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A response flashed through the ring and into my mind, the image of Devonay flinging herself off a cliff rather dramatically.
Cian snickered.
I let out an exasperated sigh. “So how do I use it without broadcasting everything I think?”
“Control, mostly. Imagine a shield around your mind. Build it out of whatever you like, but make sure it’s something strong.”
I closed my eyes and envisioned a dome of steel, building it inch by inch. “Okay.”
“That’s a good start,” he said, though I could almost sense that he wasn’t impressed with the pathetic barrier. “It won’t keep anyone skilled out, and I doubt it would be enough to slow down a Walker, but it’s better than nothing.” Cian nodded to the soldiers still facing him. “For now, just put up the wall when you don’t want to broadcast everything to everyone. There’s a lot more you need to learn to use the rings properly, though.”
Like this, he added through the ring, and he sent me an image from our night in the courting yurt. An image of the three of us intertwined with both Hellion and Cian inside of me.
My face flushed even redder.
Cian smiled. “You’ll get better at it with practice, and it’s much easier to do over short distances. Hellion can teach you how to build private lines of communication, but that will take practice and time, and you will need consent from whomever you build those lines with. Usually. There are exceptions such as between blood relatives, but they would need a communication ring, too.”
“You mean there are more of these out there?” My hand clamped over the ring as if I could somehow block its power.
“Almost certainly,” he said with a shrug. “It’s very basic magic. Even the ungifted can use one. It’s why it’s important for you to work on that mental shield of yours. Keep it up at all times when you have the ring on, Nevahn, unless you are giving orders. Go on. Try it out.” He turned to face the company.
I mimicked his movements, but did not lower my shield as I sent out the image of them turning a half circle. They didn’t move, not until I lowered the shield and sent it again.
“Very good,” Cian said.
Through the stones in the rings, I felt more than heard him thank the company for indulging the exercise. He dismissed them with another silent command that he let me hear.
The Silver Company soldiers saluted and dispersed, going back into their underground shelters.
Cian held his hand out to me.
I peeled off the ring, glad to have it gone. My head throbbed from the effort. “Why can’t I hear them?”
Cian slipped the ring back onto his pinky before flexing his finger. “Believe it or not, they’re somewhat shy. You also haven’t built a line of communication with each of them yet, so you can send, but not receive. As you get to know them, you’ll start hearing them clearly. Some of them are quite charming, actually. As with everything, time and practice. Should we survive the battle, you will have plenty of both. Realistically, it is better in this case for someone inexperienced to just send.” He gestured back to the stairs, and we went, him leading the way.
“Why is that?” I asked, falling in behind him.
“Because until you learn how to use your shield more effectively, there is no way for you to shut them out. They may accidentally send you death images if they fall and that’s… unpleasant.”
I watched his face as we made our way back up and tried to remember if Nisang had a black onyx ring. I’d never noticed, never paid attention, but he must have if he was their commander.
As if he could sense my unasked question, Cian nodded solemnly, his pace slowing. “Nisang had a ring. Of course he did. He couldn’t have commanded them otherwise. I… I tried to reach through it when I heard his body hadn’t been recovered. I thought if I could find the ring…” His throat worked and he shook the unfinished thought away. “But there was nothing. Just black emptiness where he used to be.”
“Maybe it was destroyed.” The dragon could have burned it to nothing, or any of the many fires raging that day.
Cian, however, seemed doubtful when he conceded, “Maybe.”
Waitingwastheworstpart of war.
I practiced with the ring every chance I got. Hellion taught me a few exercises and tried to help, but working with the ring left me dizzy, lightheaded, and battling the worst headaches of my life. On the second day, I worked myself into a migraine that left me vomiting in the dark.
Cian spent almost all his time organizing people, supplies, troops. There was one small crisis after another, and he always seemed to be busy. Hellion trained with the Skaags and the gargoyles. By day, we trained for the coming battle. By night, we held onto each other. There was never enough time, and yet time seemed like all there was.
On the fourth day of waiting, a shadow appeared at the end of the table where I sat, still working on my shields. It careened its neck, looking in the direction of the war room, a silent command from Devonay to attend an emergency war council.
I twisted the ring off my finger and dropped it in my pocket, rushing straight there. I was still nearly the last to arrive. Only Harif wasn’t there.
Devonay was bent over the war table, fingers curled into claws, murder in her eyes.
