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.
“I’m so sorry,” I tell him.
Instantly, Riden screams. He writhes on the ground in pain as imaginary hot pokers drive into his skin.
I hate myself. I hate my abilities. This is not how my powers were meant to be used. I am despicable, lowly, unforgivable.
I end Riden’s suffering as soon as I dare, hoping it was long enough for Vordan. I relinquish the leftover song into the air, disposing of it quickly. I don’t want it anymore. I don’t want anything to do with it. Get it away from me.
The sick bastard laughs. “Well done.” Vordan writes some more on his parchment. I wish I could drive real pokers into his flesh.
“I’m satisfied with your singing abilities for today,” Vordan says, freeing his ears from the wax. “Let’s talk about your second set of abilities. If Theris overheard you correctly, you can read a person’s emotions, but this ability does not require nourishment from the sea. It is something you innately possess.”
Riden gasps on the ground, trying to recover from the imaginary pain. I watch him rub his hands over his skin, convincing himself it wasn’t real.
“Alosa,” Vordan snaps, pulling my attention from Riden. Theris steps forward and kicks Riden in the face. Blood trickles out of his nose, staining the sand red. In a way, I’m relieved that Theris kicked him so hard. Riden is now unconscious and can’t feel any pain.
“Yes,” I answer. “I can know what people are feeling, if I choose to.”
“And you don’t have to sing?”
“No.”
“Excellent.” More scratching on the parchment. “Tell me what each of my men is feeling.”
I’ve used this one plenty of times today already. I can’t risk using it much more, or I’ll lose myself. The last thing I need is to forget who I am when I’m in such a life-threatening situation. The exposure to the sea’s power almost claimed me several times already. And Riden’s not awake to pull me back again.
I’ll try to rush it. Then shut it off.
I admire the complexities of emotions. They’re paintings for me to see. I just have to suffer through the otherworldliness in order to see them. As the sickly sensation rushes over my skin, I look quickly at each of Vordan’s