Reborn From the Cosmos

The evening brings a rare moment of peace. I spend it pouring over records; surprisingly, the Hall isn’t strict about them leaving the floating rock. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m an exception. To most of my citizens, I’m a walking disaster, but for a small group, I represent the future. A true home. An enduring legacy. New Quest, the City of Summoning. Got to admit, it has a nice ring to it.

For that beautiful dream, I imagine they’d do a lot more than let me walk off with a few old journals. And they’re good. Thanks to the detailed accounts, I’ve narrowed uncountable choices to two companions, each one able to support the isolated Khan. Their strengths are so different, I can’t say which is the better option and damn if I know how to get the northerner to accept their help. Khan may not have a bias because of the Grimoires, but he’s from a culture where individual strength isn’t just admired, it’s necessary for survival. I don’t imagine he will take to the idea of permanently hampering himself and depending on another. Or accepting anything from the woman that destroyed his dreams.

“Hey.”

I look up at Alana’s call to see her entering the room. She nonchalantly ignores all the empty seats, climbing over me without regard for the papers in my hand. Chuckling, I drop onto the table beside us and wrap her in my arms. It still amazes me that so much has changed between us. Feels like a lifetime from the moment we first met on that simple field.

“Hey yourself.”

“What’s this? Thought all the hard work was done.”

“I wouldn’t call this work. Thinking about doing another summoning.” I poke her side as she groans. “What? They’ve gone amazingly well so far. You of all people should appreciate the last one.”

“Rolly is capable, but she’s a pain,” my knight pronounces without mercy. “Every day, she tries to insert me into some new ridiculous scenario. Saints know why she thinks acting has to accompany training.”

“I think it’s fun. Besides, it’s not all nonsense.” Beneath the laughs and cryptic speech, the little elemental is surprisingly insightful. Sometimes, to a scary degree.

“Like I said, capable.”

I pinch her ear, chuckling as she swats my hand. “You shouldn’t be do dismissive of your teacher. And something’s bothering you.” There’re only two reasons she gets clingy like this. Given she isn’t taking my pants off, she wants to say something.

“I tested Little Water.”

“Annnnd?”

“She’s good enough to handle herself against simple threats, but I wouldn’t like her chances against a royal knight.” Which is a threat that most people never have to consider their chances against. How far I’m come from a quiet life in a forgettable corner of the kingdom. “She’s also a caster with little martial ability. Seems the estrazi doesn’t agree with the Hall’s philosophies. An ambush of thugs might be a threat too.”

“No walking down dark alleys for the lady lizard.” Her sneaking into a hostile country is even crazier than I thought; someone with my strength can go wherever she pleases, but I wouldn’t have half her daring if swords could cut me. “We’ll have to keep a close eye on her.”

“Not too close.”

“Oh?”

Alana sighs. “She asked, and I quote, what you look for in mates.”

I stare at her, waiting for a sign that it’s a joke. Her stern frown and amused eyes don’t twitch; she’s serious. “Please tell me you killed that idea before it could grow legs.”

“I suppose miracles are real. Lourianne Tome, rejecting the interest of a pretty woman.”

“That’s a bit dramatic. I’ve turned away women.”

“Not many.”

“Come on! An idiot would know that is a terrible idea. For so many reasons.”

“Yeah?” She shimmies up my body, crossing her arms over my collar before resting her chin on them. “Tell me.”

“This a test.”

“Humor me.”

I would say all of this is self-evident but fine. “She was engaged to your brother a season a season ago.”

“More like two. And it wasn’t an official engagement.”

“The two of them decided. That’s as official as it needs to be.”

Her blue eyes soften as a hand rises to stroke my cheek. “Idiot. What else?”

“Does there need to be anything else?” Her eyes remain demanding. “She’s the enemy. Her people are at war with humanity. At the very least, they have a lot of bodies to explain.”

“You don’t care about that.”

“I’m not heartless, sweetie. I especially care if a mob of angry lizards are going to come after me for consorting with one of their own.”

“That might be a bigger threat than you think.”

“You said she’s weak.”

“Weak compared to us, but you should remember she’s a water caster. In the north, surrounded by ice and on familiar terrain, she’d be three times as effective. Maybe more.”

“Enough to stop you?”

“Maybe. She’s got no martial training and I’ve got unreasonable stamina, but neither matter if she can lock me down. She’d be a match for all but duelists. Yet, her people consider her a waste.”

