Wild Magic

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Faan leaned against the left-hand pillar on the Bridge Approach. “I want to stay here, Mamay. I’m sick of all that over there.”

Reyna grimaced. “I wish you could, honey. I hate not being able to… He slammed his fist into the pillar. “Gods!”

“My°. “

He caught her wrist, ran his thumb up her arm. “You’ve all that power, honey. Use it. Get out of this place. Once you’re over the border, SHE can’t…”

“Oh diyo, she can. Riverman says it was HER brought me here. I know he’s right and so do you, Ma-may, you told about Dikhan’s pipedream. Power, t’s, I’m as helpless as I was when I was a baby.”

He hunched his shoulders, scowled past her at the moongleams on the sluggish river.

“I’ve yelled and argued and tried everything I could think of, Rey, trying to get her to lift the Barrier for you. She won’t listen to me. She won’t do anything I ask. She just uses me.”

“Gods!”

She reached up, caught a strand of his hair, tweaked it. “You’re repeating yourself, Mamay. Getting senile, huh?”

“Kimkim! Respect your old ma, huh? Forgetting Abeyhamal, how’s it going Southside?”

She rubbed her shoulders against the pillar. “It’s a mess, Rey. Arguing all the time, fighting. People getting hit on the head, robbed. Farmers fighting Woodmen, cooks fighting brewers, everybody yelling. Pulling at ME.” She pushed at her hair; it was cut short, just brushing her shoulders, fine and black, blowing in the warm wind. “They all want me, all those factions. As if having me support them validates them.” She grimaced, brought Reyna’s hand up, rubbed the back of it against her thin cheek. “I’m so tired, Mamay. So tired.”

Reyna smiled, caught a strand of her hair, lifted it off her face. “I never thought I’d say it, but I miss your purple spikes.”

“Wasn’t much point keeping that up. No time for fun, can’t play or sass. The paint made my head itch anyway.” She leaned against him with a small sigh that squeezed his heart.

“You’d better get on home, honey. And be careful. I’ll still be watching. You’ll see me when you dance.”

She sighed again, her breath making a small warm spot on his ribs. “Mamay.”