Page 176 of Winter Gods & Serpents

“Yes, I must have been about ten or so, shortly after Urinthia came in succession. Father made a big show and even made us attend her accession. Apparently some court information was being traded between Melanthe and her. Father was displeased at best,” she said, lost in internal silent perusal. “What looms inside Caligo? Can my father get hold of Celesteel’s monsters, those spoken in the sacraments? I have read about some of them, they are scarier than what a hybrid Aura would have been, he could be looking for them, or maybe create the one’s from the Ater battles,” she asked, and we all turned to each other trying to see if we all registered her explanation. There it went, what had bothered her all this time.

Anyone else could be puzzled about her concerns, but I was not just someone. “Snow, no god, guardian, plant or creature can pass through those portals to our realm. Obitus law—god given law, they will disperse to dust the moment their feet step on our realm. The 97th Maiden took all of her craft to hells, even if anyone tried it is banned and hunted. Adriata has trained Canes, Aitan sniffer dogs, from after the Ater battles. If a Canes gets a trace of that practice they will tear apart whoever, we have them at Highwall as well. Even Memphis would have been affected by their presence. Whatever you are worried about won't happen, it is not what he is planning. Even though you said fuck the gods a moment ago, little heathen, they still see, believe it or not.”

She frowned. “But—”

“There are no buts, not possible.”

Mal stepped in nodding for reassurance Snow found hard to believe. “Celesteel is a god with brooding pride, he would not let be played by whatever king in this lowly realm, not again, not ever.”

“So my theory stands, the lover,” Caiden added, and Snow moved quick chasing him in circles around the tavern.

“Could it be simply for protection?” Nia asked after Snow returned, panting from having nailed Caiden in the ground.

“With all that is going on with us, Isjordian revolts to the deal and now the Solaryans, he could need it. Castle grounds are under her protection and we saw the craft veil when we left the walls. That chest could have been a threat or magic, therefore the protection. Glares are powerful, they can store their magic in objects and spaces,” I clarified. The whole of Tenebrose and all other cities in Isjord were coated in dark craft; that was what they were best at, isolating magic, transforming, or nullifying it. And right at this moment I stood with Silas in needing the extent of protection he had placed.

Mal nodded in agreement. “We used to have training with Glares when we were foot soldiers, some of their blast power can go several feet, a good crafter would definitely help in containing those.”

Nia did not seem to believe that either, her shadows still disturbed. “It could be, but this is Silas we are talking about. Why drag a whole dead woman from the otherworld when any crafter would have done?”

Caiden sighed, and Snow threw him a glaring warning not to joke. “I suppose any crafter would not even suffice for him. He had to have the best, that is supposing he did drag her from the dead. Anyone thought this could have been planned and we actually got lied to?”

Nia lifted the blooded cloth in the air. “I suppose we will find out. I will procure a crafter when we get back.”

“In Isjord?” Mal asked.

Caiden nodded. “There is plenty hiding away, just like the one today,”

“How would a half spiritual and half elemental hybrid compare to me?” Snow asked again, seething in worry beside me.

“I believe Isjordians and their mother’s pants have learnt he won’t repeat that wasted idea again. It will not work,” her friend replied. And quite truthfully I agreed.

She leaned in all eager. “Adriata, Hanai, Seraphim, Solarya, don’t you recon a pattern? What if he is looking to acquire a bunch of them, maybe he is using the crafter to sort them out like a batch of the best Aura to produce hybrids. Maybe he thinks a battalion of them is better than what three powerful ones would have been?”

“Come now, cakes, their prophecy would have read about the ant nest of destruction or the bee hive of power, not about the dragon birds of storms and frost.”

Did these two share a head? They most definitely shared the same stomach for jokes.

“It was luck and careful choosing when he plucked your mother for his plans,” Mal revealed what many did not know. “Most ybrises don’t live past their tenth birthday. Once an Aura reaches the age to bloom their blessing it consumes them, that is when they are most dangerous. Tell me, how many ybrises have you heard to come into existence in your time?”

“Three. Me, Thora and Eren.”

I reached for her hand under that table and laced it together with mine. Her grip tightened and then she placed both of our hands on her lap. She traced another hand almost up my arm and it got terribly hot all of the sudden.

“Have you ever asked yourself why?”

She frowned. “No one dares.”

My brother shook his head. “No one can, many unions have happened in the past however unholy and cursed they are labelled. What makes your father and mother different from others and what have you got more specific than most?”

“They were primes, she originates from two primes,” Nia said wide eyed in realization. “How did we not know of this?”

Caiden threw an arm over his friend’s neck. “Because sweet Nia, we have never once before looked at Snow and thought we are friends with an ybris, let me do my research.”

“Speak for yourself,” Snow murmured under her breath.

Caiden surprised turned to Nia and she rose her hands in surrender. “I was purely curious.”

Snow held back a smile. “She read somewhere that I’d grow fur under my soles and kept staring at my feet for weeks.”