House of Dragons (Royal Houses #1) - K.A. Linde Page 0,19
shivered. “It was fighting me.”
Teaching you. He tilted his head, assessing her. There is more than meets the eye. Show me your spiritual attunement.
“I don’t even know what that means.”
The spirit will guide you. Reach out with your soul.
Oh, sure. Like that was so easy.
Kerrigan closed her eyes and centered herself, as she had in meditations under the mountain. She didn’t know how to reach for her soul. But she let her mind go blank. Then, she reached out anyway.
And something shifted.
Something… broke.
Suddenly, Kerrigan was tipped upward with her body hovering flat in the air. Something hammered against her skull. A pounding, wrenching darkness.
She screamed. And screamed. And screamed.
She couldn’t stop. The pain was endless.
She was going to die here in the clouds on a spiritual plane. She couldn’t feel or think or do anything. Just lay there, face up, enduring the endless spasms against her mind and body.
Then, it all shifted.
One minute, she was screaming. The next, she was thrust downward through the endless sea, and she crashed back into her body.
She released one more shout of terror, but it came from her own lungs. She crumpled on the floor in the testing room. Gelryn stood mighty and proud before her. And she was a mess. Her body hurt in every place imaginable. Her limbs felt like jelly. Her mind felt as if it had been beaten and returned to her. Sweat coated her body. She couldn’t even speak.
Can you explain what just happened?
She shook her head. Tears welled at the corners of her eyes. She could barely lift her hand to brush them aside.
Nor can I.
There he went, sounding worried again.
She coughed and cleared her throat. “What did I just open myself up to?”
You should have revealed the depths of your spiritual magic. You have it or else you would not have been able to bring us up to the spiritual plane. But it should not have attacked you. Is there anything you know about your powers that could explain this?
Kerrigan shifted uneasily with a wince.
Yes. The answer was yes. But she wasn’t supposed to tell anyone else about her visions. Helly had made that clear. Very clear. If anyone else found out, she would be in danger. People would want to use her.
But Gelryn had seen her magic and energy laid bare. He knew there was something more. She couldn’t hide from him.
Tell me, he commanded.
“I have visions,” she got out. “About five years ago, I had my first one. It showed me the future.”
You’re a harbinger. His voice was one of awe.
She personally hated the word. She wasn’t some prophet. She was just… Kerrigan.
Have you had more than that one?
She nodded. “One a year ago. And one… last night.”
He tilted his head. What did it show you, child?
She shivered at the memory. “Fordham entering the tournament. And… and…” She stumbled over her words as realization hit.
Yes?
“A girl suspended in the clouds, screaming.”
So, your visions have already come to pass.
“Yes,” she whispered. “I also saw a hooded figure in a red mask in front of a crowd.”
You believe this will come to pass as well?
She pushed her hands into her eyes. “I hope not. I wasn’t even supposed to tell anyone about this,” she said anxiously. “Helly said that it would put my life in danger.”
And she was right. I would advise you listen to Mistress Hellina of the House of Stoirm, first of her line. She is wise. I see that your threads are entangled. I would not want to see harm come to you, child. But if this is revealed, everyone you know could be in danger.
“I… I’ll be careful,” she said.
He bowed his head formally. You have passed testing.
She almost laughed. “What does that mean?”
You have my permission to continue to the tournament.
“I can’t,” she said with a sigh. “No one will let me. And I don’t want to enter anyway.”
Do you not want a dragon?
She shook her head and touched her aching neck. With a shove, she slowly rose to her feet. “I think you all should be free to do what you please.”
Then, with a sad smile, she bowed to Gelryn the Destroyer and stumbled out of the testing room.
7
The Recovery
Kerrigan knew that she should go back to the arena. That she should stand with the other Dragon Blessed and watch the contestants be announced. She knew that if she didn’t… she’d likely suffer another punishment. But she couldn’t bring herself to care.