“I’ve lived in the Riverlands Court my whole life. Dimitri’s loyalties are well-known in those circles,” she said flippantly.
Frazer glanced sidelong at me. “Then she should be even more careful. Traitors are capable of anything.”
Adrianna just frowned.
Cai’s eyes flitted to Liora. “Either way, we should keep an eye on him. For all our sakes.”
A general murmur of consent.
I don’t want you going anywhere in Kasi alone. Not anymore. Understood?
I met Frazer’s intense glare. It was tempting to snap back. To insist that he could shove his orders. But he was in my head, my heart, my blood; I knew his protective nature hadn’t sprung from nothing.
Still, there had to be boundaries. There had to be a gods-damned line somewhere. Of course, he saw straight through me.
Draw a line some other day. This isn’t the time. You’ve just had magic fired into your veins. We already have too many unanswered questions about that and other things. You’re vulnerable …
His thoughts broke and scattered on the last word. My heart went out to him. I nodded, caving. Then we stick together… briska?
Frazer smiled at my pathetic attempt to speak Kaeli. Brother is brata.
Brata.
His lip twitched. He bowed his head. Siska.
Chapter 18
The Witch
We woke to a cold and cheerless breakfast of berries and nuts, followed by a long slog in the gloom. With every passing mile I noted the pines thinning, replaced by red maples, and oaks spattered with furry lichen. The air grew thick, stale, and heavy with moisture. Moving was akin to swimming through honey.
The afternoon rolled around, and a report from Adrianna told us we’d be arriving soon. After hours of walking on blisters, it was a gift. The forest floor started to slope downhill; I focused on navigating the ferns, loose stones, and slick moss underfoot. Not even a whisper of a breeze stirred the leaves in the trees, and yet the rich scents of muddied water and decaying vegetation hit me anyway, smothering me.
Frazer grasped the top of my arm, yanking me back. “Careful.”
I blinked stupidly. The swamp had arrived, silent and unseen. The earth gave way suddenly, revealing an overgrown tawny, copper swampland marked by climbing plants, purple waterlilies, and gnarled trees that rose from the water, standing proud like pillars. Like watchful guardians.
A lumpy and rather narrow path started to the right of me, cutting and snaking through the swamp. Our way forward. A sense of foreboding crept in as I failed to trace the track’s direction—its destination was hidden due to wisps of smoke curling off the water, extending toward us like phantom fingers outstretched.
“Well, I’ve seen worse places and lived to tell the tale,” Frazer said in dry amusement.
Ever optimistic.
Cai strode to the swamp’s edge, peering out, hand on hilt, assessing. He turned to us and said, “Well, I’d still rather face whatever’s out there than battle another eerie.”
My stomach lurched, recalling the feeling as the eerie slid under my skin, taking possession. Frazer angled his body toward mine as he sensed my discomfort. It wasn’t a hug, but then that wasn’t his style. I took comfort from it all the same.
With a flap and a thud, Adrianna landed next to us. Cai’s hands slackened at his sides as he regarded her. “This is your court. Any advice before we head out there?”
Adrianna’s shoulders arched and rolled as she flexed her wings. As if loosening them from some deep seated tension locked in her body. “The witches here aren’t like those in the Crescent. They’re loners. They don’t form clans or pool their magic, which makes them suspicious of outsiders. But they still need to make a living, and certain individuals sell their magic,” she said, sounding brittle. “They also ward their doors, so we can’t sneak in. Our best bet might be to visit a witch who has regular customers from outside the swamp. There’s a fae-witch who lives nearby. She might let some of us inside.”
Not much reassurance there.
Cai obviously thought the same as me. “Will she, or won’t she?”
A pause and a frown. Adrianna began, “She’s a strong, solitary fae-witch, living out in the swamps. She’ll be cautious. Especially of strange witches or a wingless fae. Maybe if I go in alone—”
Cai interrupted. “Not a chance.”
He sounded absolute, unyielding. Like a General issuing orders to a soldier. Adrianna’s features darkened. She opened her mouth, no doubt intent on an angry retort. Liora shut that down quickly. “What’s this witch’s name?”
Something distant and sharp sparked in Adrianna’s eyes. “They call her Maggie OneEye.”
“Maggie OneEye?” Liora breathed, as she looked to her brother. “We’ve heard about her in the Crescent.”
Adrianna’s hand fluttered up to grip her bow handle tightly. “What do they say about her?”
Cai’s words reflected awe. “That she’s blessed with the sight. They say she even predicted Morgan’s accession.”
Adrianna huffed. A poor attempt at nonchalance. “Yes, she predicted it, not that it did much good. I only mention her because other than divining our deaths as a punishment, she can’t do much if we need to use force.”
A harsh laugh passed Cai’s lips. “And divining our deaths isn’t enough of a deterrent for you?”
Adrianna clucked her tongue. “I just meant she can’t send people flying with a wave of their hand, like you.”
A coy smirk was his response. “You noticed.”
His expression invited verbal sparring, but Adrianna didn’t bat an eyelash. “If you want to choose another target—”
Cai shook his head. “We just need to decide on an approach. If she’s a seer, then the best way to get inside is to ask for a reading. As for stealing her hair, I’d prefer to avoid a fight, and I don’t want to barter, either. Not when some witches would sooner ask for a finger in payment than a bag of silver.”
I flinched at that.
“That leaves deceit,” Frazer voiced quietly.
Cai nodded once. And eyeballed Adrianna. “If I can make an odorless sleeping powder to knock her on her ass, d’you think you could get close enough to dose her?”
Adrianna’s expression tightened. “Yes.”
The thought of her going in alone bothered me more than it should. She was more than capable.
In the next heartbeat, Cai slipped his rucksack from his shoulders, brought out a small red journal from the bottom, and opened it. His eyes scanning, his finger following a line of text, he said, “I think I’ve got the basic ingredients.”
Cai kneeled next to his bag, placed the journal face down, and pulled out linen pouches filled with herbs, and a wooden mortar and pestle.
“Why bring that stuff with you?” Frazer asked, frowning down at him.
Crushing a few pinches of a yellow herb, he replied, “Habit.”
Liora clarified. “A witch gets taught from an early age to carry supplies.”
“Will it be strong enough to drop a witch?” Frazer asked.
Cai became too busy mixing ingredients and muttering to himself to answer. Liora was left to assure us it would, but her eyes shifted to Adrianna as she said it. I knew then that Liora was just as concerned about her meeting with Maggie alone as I was.
An idea formed; I made Adrianna a quiet offer. “I’ll go in with you. I’m not fae, and if you can’t sense any magic on me, then neither will she.”
Frazer’s canines punched down. “Absolutely not,” he said, his voice deepening in alarm.
My brows vaulted to my hairline. “This isn’t your decision—”
He snapped, “I disagree.”
I flinched. Damn, what was wrong with him?
Adrianna cut in, amusement coloring her voice. “Welcome to the world of fae males.”
Frazer shot her a sharp look. “Serena’s my kin, and she has powerful magic. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to not want her near a seer who for all we know is sympathetic to that bitch’s cause.”
Adrianna bristled. “Her magic isn’t traceable. And she’s already used it to kill an eerie.”
Frazer retorted, “You heard how she did it. It was a fluke. She hasn’t learned to control it yet.”