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Back We Are Blood and Thunder
Chapters (32)
  1. PROLOGUE
  2. ONE
  3. TWO
  4. THREE
  5. FOUR
  6. FIVE
  7. SIX
  8. SEVEN
  9. EIGHT
  10. NINE
  11. TEN
  12. ELEVEN
  13. TWELVE
  14. THIRTEEN
  15. FOURTEEN
  16. FIFTEEN
  17. SIXTEEN
  18. SEVENTEEN
  19. EIGHTEEN
  20. NINETEEN
  21. TWENTY
  22. TWENTY-ONE
  23. TWENTY-TWO
  24. TWENTY-THREE
  25. TWENTY-FOUR
  26. TWENTY-FIVE
  27. TWENTY-SIX
  28. TWENTY-SEVEN
  29. TWENTY-EIGHT
  30. TWENTY-NINE
  31. EPILOGUE
  32. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

“You told me that you’ve been experiencing strange things for the past year. And whether or not you dare to admit it, these things can only be explained by magic. And that means your magic has awoken in you.” Emris glanced across at her, his dark eyes shining. “‘Magic’ is the term we use for the supernatural effect of Chaos upon Order. A person with magical abilities is holding chaotic forces inside their body. This has the capacity to be dangerous—very dangerous—if these forces are not controlled.”

Lena frowned. Was he suggesting she had hurt someone? “But I haven’t…”

He started to shake his head, and she trailed off. “Not necessarily dangerous to other people, not yet, although that will come in time. But certainly dangerous to the mages themselves. Chaotic forces have been known to overwhelm the physical form—in short, to kill, to steal consciousness, to become another entity entirely. A force of Chaos loose in the physical world—that’s a terrifying prospect. That’s what we call a Radical.”

“Is that … is that what’s going to happen to me?” Lena swallowed. It did sound terrifying.

“No,” Emris said firmly. “Not now, anyway. You are a Rogue—you hold the potential to become overwhelmed by your magic, and that is dangerous. That’s why I want to help you. If you were a Radical already, I would have had to kill you on sight.”

Lena suddenly felt colder. She looked down at her hands clutching the woolen blanket around her legs. She remembered the Ancestors, eyes swiveling, limbs jerking under her touch. What was she capable of, truly?

“But that’s why children who demonstrate magical abilities must, by law, be educated in one of the temples. There’s a ceremony called the Binding, in which the mage’s power is tied to a god. After this ceremony, it is impossible for Chaos within the mage to overwhelm him or her. Combine this with strict regulations, patterns of thought, rituals, and rules … and, yes, magic is made as safe as it can ever be.” He smiled. “So you see, the fear of mages in Duke’s Forest is not without rationality—without temples, mages are dangerous indeed, and magic can turn you and everything you love to dust. And that is why I need to get you to the City of Kings.”