blew out softly, but the mist didn’t react. She lifted a hand, and the mist swirled away from her fingertips.
According to the stable hand, this was Mage Guild Secundus Valendi’s horse—and the mist was the same shade of grey-black that surrounded him. Had his mist, whatever it was, somehow rubbed off onto the horse?
She wished she’d asked her mother. Kara paused. Maybe it was better this way. Being able to see the mist might prove that she had enough magic to be promising as a breeder. It wasn’t a sign that she had real magic—the Mage Guild Tester had been very clear about what to expect when her magic found her.
“It will feel like a soft wave has washed over you,” he’d said. “And for a moment your head will feel so light that you won’t believe your feet are still on the ground.” There had been no mention of coloured mists.
“What does this do to you?” Kara whispered. She placed her hand on the horse’s nose.
It snorted and backed up a bit, just out of reach, the skin on its neck twitching.
Kara reached out again, this time to the horse’s neck. Again the mist retreated from her hand. She stroked the warm brown hide, and the horse leaned into her touch. The mist eddied away from her hand and bunched up along the animal’s back. Kara plunged her hand into the middle of it. The mist around her hand started to change colour, going from grey-black to white. Startled, she snatched her hand away.
Slowly, the mist continued to whiten. Was this the horse’s natural mist colour? Did horses naturally have mist? She’d only seen one other horse in her life, the dappled grey that had belonged to the Mage Guild Tester, and there had been no mist swirling around it, not even the blue of the Mage who owned it. But Secundus Valendi was the second most powerful man in all of Tregella—his magic would be very strong. Had riding the horse transferred Valendi’s mist to it, or had he somehow deliberately put the mist on the horse?
She glanced into the other stall—there was no cloud of violet surrounding her mother’s horse. Was Valendi’s magic that much stronger than Arabella Fonti’s? Kara shivered. Her mother was the strongest Mage seen in this part of Tregella in generations, how much more powerful was the Mage Guild Secundus?
She examined at the horse. The mist, now a white cloud, gently swirled around the animal. Had it thinned out? Yes, she could see through it to the horse’s hide. As she stared, the mist faded until not a trace of it remained. The horse snorted and shook itself, its skin quivering from neck to tail.
Kara stepped away and pressed herself against the rough wood of the stall door. The mist was gone. Because of her—because of whatever she’d done to it when she’d petted the horse—the mist was completely gone.
The horse took a couple of prancing steps towards her and tossed its head. Could it feel the difference? The animal tossed its head again. She didn’t have any more time to worry about this—she’d already been inside the stable too long.
Kara eased open the stall door and slipped out into the aisle. She latched the door and crept towards the stable doors. Her pack firmly settled on her back, she pulled her shawl over her dark hair. Carefully she tugged open one tall door. The group was still in the lower square, their quiet conversation a steady murmur in the still night.
With a deep breath, she rounded the corner and headed behind the stable, out of sight of the square. When she reached the road, she looked back, once, before she hurried off into the night, towards an uncertain future.
Chapter two
IT WAS JUST before dawn, and Arabella stood in the doorway, staring out across the rooftops and down towards the valley floor. Banio Fonti—her husband —hovered behind her.
“A search party is not required,” Arabella said sharply. “The Mage Guild Secundus will handle this.”
“But I feel
According to the stable hand, this was Mage Guild Secundus Valendi’s horse—and the mist was the same shade of grey-black that surrounded him. Had his mist, whatever it was, somehow rubbed off onto the horse?
She wished she’d asked her mother. Kara paused. Maybe it was better this way. Being able to see the mist might prove that she had enough magic to be promising as a breeder. It wasn’t a sign that she had real magic—the Mage Guild Tester had been very clear about what to expect when her magic found her.
“It will feel like a soft wave has washed over you,” he’d said. “And for a moment your head will feel so light that you won’t believe your feet are still on the ground.” There had been no mention of coloured mists.
“What does this do to you?” Kara whispered. She placed her hand on the horse’s nose.
It snorted and backed up a bit, just out of reach, the skin on its neck twitching.
Kara reached out again, this time to the horse’s neck. Again the mist retreated from her hand. She stroked the warm brown hide, and the horse leaned into her touch. The mist eddied away from her hand and bunched up along the animal’s back. Kara plunged her hand into the middle of it. The mist around her hand started to change colour, going from grey-black to white. Startled, she snatched her hand away.
Slowly, the mist continued to whiten. Was this the horse’s natural mist colour? Did horses naturally have mist? She’d only seen one other horse in her life, the dappled grey that had belonged to the Mage Guild Tester, and there had been no mist swirling around it, not even the blue of the Mage who owned it. But Secundus Valendi was the second most powerful man in all of Tregella—his magic would be very strong. Had riding the horse transferred Valendi’s mist to it, or had he somehow deliberately put the mist on the horse?
She glanced into the other stall—there was no cloud of violet surrounding her mother’s horse. Was Valendi’s magic that much stronger than Arabella Fonti’s? Kara shivered. Her mother was the strongest Mage seen in this part of Tregella in generations, how much more powerful was the Mage Guild Secundus?
She examined at the horse. The mist, now a white cloud, gently swirled around the animal. Had it thinned out? Yes, she could see through it to the horse’s hide. As she stared, the mist faded until not a trace of it remained. The horse snorted and shook itself, its skin quivering from neck to tail.
Kara stepped away and pressed herself against the rough wood of the stall door. The mist was gone. Because of her—because of whatever she’d done to it when she’d petted the horse—the mist was completely gone.
The horse took a couple of prancing steps towards her and tossed its head. Could it feel the difference? The animal tossed its head again. She didn’t have any more time to worry about this—she’d already been inside the stable too long.
Kara eased open the stall door and slipped out into the aisle. She latched the door and crept towards the stable doors. Her pack firmly settled on her back, she pulled her shawl over her dark hair. Carefully she tugged open one tall door. The group was still in the lower square, their quiet conversation a steady murmur in the still night.
With a deep breath, she rounded the corner and headed behind the stable, out of sight of the square. When she reached the road, she looked back, once, before she hurried off into the night, towards an uncertain future.
Chapter two
IT WAS JUST before dawn, and Arabella stood in the doorway, staring out across the rooftops and down towards the valley floor. Banio Fonti—her husband —hovered behind her.
“A search party is not required,” Arabella said sharply. “The Mage Guild Secundus will handle this.”
“But I feel
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