I grimace. If that level is a waste, what is their average ability? Saints, what do they consider talented?

“Good reason not to get involved with them carelessly.”

“Sure…except the threat of death wouldn’t stop. Tell me the real reason.”

Sigh. “Fine. You want the real reason? She’s cold. Really cold. And it creeps me out.” I roll her over as she giggles, trapping her beneath me. “It’s not funny. Every time she looks at me with those beastly eyes, I feel like something’s trying to cut me open and look under my skin.”

“Some would call Talia cold.”

“Hey! Our flower is different. She has passion, it’s just…reserved. Calming. Soothing.”

“And she doesn’t have scales.”

“I do not have a thing against scales.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Are you telling me to sleep with her?”

The hand that clamps over my mouth quickly disabuses me of that idea. “Don’t even think about it. She’s trouble.” I let her shake my head. “A part of me wants to send her away. She wants something.”

That’s nothing new, is what I’d say if could talk past her palm. I settle for an eye-roll.

“This is different. Everyone in the clan is clear about what they want, but it works because we have rules. Boundaries. No, priorities.”

I hum in agreement.

“Little Water has priorities too and they don’t involve us. Her people are her concern. I joked about Talia, but we come first and she’d kill anyone who threatens us. It’s the opposite for Little Water. Everything she’s doing is for her family and her place in it. We may not think she can hurt us but if she finds aa way and she thinks it will benefit her, she won’t hesitate.”

I lick her palm; she snatches her hand back with a yelp. “She could come around.”

“Please. Her people worship dragons and have been given a divine mission from them. You’re cute, but you’re not competing with that. Don’t trust her, Lou.”

“I don’t. Lady lizard is a pretty problem, nothing more.” I try to show my sincerity with a kiss, but she turns her head; my lips brush her cheek.

“There’s something else we should agree on.”

I resist the urge to groan, rapidly growing disinterested with conversation. “Yeah?” I ask distractedly as I tease her neck.

“This thing with the estrazi? No matter how it goes, it’s going to change the war. Change the north.”

“That’s good, right?”

“Yes, Lou. Saving the hundreds of lives that pointlessly die every year is a good thing.” A quick nip along her jaw breaks her condescending glare, her cheeks flushing. “But if we do what no one has managed to do with five centuries of sacrifices, the competition to succeed my father will be over. No matter what anyone says, I will be duchess in every way that counts. That means you’ll be duchess.”

“Aw.”

With an adorable attempt at mimicking Kierra’s sexy growl, Alana reverses our positions. She gives it everything she have, overshooting the mark and rolling us onto the floor. I don’t even think about; I’d bet a fortune that Earl keeps the floors clean enough to eat off.

Alana straddles my waist, something that would be a lot more enjoyable if she weren’t looking at me with such a stern expression. “You’d be the ruler of two major territories, both with standing armies.”

“New Quest doesn’t—”

“Lou.”

I hold up my hands in surrender.

“Both territories have an unusual number of combatants and are filled with groups that have a history of not liking the crown. They’d be under the leadership of a power summoner openly thumbing her nose at the king’s law and who has shown no hesitation to shed blood when offended. Whatever game the king is playing can’t go on forever. We do this, it’s all or nothing.”

“…I don’t want to rule.”

“I know, but you might not get a choice. Not if we stay. Are you ready for that?”

“Are you?” I snap, a little annoyed with how unbothered she looks. “Guess who’s going to be queen of the north?”

“Kierra.”

Damn. “Well, you’d be a, huh, royal consort! Hah! You fine with that?”

She shrugs. “Doesn’t change the fact that I can kill most man with one hand. Maybe a finger. The little one.”

Good argument. “How about this? If they make me queen, you’re sitting on the throne. I’ll just sit on your lap and look pretty.”

“Or you could make Geneva do it.”

“Saints, no! That’s exactly what she’s been angling for.”

“Why fight it? If you think the succubi have been here for generations and don’t already run the kingdom, you’re crazy.” They don’t…do they? “Besides, if New Quest is anything to judge by, she’d be good at it. And it’d keep her out of trouble.”

“If you think giving her control over hundreds of thousands of people is going to keep her out of trouble, then you’re crazy.”

“Well, you better think of something.” She climbs to her feet and offers me a hand. “There’s no stopping winter.”