Dreams of Fury: Descendants of the Fall Book IV by Hodges, Aaron (most important books to read .txt) 📗

be responsible for the terrible things she’d done with it, but there remained a selfish part of her that did not want to see another use it. She slipped it onto her wrist and shivered as its silver threads melded with her flesh.

Light leapt from the mesh as Erika squeezed her fist, her strength at least partially restored by the earlier meal and sleep. Her stomach gave another rumble though, and she looked beyond Cara to where she’d left the food.

“Have you eaten?” she asked.

Cara’s stomach gave an audible growl as a sheepish look crossed her face. “A few of the eggs,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “I wasn’t sure whether it was safe to light a fire,” she added, glancing at the hearth.

Erika nodded. “It should be now, so long as we keep the windows shuttered. Come, let’s see what we can cook up.”

An hour later the pair sat back on the earthen floor with a warm bowl of stew in their laps. Inhaling the rich aroma of the broth, Erika began to salivate. But if she was hungry, Cara must have been moments from starvation, for the Goddess was practically inhaling her bowl.

Chuckling to herself, Erika ate more slowly, taking care not to burn her mouth. It was a shame they had no bread to give the broth substance, but the tubers she’d dug from the vegetable patch with her bare hands helped. The remnants of the salted beef added flavour too, and by the time she was finished Erika felt better than she had in…who knew how long. She hadn’t had a proper meal since leaving the City of the Gods.

They helped themselves to seconds after the first, then Erika let Cara finish the remnants from the beaten pot. The Anahera needed more sustenance to thrive than the average human, and it was obvious the past weeks had taken their toll on her friend. The flesh had sunken on Cara’s face, revealing sharp cheekbones. Even the slim muscle of her shoulders and arms had withered. No wonder the queen had beaten her so easily, despite only being half-Anahera.

Turning her eyes to the gauntlet, Erika studied its shimmering links, feeling its innate warmth. They would both need to rebuild their strength if they were to stand a chance against Amina. This house would not be safe for long, regardless who won the battle for the Illmoor. But where would be safe for them? Gemaho had fallen and all of Flumeer was aligned against them. Perfugia was far and away, impossible to reach without a ship, and besides they too were allies of Amina. The Sovereigns would turn the pair over the moment they appeared on those distant shores.

“You look worried.”

Erika’s head jerked up at the interruption. She frowned at the Goddess. Light from the gauntlet bathed Cara’s face, adding a glow to her amber eyes as she leaned closer, as though to inspect Erika. Blinking, Erika considered her words, and struggled to contain a mad bout of laughter.

“Me, worried? Why would I be worried?” she asked wryly. “I mean, there’s an insane creature and her legion of Tangata hunting us. And the only ally I had left is dead, his entire kingdom burned to the ground.” Her voice grew in pitch as she spoke, tears welling in her eyes as the weight of what they faced fell upon her shoulders. “Then there’s the Flumeeren queen, your half-sister, the woman I served for years, the same woman who killed my father. A woman with the powers of the Anahera and an army at her back, who would love nothing more than to torture me until the end of my days.”

A tear streaked Erika’s cheek and she turned away from the Goddess, fixing her eyes on the fire. She felt herself a vase that had been heated by the glass blower for too long, filled to bursting, ready to shatter into a thousand pieces at the slightest touch.

Then strong hands were wrapping around her, holding her close. A sob burst from Erika’s lips as she turned to Cara, the pressure within bursting, and all her pain and despair and anger came gushing out. Gasping, she buried her head in the Goddess’s shoulder.

“Whatdamigoingtodo?” The words rushed from her between sobs. Fists clenched, she clutched Cara as though she were a true Goddess, as though she possessed the power to lift her burden, to free her from their danger.

“You’ll find a way, Erika,” Cara’s whisper came through the darkness. “I believe in you.”

A hiccup burst from Erika’s lips as she finally pulled away, eyes still hot with tears, cheeks wet. The Goddess offered a hesitant smile as they drew apart.

“What if I can’t?” Erika whispered. “What if its beyond me?”

“You will,” Cara replied firmly. “It’s what makes you special, what made me—” she cut off abruptly, and it seemed her face brightened in the flickering firelight.

Erika frowned. “What?”

The Anahera shook her head, her feathers rustling as she turned towards the fire. Silence fell, before Cara breached it with a new topic. “Maybe it was because of how different you all are from us,” she murmured.

“Huh?” Erika asked, her confusion deepening at the Goddess’s cryptic speech.

“That made my mother fall in love with your people, with the queen’s father.”

“Oh…” Erika exhaled. She couldn’t help but shudder at the memory of Amina’s naked back, the terrible scars left from her amputated wings. “What are you saying?” she added at last.

“There is so much life in humanity,” Cara said, eyes still on the flames. “The clothing, the art, the music, in everything you do. It’s like you fit a dozen of our lifespans into every year of your own existence, every moment. Each of you are so different, so unique, even the Tangata must wonder at it.” She looked up, eyes locking with Erika’s. “When I first saw you, I thought you must have been from another species to the others. From Romaine and Lukys and the Perfugians. They were warriors, rugged and unkept, their