The Spell Realm (The Sorcery Code #2)(53)

Esther’s chin quivered. “Why won’t they just leave you alone?” she said in frustration. “It’s not like you’re hurting anyone.”

“They’re afraid,” Blaise said. “Of Gala, of the unknown.”

Esther’s lips tightened as she glanced up at the sky. “If they truly knew her, they would realize that it’s foolish,” she said vehemently. “She may be the most powerful sorceress out there, but she would never hurt anyone on purpose—especially now that she seems to know what she’s doing.”

Blaise nodded. “I know, but they won’t listen to reason—which is why we must leave.”

“When are you going to go?”

“As soon as we can,” Blaise replied, looking up at Gala’s tiny figure in the sky. “As soon as we possibly can.”





Chapter 36: Gala





Gala’s mind was at ease. She focused on her breathing and the storm for what seemed like years, but it could just as easily have been minutes—it was hard to tell in this state. Eventually, she felt her concentration ebbing, and she slowly opened her eyes.

The storm was all but gone, with just a few stray clouds remaining in the distance. Exhaling in joyous relief, she allowed her body to slowly descend.

Looking down, she was shocked to see the village transformed. There were some kind of new structures—buildings that looked like the round pebbles she had noticed all around the village, only they were gigantic, house-sized. The villagers themselves were out on the street, watching her descend.

As she got closer, she could hear them cheering and clapping. Blaise was standing there silently, an unreadable expression on his face.

When her feet touched the ground, he was already there, pulling her into his embrace. She could feel the tremors running through his body, and she realized that he had been afraid for her—that he worried about her as much as she worried about him. For a minute, he simply held her tightly, not saying a word, but then his arms loosened and he pulled back to meet her gaze. “How do you feel?” he asked quietly, looking at her. “You must be exhausted.”

“Actually, I feel wonderful,” she admitted, staring up at him. She was experiencing a strange sort of pent-up energy and excitement. She wasn’t tired; instead she felt powerful, like she could move mountains or battle another storm.

Of course, part of what she was feeling had nothing to do with the aftermath of controlling the storm and everything to do with Blaise himself.

“You don’t feel tired?” Blaise looked shocked. “You were up there for almost twenty hours.”

Gala smiled up at him. “I actually feel better than I did before.”

As Blaise stared at her in amazement, she became aware that nearly the entire village had gathered around them. Sliding her arm around Blaise’s waist, she turned to face them.

Maya and Esther were watching her with pride, while others seemed to be dumbstruck with awe. For a moment, she became aware of that strange human feeling of self-consciousness, but it quickly faded, and she beamed at them, happy to see that everyone she knew was well.

“Come, let’s go to my house,” Blaise said, looking down at her. “If you’re not tired, then I’d like to gather some of my magic supplies for our upcoming trip. Tomorrow morning we’ll return here to say our goodbyes.”

“We’re leaving already?” Gala frowned in disappointment. She felt like she was just starting to get to know the people in this village, and she didn’t want to leave. “Where are we going to go?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Blaise admitted, “but I don’t want to put anyone in danger by staying here. You heard what Ganir told me. We might’ve already overstayed our welcome.”

Gala stifled her disappointment. She knew that Blaise was right; the last thing she wanted was for anyone to get hurt because of her. Besides, there could be interesting things in the world out there, and she could feel her curiosity slowly awakening as she thought about all the wonders she had yet to see.

“All right,” she said, a smile reappearing on her face. “Then let’s go to your house.”



*



After checking to make sure people were settling into their new homes, they got on Blaise’s chaise and flew toward the canyon. On the way there, Blaise peppered Gala with detailed questions, trying to learn how she had been able to control the storm.

Gala struggled to explain exactly how it worked. If only she could somehow make Blaise experience it for himself . . . And then she remembered Life Capture. Perhaps with the right spell she could actually create a droplet? She tucked the idea away for later; for now, she did her best to explain how it all hinged on being calm and in control, the way he’d taught her, plus the mathematical nature of the world.

As they reached the canyon, she saw Blaise looking down at the house with a wistful expression on his face.

“You know,” she said, smiling, “wherever we end up, I can teleport the house there again.”

“That’s true.” Blaise returned her smile. “So I will only take what is absolutely necessary for our flight.”

When they landed, Gala saw that the house had survived the storm essentially undamaged. It looked like the canyon walls provided a natural shield, and she guessed that the house itself was a much sturdier structure than the villagers’ former homes.