Sky Woman: Book One of The Empress Saga

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

This was what death felt like. It had to be. Everything was pain. Moving, breathing, and even her heart beating caused perfect agony to course through her body.

It was nearly dawn. The desert air was as cold as ice, and Enfri shivered worse than if she just had a swim in winter. She curled her arms against her chest to try to retain what little heat she had. Only the glow on the eastern horizon gave her hope that she wouldn't freeze to death. Then, her problems would shift to the other extreme.

Enfri no longer had the strength to stand. She lay on her stomach on the crest of a sand dune and waited to die. Or live. Neither felt appealing.

She coughed. It was a gasping, wheezing display, and it brought more sand into her lungs than relief. Enfri gagged on the grit in her throat, but she eventually managed to start breathing again.

"It's not enough, is it?" Enfri panted. "We've been running all night, gone spirits know how many miles, and it's still not enough."

Deebee heaved and something vile came out of her throat to spill over the loose sand. Though she didn't need to exert herself physically, Deebee had been giving Enfri strength through the bond. She was now in just as horrid a position as Enfri was. "Eighteen miles," she said. "I counted. Eighteen miles in six hours."

"Can we afford to rest?" Enfri asked.

Deebee looked uncertain. "Think of this as a learning experience," she said while forcing levity into her tone. "This... Oh winds, one moment." She retched over the sand again. "This is what's called ethershock. It happens to arcanists that have drained their bodies of ether."

Enfri rolled onto her back and looked up at the stars that were fading from the sky. She wiped sand from her lips before speaking. "But I'm not an arcanist."

"You still have ether," Deebee replied. "Not all mortals can sing, but most have tongues. It's the same with magic. Potential and ability are two different things. I gave my strength to you. Then I fed on your ether to revitalize myself so I could give that to you, too."

Enfri grimaced. The bond was proving to be a circular concept. One of them pushed while the other pulled, each gaining something in return until their shared cup ran dry. This bond between them had allowed her to travel farther and faster than she could have alone, but Enfri hated that it was starting to make sense to her. There was something of a comfort to be found in not knowing.

"Is it dangerous?" Enfri asked.

"Ethershock? Very much so. I've seen arcanists cast spells beyond their abilities and drop dead a moment later. Too many spells, too strong of spells, or holding a spell longer than your ether can support it are all sure paths to where we are now."

Enfri wanted to sit up. Her brace stopped feeling like knives cutting into her flesh a few hours ago. Now, it felt like a branding iron against her skin. She wanted it off but didn't have the strength.

"Is that what happened when you locked Bellamy into a wolf?" Enfri asked.

Deebee made a sound that might have been an affirmative. "A calculated risk," she said.

"You've made a lot of those since sundown," Enfri muttered. "Ethershocked twice before the sunrise."

The spike of indignation coming from Deebee was almost tangible. "I beg your pardon?"

Enfri covered her face with her hands. "I'm sorry, Deebee," she said, her voice heavy with exhaustion. "Just... ignore me. You know I get cranky when I miss a night's sleep."

Deebee sighed. "No. You're right. Both about the crankiness and my mistakes. My decisions tonight have almost gotten you killed more times than I care to count."