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“Yes,” I say quickly, not wanting to risk any hesitation.
“Show me.” He puts the wax back in his ears. His men follow suit, and a fresh flow of water is lowered down to me.
I look to Riden as I take it in. For some reason, looking at him allows me to keep a clear head as I feel the water’s strength flow into me, something I’ve never experienced before when replenishing my abilities.
“I hate playing the puppet,” I say. “Do you have any ideas?”
“If anyone’s the puppet, it’s me,” he says agitatedly. “You’re the puppeteer.”
I look at him in annoyance.
“I’m working on one,” he says to answer my question. “Keep taking orders until I can get it all sorted out.”
I don’t allow myself to hope as I start singing, closing my eyes and picturing what I want Riden to see. I imagine a magical world full of new colors and sounds. Butterflies with brightly lit wings flutter around me. Shooting stars pelt across the purple sky overhead in rapid succession. A nearby body of water sends sprays of droplets flying into the air at impossible heights. Birds larger than whales soar overhead, featuring feathers in reds and blues. I put together the first random elements that come to me, adding more and more details until I’m satisfied. Then I open my eyes.
Riden bears a look of sheer wonder and astonishment. He reaches out in front of himself as if to touch the invisible creatures I’ve placed in front of him.
“Beautiful,” he says.
“Alosa,” Vordan says. “Project that image onto Theris as well.”
I see now that Theris has handed his pistol to Vordan. He removes the wax from his ears and places it into his pocket. I quickly expand the song to encompass him also, relieved now that Theris is unable to hurt Riden. He, too, is soon amazed by everything around him. He spins, trying to see every bit of the magical world I’m showing him.
My mind reels as I try to think of something I could do now that I have one of Vordan’s men under my influence. With Riden and Theris, the fight would be two against three. But I haven’t enough song left after my projected world to make Riden and Theris do anything substantial. Vordan is so very careful not to give me any scrap of power over him.
But I wonder why he’d bother having me enchant one of his men at all. If he’s so curious about my abilities, then why not offer himself up?
“Excellent,” Vordan says, scratching his charcoal quickly over the parchment. “Now release Theris.”
I do. Theris instantly looks all around him, adjusting to reality, then replaces the wax in his ears. Vordan returns his pistol to him.
“Now show me something really impressive,” Vordan says.
I look from Theris to Vordan, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
“Make Riden see something horrible. Make him feel pain that isn’t really there. Show me how men are at your mercy.”
Cromis releases another rush of water, and I barely catch it in time.
I feel as though icy needles puncture my stomach. He can’t expect me to…
I stop singing as the water seeps into my skin. Riden is released from the fake reality I’ve given him. I feel my mind drifting away from me.
These men are all dead. Once I get my full strength, I will reduce them to shreds of flesh. I imagine the way my body will change. The strength I will have. I see myself pulling all five of them down to the ocean’s floor, watching their eyes as the life drifts out. Feeling their bodies squirm until they’re caught into oblivion.…
“Alosa!”
It's as if I've woken from a deep sleep, though my eyes have been open the whole time. I’ve drifted off to my own alternate reality. My alternate self.
“It’s okay, Alosa. Come back to me,” Riden says.
I turn my gaze to him.
“Whatever it is they’ve told you to do, do it.” He won’t have heard the order, not when he was caught up in another world. “We’ll get through this. Just keep going.”
I can’t. What does it matter if I let them cut Riden because I hesitate? Either way, he’ll be hurting.
But the pain won’t be real if you sing to him,I try to tell myself.He’ll hurt for a moment and then it will be over. You can’t falter, or he will truly be hurting from another sword injury. Just do it quickly.
