Page 54 of Stalk the Sky
Pip lingered in the shadows of the aeroplane, not sure if she should interrupt Fieran and Merrik.
But Fieran had seemed so down after his punishment the night before and the news that his two flyboys were dead. Why she thought he’d want her comfort, she didn’t know. But she felt compelled to give it anyway. Pesky more-than-friends attraction.
Merrik glanced up, and he must have spotted her for he stood, said something to Fieran, then strode away. As he passed Pip, he gave her a nod, something gleaming in his eyes.
Pip froze, then gaped at Merrik’s retreating back. He knew. Merrik totally knew she was attracted to Fieran. Or, at the very least, he wasn’t above playing a bit of matchmaking.
She halted in front of Fieran, not quite sure how to stand, as if her body had forgotten what was her normal. She tucked her hands in her pockets, then took them out and clasped them in front of her instead. That didn’t feel right either, so she crossed her arms. That still didn’t feel natural either, but she forced herself to remain as she was. “You look like you could use some cheering up.”
“Yeah.” Fieran straightened slightly from his slumped position. “What did you have in mind? I know this is going to sound strange coming from me, but it probably should be something that doesn’t get me into trouble. Well, more trouble.”
What did she have in mind? She hadn’t given too much thought to it besides just spending time with Fieran.
She glanced about, spotting the sleeting rain outside. Ah, that would work. She gestured that way. “What about a little magic practice? That always seems to help. We won’t go far in case you’re needed, and I can make a shield with my magic to keep us dry.”
Well, mostly dry. She couldn’t do anything about the puddles and wet grass. Their boots, socks, and trousers would get soaked.
“That…sounds like exactly what I need.” Fieran braced himself, preparing to stand.
She held out a hand to Fieran. He took it, and she had to lean back to put her whole weight into pulling him the rest of the way to his feet.
Pip called up her magic, letting it spread out in a small dome above her and Fieran’s heads as they stepped outside. While their boots squished on the saturated ground, they stayed otherwise dry as the rain sluiced off her magical shield.
“That’s a handy skill.” The hint of a smile returned to Fieran’s face.
“It is.” Pip expanded her shield so that she could go around one side of a puddle while Fieran skirted the other side. “Especially when it’s pouring rain, and you are working late to fix one of the steam engines because it is due to leave in the morning.”
A pang shot through her at the memories of her home at Tarenhiel’s western rail terminal. Were her parents and brother managing to keep everything running just fine now that the war had begun? They wouldn’t say otherwise in their letters.
How she missed her muka, her dacha, and her brother Mak. She had only gotten one packet of letters since arriving at Dar Goranth, due to the mail service being so slow.
She shoved that aside. There was no use in dwelling on homesickness now.
“My magic just incinerates the rain.” Fieran stuck his hand out from under the protection of her dome. A single bolt of his power lashed into the rain with a sizzle. Rain instantly puffed into steam while his magic flared through the raindrops and along the ground.
“Your magic incinerates pretty much everything.” Pip nudged him, then grimaced as her boot sank into a puddle all the way to her ankle. At least the army-issue boots went nearly to her knees, so her feet were still mostly dry.
“All too true.” Fieran pointed toward one of the small rises to one side of the airfield. It wasn’t as flooded as the rest of the surrounding ground. “That looks like a good spot.”
They trudged across the sloppy ground until they reached the hill. The ground still squelched beneath their boots, but at least there weren’t any more standing puddles.
Pip expanded her shield so that it formed a large dome over the entire hill. She created another smaller shield around herself. “All right. Ready.”
Fieran halted at the top of the hill and drew in a deep breath. Then his magic burst from him, crackling with nearly uncontrolled power.
Perhaps he’d needed this even more than she had realized. He’d done better here at Dar Goranth to take the time for practice with his magic, but the days of rain and the emotions of the last few days must have played havoc with his control.
His magic struck hers, but instead of incinerating her power, his magic coursed over hers, the two powers blending and strengthening.
Pip poured more of her magic into the shield. This was going to take more power than she’d expected.
With one last glance at her, Fieran held out his hands, as if he held a pair of swords, and unleashed even more of his magic.
Blue bolts burst around him, all but obscuring him from sight. He whirled and struck, as if decimating invisible enemies.
Pip kept her breathing steady as her magic held back the magic of the ancient kings. This wasn’t even the full force of Fieran’s power. Even now, he was holding back. She wouldn’t have even realized that if she hadn’t seen him use his magic during the Battle over Bridgetown.
She wasn’t sure how long Fieran fought invisible enemies. By the time he halted and let his magic dissipate into harmless sparks that quickly dissolved into the air, Pip was sweating and breathing harder than he was.