“We can’t leave,” Loelle said.
“I won’t stay,” I countered.
“You have to stay.”
“There’s no point,” Joth said. “Even if you’d brought me someone more capable, it was still a foolish idea.”
“No point in what?” I asked. “Why am I here?”
“Oh, she didn’t tell you?” Joth stood, gesturing to Loelle. “She didn’t warn you?”
“About what?”
He and Loelle exchanged a knowing glance, but neither would answer. So I finished wrapping the cloak around my shoulders, then headed for the door.
“I meant what I said.” Loelle stood as if to follow me. “You must stay, Kestra.”
“It won’t work,” Joth said.
I opened the door, then turned back one last time. “Tell me why I am here, or this is the last you will see of me.”
Loelle walked to Joth, putting one hand on his arm. “This boy is the key to your success. With his help, you may have a chance of defeating Lord Endrick.”
After deferring this conversation more times than I could count, Loelle finally had my attention. “How?”
He sighed. “Close the door. You’re letting the heat out … again.”
I hesitated, slowly shut the door, but kept hold of the handle. “Tell me more.”
“I will,” Loelle said, “but first I must test your magic with his, to see if it’s compatible.”
I looked over at Joth, truly curious. “What is your magic?”
“We’re not revealing that yet,” Loelle said. “Don’t be offended, child, but the few of my people who remain have learned not to be too open about their magic until it’s necessary—we don’t want Lord Endrick to become aware of us.”
“Then how are we supposed to know if it’s compatible?”
“I can answer that—our abilities will not blend,” Joth said. “This is a waste of time.”
He’d made his objections perfectly clear, and enough times that I could practically anticipate his exact words. But for now, I merely rolled my eyes and repeated my question to Loelle.
She shrugged. “The only way to be sure is to actually use your powers together, but I fear doing so would alert Lord Endrick to your position. We need a quieter method.”
“Such as?”
“There’s a simple test.” Joth held out his hand to me. I walked over to him and tentatively took his hand. “Don’t use your magic, just think about it, and I’ll do the same.”
I closed my eyes and reached out to feel the strength inside him. How easily I could take enough to sustain myself for days. It would be wrong, I knew that, but he’d been so unlikable since we’d met, the temptation was there.
Still skeptical, I reached for his strength but was surprised to feel something tug from his end too as he focused on me. His magic pressed in tighter and tighter, until I was short of breath. Suffocating.
I could stop him.
Unnerved, I yanked my hand free, and he immediately backed away, eyes wide with alarm. “You considered killing me just now?”
Killing him? No, of course not! Yes, maybe I’d considered draining his strength, incapacitating him for days, but I wouldn’t kill him. How would he have known that anyway?
Or how was it that I had felt something from him too?