The cat paused, sniffing, then bent its forelegs and haunches, settling into a pounce position, its gaze narrowing.
Mooriah clenched her fist and reached for her Song. Her power arrowed around her father and settled on the cat—a strong and healthy specimen with little Nethersong to latch onto. Little, but enough. With pinpoint accuracy, she multiplied the Nether, increasing the death energy until it spread throughout the creature’s entire body.
“Mooriah, no!” she vaguely heard her father say, but it was too late. She manipulated the energy of the animal until it seized and fell over, its large green pupils filling with black.
When it was done, she released her Song and breathed heavily. Unlike when she practiced within the Mother, she now felt exhilarated by the use of her power. The exhaustion that had chased her for the past months as she studied for longer and worked harder, melted away. It was as if she was always supposed to use this ability.
But her father and Fenix both rushed to kneel beside the mountain lion. Yllis turned back to her. “What did you do?”
She blinked in confusion. “I saved your life. What do you mean?”
He sighed deeply, looking down, his hand on the animal’s hide. “To take a life is a great burden, Mooriah. Even an animal’s life.”
She crossed her arms. “Do you not hunt for food?”
“Is that what you were doing?”
Disbelief made her blink rapidly. “You would have rather I let it attack you? Let it maul you to death?”
He shook his head and her frustration grew. Was she supposed to feel bad for protecting him? She took a step backward, pain filling her—not for what she did, but for how her father was reacting to her. His gaze was wary as he stared up at her.
“You’ve never seen me use my power before,” she whispered. “Is that it?” Oh, he always asked how her control was progressing on his rare visits, but in all her years he’d never actually witnessed it. “Is it as awful as you imagined?”
“You should not use it in such a way.”
Anger spiked. “So it’s all right when I use it to help you, but any other usage is off limits?”
“I don’t want you to become…” He searched for a word but couldn’t find it. “I don’t want you to live with regrets about what you’ve done.”
She was speechless with rage and pain. Fenix’s eyes were closed, his hands on the cougar’s fur. They began to glow even brighter than anything she’d seen from him before. In a moment, the animal was breathing again, softly.
“It’s asleep,” he said, brushing off his palms and sitting back on his haunches. “We should move it away from your camp.”
“You can bring life back to the dead?” Her voice was low and a little fearful.
He nodded gravely and stood. “The newly dead, at least.”
“You are far more powerful than an Earthsinger,” Yllis said, appearing thoughtful.
“My power overlaps in some ways but is different.” He looked at Mooriah, some question in his eyes that she didn’t have time to parse.
A weight had settled on her chest and was crushing her air. Stealing her ability to breathe. She could not help the power that she had been born with. She could not help her skin or her skill or her parentage. And even her father could not accept what she was.
She spun around and started back up the path.
“Mooriah!” Fenix called.
“Let her go,” Yllis said.
Tears welled in her eyes, and she did not turn around.
~ 9 ~
Appeal of Discovery: To find a path to one whom you pursue.
One drop each of hairy viper venom and nightworm pigment. The mixture is quite potent and may bubble or smoke. Avoid touching it as a blister may occur. Follow the tingling of your feet until you find the one you seek.
—WISDOM OF THE FOLK
Ember had watched Mooriah stir the food in her bowl for five full minutes before he couldn’t take it any longer. In their short acquaintance, he’d never seen her avoid a meal. “What is wrong?”
They had been practicing in the trance state for an hour before breaking for a late dinner. He had successfully pierced his skin with the pin twice more and was working with larger and larger pins, hoping he’d get to a knife soon. It was progress, though it was slow, and they still hadn’t tried it outside of the Mother’s meditative illusion. However, Mooriah had seemed out of sorts ever since she’d arrived. Something was obviously bothering her.