No one argued.
Maggie swept the bones back into the pouch. A tremor gripped one of her hands. I stood, intending to help, but Liora got there first and gathered up the cards.
I needed air.
Spinning on my heel, I headed to the door and opened it an inch. The firelights lit up the night, dancing above the water amidst the spectral fog. I sucked in one breath. Then another. I’d always imagined a swamp would stink, but other than a faint musky note, it was pleasant, even comforting.
A hand gripped my shoulder. I turned, expecting Frazer.
“Stupid question, but how are you?” Liora asked with worried eyes.
I closed the door and slumped back against it. “No idea. Terrified, exhilarated, tired. You?”
She looked lost. “I’m not sure either. It’ll take a while to sink in.” Her throat bobbed as she went on. “The most annoying thing is we don’t have a timeline. The things she told us—this war: it could start in a month or a year.” She blinked. “Or it could already have begun.”
I pushed myself away from the door and crossed my arms. “When they told us the trials would be difficult, I don’t think they had this in mind.”
“It could’ve been worse.” Liora managed a half-smile.
I gave her an incredulous look.
“We could’ve gone to another witch and been cursed,” she finished.
That sobered me up. “I don’t know about that. All this feels a bit like a curse to me.”
Liora moved in to hug me. I was slow and stiff returning it.
“You’re not alone,” Liora whispered in my ear and pulled away.
“At least I got a nice cup of tea.”
Empty, stupid words that caused Liora to huff a sad laugh.
Maggie muttered something about needing scrying tools and disappeared into the back room again. The kettle started to whistle, and Liora wandered over to help Adrianna. I walked back to the table, and Frazer and Cai moved to stand either side of me.
Liora brought clean cups over, and Adrianna followed with the teapot.
Cai took a sniff as they poured, screwing up his face in disgust. “I can’t stand herbal tea. Our relatives always brewed it and forced their foul-smelling concoctions down our throats.”
Adrianna picked up a full cup across from us, blowing on the surface. “Fine. But we should at least refill our canteens before we leave. The fewer stops we make on the way back, the better. Once we get the hair, I won’t feel safe until we place it in Goldwyn’s hands.”
Cai frowned over at her. “You’re worried about Tysion.”
Her shoulders went up to her ears. An attempt at a careless shrug. “He won’t have given up.”
“They might’ve already nabbed someone,” Liora reasoned. “We don’t know they’ll come after us.”
Adrianna’s mouth twisted. “You don’t know him. He’ll want revenge for what Cai did. My guess is he’ll set a trap in the one place he knows we’ll be—near the camp.”
Cai hooted appreciatively. “Damn. Maybe you should’ve been the leader.”
Adrianna bared her teeth. “Definitely.”
“We’ll discuss this later. One thing at a time.” Liora handed me a steaming cup from over the table.
I gave her a thin-lipped smile and set the tea down. My belly was already churning, and no amount of herbal tea could soothe those nerves.
Maggie returned with a silver knife, a rolled-up map, and a quartz necklace. She dumped the items on the table and took her place at the head of it. Spotting the teapot, she immediately poured herself a cup. She downed the whole mug in one. I winced. It had to be scalding.
Maggie put the cup down, smacking her lips. “Serena, come join me.”
She beckoned but didn’t look up. Her focus was on the map she was rolling out.
I joined her left side as she offered me the knife hilt. “D’you want to do it?” Maggie asked.
Reluctant to take the blade, I bought time by asking, “What do I do after I’ve cut myself?”
Maggie pointed to the quartz. “Place a drop of your blood onto the crystal.”
Frazer cut in. “First, a lock of your hair.”
Maggie tsked and brought the knife up. Mercilessly, she sliced through a chunk and shoved it into Frazer’s open palm. He went to put it into his bag by the door. Once he’d returned to us, Maggie offered me the blade again.
Bracing, gritting my teeth, I swept its cool edge across one of the red puckered lines Frazer had given me only yesterday. The biting sting made me hiss a little as I swapped the knife for the quartz, holding it against the welling blood.
Maggie snatched the crystal away the moment it touched a drop of red. Dangling it over the map, she began to swing it in wide circles. The quartz soon slowed.
The witch sucked in a raggedy breath. “There.”
The crystal dropped onto the map.
Everyone leaned in. It was southwest of here and rested on the border between the Riverlands and the Solar Court.
Maggie confirmed the location. “Sapor village. That’s where you’ll find the Priestess.”
A telltale crease formed on her forehead. Shit.
I had to ask. “What is it?”
“There’s a witch by the name of Hazel Greysand who dwells in those parts, but she’s not meant to be anything more than a peddler of healing brews and the odd charm.”
“You think she’s the one we’re looking for?” Cai asked.
We. That tiny word was a gift and a balm to the fear twisting my guts up.
A muscle twitched underneath Maggie’s silver eye. “I don’t believe in coincidences. Even if she’s not this Priestess, she might point you in the right direction. And here—you may as well take the map.”
She rolled up the parchment and passed it to me. I walked over to my bag by the door and shoved it down to the very bottom.
Maggie’s voice rang out loud and clear. “I’m sure you’re eager to be going, but the swamp’s no place for land-lovers, especially at night. So, you’ll all be resting here until daybreak. Understood?”
“That’s generous. We’d be grateful for the shelter,” Liora said politely.
As I turned back around, I noticed a look pass between Adrianna and Frazer, but neither objected.
“Good. You’re welcome to share my meal of wimpet fish, as humble as it is.”
“Sounds delicious,” Cai said. All grace and charm.
We didn’t have to wait long before a few fish had fried over the fire; something my stomach was exceedingly pleased about. Maggie ate her portion straight out of the pan. The rest of us made do with wooden bowls and fingers. We all sat on the floor on our sleeping bags while Maggie had the stool by the fire. She seemed determined that there would be no more discussion of prophecies. Instead, she told us stories of her life in the swamp.
Straight after the food, Maggie dumped our bowls in the sink, blew out the lanterns, and left for the back room, mumbling “goodnight” on the way.
My eyes shut as soon as I climbed into my bedroll. The crackle and the spit of the fire immediately lulled me into a silent, sleepy haze …
Maggie’s silver eye was there, spinning in its socket, peering out at me from a dream.
Her words echoing, mate.
Mate.
Chapter 19
Following Breadcrumbs
Gods, Adrianna definitely had a built-in alarm, because she was rousing us at dawn when the cabin had turned cold and nothing but embers flickered in the hearth. Cai wanted to slip out quickly and quietly without waking Maggie. I debated arguing; the witch was the only one with any answers, after all. So much had changed last night. So much had been said.
I had light magic in my veins. Meant to be impossible.
I had to find the Priestess. Or die.
War was imminent.
Somewhere out there was my mate.
But, in the end, I didn’t fight going. Maggie had come close to a burn-out, trying to see my future. Even if she’d do another reading, it might damage her permanently.