Wild Magic

Chapter 19. The God on Her Shoulders

A gray-brown beast trotting beside her, the Honeychild danced with the Honey Dancers through the kariams of the High City, drawing women from the towers and the tenements, adding their voices to the rising-falling howl that vibrated from tower to tower. Wild Magic swirled among them, caught in the net of Abeyhamal’s Summoning.

OW ooo OUM OWWW ooo AHHH UM Their mouths gaped wide, snapped shut, stretched again, their eyes stared-they saw not the towers along the kariams but mica-bright wings like frozen light. Wild Magic grew wings that vibrated and sang so high a note the sound pierced the ears.

OW ooo OUM OWWW ooo AHHH UM

In convoluted double loops they danced, filling the kariams, crossing the Inner Ring Road to the towers of the Cheoshim. Wild Magic dipped and rose, undulating with the rise and fall of the humming howl.

OW ooo OUM OWWW ooo AIIHH UM They circled a Cheoshim tower, stomping and weaving in time with the SOUND-hundreds of women moving together, ecstatic and terrible, a maelstrom of magic force pressing against the tower. Wild Magic merged into a fog that flowed in silver-gray streamers along the lines of power.

Windows shattered and women came out to join the dance.

The air shivered.

Mica wings splintered the sunlight, swept away. Honeychild, Honey Beast, Honey Dancers ran after them. The women ran after them.

The Wild Magic coursed with them.

OW ooo OUM OWWW ooo AHHH UM Another tower.

Windows shattered.

Men swarmed out and tried to beat the women off.

The women ululated and ripped into them with teeth and claws, trampled them, tore them to bloody shreds and went on, following the light-splintering wings and the dancing Honeychild and the Honeychild’s magic beast.

Wild Magic swept along with them.

OW ooo OUM OWWW ooo AHHH UM