Wicked As You Wish (A Hundred Names for Magic #1) - Rin Chupeco Page 0,116
finally get a nice hot bath and some rich greasy food horrible for my health, just the way I like it.”
They rode on. Despite having spent most of her life in a village, or possibly because of it, Nya couldn’t keep the wonder out of her voice as her eyes took in the vast brittle forests that seemed to stretch on for leagues. “I’ve never been this far from Ikpe before,” she said.
“Don’t even think about exploring on your own,” Zoe reminded her.
“I won’t. Maybe when the spring thaw finally comes. Most of us haven’t been allowed outside of Ikpe since the frost. Being cooped up in the village for a year has made me a little claustrophobic.”
“But why would that make you afraid of Santa Claus?” West asked.
“West,” Zoe said. “West, no.”
“You’re still looking at me funny,” Nya said to Tala, without turning her head around.
Tala flushed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.”
“It’s more than just my eyes, isn’t it? Did Grammy say something to you?”
“She said there was only one way to predict a Makiling’s doom. I didn’t want to know, and now I’m regretting it.”
“Maybe there’s a reason she decided not to tell?”
“Are you a seeress too?” It was practically a whisper.
Nya shook her head. “I’m sorry. I never inherited her sight, nor did Mama. You grew up in the Royal States, right?”
“Yeah.”
The girl’s tone grew wistful. “A dozen years have passed outside of Avalon. I can’t help but wonder what I’ve been missing. Whoever cast that spell was a lifesaver. And yet…”
Before she knew it, Tala found herself telling Nya all about the outside. About 4G smartphones and virtual reality and the explosion of social media. Nya hung on to every word, eyes wide. “Everything sounds so complicated now,” she mused. “You’re saying spelltech is making a comeback?”
“It’s more in demand than it used to be ten years ago,” Tala explained. “Ease of use, convenience, all that.”
“But your king hates magic?”
“Technically he hates magic because he doesn’t have the spelltech he wants, and he hates Avalon for having it.”
“What kind of spelltech?”
“The ones that can force people to do as he wants,” Loki said soberly.
Alex shook his head. “We don’t even have those. Mind control as a magic requires more sacrifice than what most people would give up. That’s Snow Queen and Deathless territory.”
“Which is why ICE agents using Beiran spelltech is worrying,” Zoe added bleakly.
“But Avalon used to have a hold on most of those spells. You said America’s getting a sudden influx of new tech. Did they change the laws?”
“It’s what stayed the same that had more impact,” Tala said, with a wince. “With Avalon under ice, a lot of spelltech patents went uncontested.”
“There’s a new law being passed,” Loki said grimly. “The Emerald Act. It’s primed to introduce stronger spells into everyday tech, taking out oversight and accountability. Dad says some loopholes in it might allow for some potentially dangerous spells, but no one’s putting in enough restrictions because of all the profit to gain.”
“I’m not sure that sounds like a world I’d like to step back into,” Nya said bleakly. “It’s one thing to free Avalon from the damned queen, and another to hear the rest of the world getting their hands on some of Avalon’s most powerful magic. Can’t we do anything about it?”
“The Cheshire’s trying. It’s the reason he’s in hiding too. The strongest of Avalon’s legacy are in his keeping, and he’s been one step ahead of those out to find him so far. Did your grandma predict that?”
“She never mentioned it. The only thing she was certain about was that the boy with the firebird will be at the center of everything. But that was okay because she said you’ll need a firebird and a sword to put out the coming fires.”
Tala felt another cold chill run down her back at the words. Memories of her dream, nearly forgotten in all the excitement, returned in full force.
“That’s a weird way to put out fires, isn’t it? A firebird and a sword?” Nya made a face. “Grammy always likes acting mysterious when she talks about her visions. It’s like she deliberately muddles it so you can’t understand what she’s trying to say until it happens.”
“A sword.” Ken looked thoughtful. “The Nameless Sword, you think? They say the firebird can find it. Maybe it’ll tell us where it is if we asked it nicely.”
The firebird stuck out its tongue and blew a raspberry.