It’s all speculation, of course, and speculation helps no one. But though I can’t do anything to help Elska, there is, I realise, a way I can help Loch.
‘Thessa?’ I call to the Sanning. She’s currently talking to Caz, who has the book I took from the library at Galreck on her lap – the one that mentions the Sannings and vendari and is written in a language I can’t read. Yet judging by how far through the tome Caz is, the scribe is clearly making progress.
I wonder if she’s checking with Thessa about the validity of what she’s reading. It’s what I would be doing if I were her. But with her … particular interest in Thessa, that might not be the most diplomatic thing to do.
After the conversation Caz and I shared the other night, I feel bad for disturbing the pair, but what I need won’t take long.
‘That moss there’—I point to a tree covered in a deep green quilt—‘is that okay? Or is it … you know, Sannthrall?’
After what happened to Caz, I can only look at the seedless plant with a sense of trepidation. Not that I intend on lying down on it right now.
Pressing her lips together and notably disgruntled over being interrupted, Thessa walks across to me, only to prod the plant with her toe.
‘Normal,’ she replies laconically before turning around and heading back to Caz. I’d be interested to know how the pair have so much to talk about when she’s barely said three words to me all day, although it’s still more than I’ve got from Stide.
And it’s not like the pair talk much to each other either. If Caz hadn’t assured us that Thessa was telling the truth about the Sannings having no magic, I’d swear there had to be telepathy between them.
‘Thank you,’ I call to Thessa’s retreating back.
Now that I know it’s safe, I reach out with my magic to connect to the moss. I relax as I feel none of the foulness I felt with the Sannthrall. Only now do I realise how scared I was to connect to the plant.
The twisted tree packed one hell of a punch when I tried to fight it – it knocked me out, and Kyor stayed by my side for a whole day.
The thought makes me nostalgic. It seems unfair that I was unconscious the whole time, unable to see it for myself. Then again, what good would it have done to know he was there? He would have held me through every second of the other night, long after my nightmares had ended, if that’s what I’d asked him to do.
With a slight sniff, I shake away thoughts of Kyor. There’ll be plenty of time to brood over the prince.
For now, I can actually do something useful.
If Thessa had lingered by my side, I would have asked what she saw – or didn’t see – when she kicked the moss that told her it was fine, but for now, I focus on another task.
I bend over and peel several large clumps from the tree trunk, pick the dirt from the bottom, and then wash the moss using water from my flask.
‘What are you doing?’ Stide asks curiously.
‘Trying something different. Ruben,’ I call, ‘can you come here?’ Having swapped charge with Benny and no longer sticking to Loch’s side, Ruben’s taken a well-deserved place by the fire, but he instantlyjumps to his feet to help. ‘If I were to give you some more magic, could you heat this up for me?’
He looks at the small pile of green matter in my hand. ‘Sure. What exactly do you want me to do?’
‘Just heat it up enough to kill anything on it. But without burning it. No fire,’ I say emphatically. ‘Like drying the wood. But I don’t want this dried, just warmed. Does that make sense?’
‘I think so.’ He nods, as if contemplating whether he can actually do it. ‘You okay to give me another hit of magic?’
‘I hope so. Let’s give it a go anyway.’
Of all the powers that have been thrust upon me since the Retterheld, the power to transfer magic is one I feel I actually have control of, which makes me wonder where it could have come from.
Still, I’m not going to dwell on the matter now. Not when there are more practical matters to focus on.
With so many trees around me, the hardest part is knowing which to make grow. Knowing one, at least, that’s safe to connect with, I extend the patch of moss on the tree that Thessa okayed and then draw the magic back out and pass it into Ruben.
‘That enough?’ I ask.
He closes his eyes and a faint smile dusts his lips. ‘I will never get sick of that feeling,’ he says. He opens his eyes and meets my gaze. ‘I wish Mum could have seen this. She would have loved seeing me create a flame.’
‘She would have,’ I agree softly, ‘but she was always so proud of you, just as you were. You know that.’
He shrugs his shoulders, as if he doesn’t believe what I’m saying.
