falling now, guilt a new pain around my heart. “I’m sorry I couldn’t prevent this. I’m sorry I couldn’t stop him. I’m sorry that I don’t know how.”
She stopped, and I saw that flash again. “Socks.”
“Yes,” I said. “Socks. No holes! Fully darned! And coins! I’ll give you so many coins. And I’ll find you another windblade.”
She blinked. “Windblade?”
It was working; I was getting through. But the practitioner wouldn’t be stopped so easily. I felt his push of Aether, and saw the spark go out of her eyes. She focused on me again.
I didn’t know what to do. “How do I help her,” I said to no one in particular, “without nearly killing her?”
There was a glow, pure and green, and a moth fluttered into view.
Luna became a girl, and stood between me and Wren. Wren swiped at her, but the blade had no effect on an Anima without a body.
“Open a doorway,” Luna said quietly, not in signs, but in words.
I wanted to ask her what she meant, or how it would help. By way of answer, she looked toward the practitioner.
I didn’t understand, but it didn’t matter. While she held off Wren, I moved toward him. And when I was close enough, I closed my eyes and let myself drift toward the Aetheric. And felt thesnapof the connection. Aether flowed into the world, bright and warm, its heat at least numbing some of the agony in my chest.
Then I felt a tug coming from our world, from nearby. The Aetheric practitioner was siphoning magic from the doorway, using it to give himself power. Luna must have known he’d do it if given the chance. Why would she allow it?
I held on to the connection but opened my eyes within our realm. The Aether was beautiful—white and shimmering, except for the putrid margin around his body as he stood wide-legged, with arms and legs outstretched, to take it in.
There was movement to my left.
The prince, in a short-collared shirt pale as moonlight over dark trousers and boots, moved silently beside me. Instead of a jacket, a cloak the color of the starless sky was draped across his shoulders. And in his hand, the Moriad. Even in darkness and misery, he shone as bright as a star within that firmament. He moved forward, sword raised, and prepared to strike.
Luna must have gotten a message to him. She knew the doorway would distract the practitioner, which would give the prince a chance to kill him.
This was almost over.
The garrison chose that moment to beat their warning drums.
At the sudden burst of noise, the Aetheric practitioner opened his eyes and stared at the prince and the sword. And with a flash of pale green Aether, he disappeared.
The prince cursed. Luna disappeared, presumably to try to follow the practitioner. And the human assassins scattered. My pain decreased, but the ember remained hot, smoldering in the remaining Aether.
“After them!” the prince shouted, and the soldiers who’d joined him gave chase.
