* * *
They rode from the city and entered the forest surroundingMarienne, and the trees offered a cool stillness that seemed perfect forcalming runaway emotions. Sylph pressed a hand to her fluttering stomach. Allthe myriad feelings she’d experienced since she’d met Thana paled when comparedto now. She was grateful and tried to focus on that, but underneath was amélange of terror and confusion that made her ache for the safety of home.After all that had happened, she craved a life laid out for her in neat littlerows. Her excitement at the prospect of freedom had been nothing but a momentof foolishness. Her freedom meant danger for others. It was only dumb luck thatshe hadn’t yet killed anyone.
Maybe the queen was right. Maybe the pyradistés should beconfined until this magical mess could be cleared. Maybe it was better if somewere dead.
“Pyradistés are as dangerous as everyone says.” She didn’t knowshe’d meant to say it aloud until it happened, but when Thana turned thunderouseyes upon her, she couldn’t take it back. She even added, “The queen wasright.”
“How can you even think such a thing?” Thana said, her voice lowand gravelly, as if emotion choked her.
Tremors started in Sylph’s core, passing all through her. Shefelt tears gathering again, but she dug her nails into one hand and pointed atMarienne with the other. “How many people could I have killed, including bothof us? And this new crystal the teacher spoke of? I saw your face. You didn’tknow what he was talking about. Do you even understand what any new crystal cando, how it works? Do they? Or are they just playing with danger?” She stiffenedin the face of Thana’s anger and pulled her horse to a stop. “You’re themonarch’s pyradisté. They should have consulted you, consulted the queen,before doing anything.”
Thana sneered and groaned, rolling her eyes so hard, they seemedto turn her head with them. “Did you know that pyradistés are the only group inFarraday without autonomy? The nobles and chapterhouses and merchant guildsdon’t have to consult the crown for every decision.”
“They can’t kill people so easily.”
“A blade can kill as easily as a pyramid.”
Thana’s cheeks grew red, and she was breathing hard, her eyesshining with outrage and conviction. And also fear. Sylph forced herself tocalm and bring her court mask to bear, not yet willing to leave everything fromher old life behind. “People rarely lose control of a blade and kill withoutmeaning to.”
Thana leaned back and sneered. “The only one out of control isyou.”
Hurt replaced anger, the emotions clashing against one another soharshly, Sylph wondered that she couldn’t hear them. Only a flex of will kepther court mask from slipping.
Thana looked away, her frown easing as if she realized that whatshe’d said wasn’t fair or true, but she didn’t take back the words.
“There are…” Sylph cleared her throat and started again. “Fromthe rumors, I’m not the only one.”
Thana wouldn’t meet her eyes. “At least the others had their ownpyramids. They didn’t go lashing out for any old pyramid lying around.”
The hurt spread as if she’d come too near a fire. She rememberedthe heat of the blaze in the castle, the quaking in the academy. Yes, no onehad been as great a menace as her. “You should have let the queen kill me.” Thewords reminded her of petulance, but she only felt truth in them.
“Don’t be stupid.” Those words weren’t said with malice orrecrimination. They were soft, apologetic, Thana’s feelings as free as air. “Iwouldn’t be helping you if I thought any of this was your fault. Just like withevery rumor, you weren’t in control.” She sighed. “And I was wrong. You aren’tthe only one lashing out, or pyramids wouldn’t be randomly exploding.”
“Quite,” Sylph said, taking a little comfort in that. And in thefact that Thana didn’t seem angry anymore. She hadn’t truly apologized, butmaybe that was where she faltered as Sylph faltered with…every emotion.
“And it doesn’t happen to you all the time,” Thana said almostcheerfully. “I’m sitting here with a satchel of pyramids, and nothing’s onfire.” After a wince, she smiled, seemingly committed to a facade of happiness.
“Yes.” Sylph tried to smile for her sake, but she didn’t want tobe happy or calm. She wanted to run off in any direction, to ride until theemotions blew away from her.
Leading the way deeper into the woods, Thana said, “Tell me aboutwhat happened in the academy, what you felt.”
Sylph wanted to say, terrified, but that wasn’t what Thana wasasking. She made herself think about the incident as if she were an outsider, amere spectator, untouched by the experience. “As when I first discovered thispower and in the garden, I felt pulled, compelled to reach for the magicwherever it lay.”
“Hmm. Might have been proximity to this new crystal. But whywould that have been near your home or in the garden? I suppose someone couldhave been carrying the crystal near your home up north, but there’s no roadnear the garden.”
“Perhaps then, whoever was carrying the crystal didn’t wantanyone to see them and sought out a clandestine avenue.”
Thana grinned over her shoulder. “If you’re thinking out loudwith me, does that mean you’ve given up the notion of turning yourself in? Isthat because it’s a mystery that needs solving?”
A mystery? Sylph supposed it was. And though they held noparticular allure for her, solving this one might mean fewer incidents andlessen the chance of deaths. “I’ll help.” After the destruction she’d caused,it seemed the least she could do.
And then, perhaps she could leave all pyramid magic behind.
“But are you sure you want my help?” she called when Thana turnedback. “I’m a liability.”
“No, you’re my crystal detector, if the crystal is indeed theproblem. And if you’re worried about hurting people, you need to learn control,and I can continue to teach you.” She turned in profile, and her cheek waspink. “And you don’t deserve to be hurt either.”
Sylph smiled, her chest warming for a different reason. Strangehow different feelings caused similar reactions in her insides, but she couldtell the difference. And Thana seemed to be making up for her harsh words, verytouching. Sylph
