19. The Seer
CHAPTER NINETEEN
THE SEER
“I’m taking you to meet Neyes.”
I tried to remember if I’d heard that name before. “Uh… if you could remind me…?”
“You haven’t met them,” Riel assured me. “Do you remember during your tour when I mentioned there are extra rooms in the tower?”
Vaguely? I nodded, frowning.
“That was a half-truth. There’s one room in the tower and a person who stays there. Their name is Neyes. They serve as an advisor to my family, my mother especially.”
“Oh-kay?” When my thinly veiled prompt failed to elicit an explanation from Riel, I raised an eyebrow and nodded encouragingly. “We’re going to see them because…?”
Riel made a vexed sort of sound in his throat as we entered the castle.
“I think I mentioned this once, but there are five categories of magic. Most often, you’ll come across one of the four I told you about: mending, breaking, changing, and making. The fifth is uncommon, and it does not have a direct translation, but you could think of it as something like… a specialty, up to chance. Essentially, those abilities that are impossible to categorize elsewhere. This person belongs to this group.”
“Okay. So, what do they do?”
“Neyes sees visions of the future. Among those who are aware of their ability, it’s widely believed that the visions are direct communications from the Goddess Herself.”
I blinked as his words settled in.
“Woah!” The exclamation burst out of me before I thought to lower my voice, and my hands shot up to my mouth. “You’re saying that you guys have a psychic?”
With a grimace, Riel glanced around to make sure we had privacy. The hall was thankfully empty. “Technically, my mother does,” he said. “It’s not… general knowledge, exactly. At least, not the true extent of their abilities.” He gave me a meaningful look. “It’s certainly not information that your government needs to know.”
I mimed zipping my lips shut even as my heart pounded with the weight of such a secret. “So, they’ll be able to see the future and tell us what we need to do?”
“With luck, they will be able to provide us with guidance,” Riel agreed as we headed down a corridor in the direction of the kitchens. “It’s unlikely that we’ll get a straight answer, since that’s rarely how their visions go. But it’s worth a try.”
“For sure!” I could use all the help I could get. “Anything I need to know in advance?”
Riel considered my question. “It can be unsettling, speaking to someone who seems to know everything,” he said eventually. “I’ll guide the conversation, but feel free to participate as much or as little as you like. And don’t be surprised if something unexpected comes up, or if they act strangely. Some abilities do… odd things to people.”
“Okay, good to know.” I still had questions, but they could wait.
The kitchens were bustling, with numerous people rushing to prepare trays of food to be delivered to the castle residents. The head chef—his name was something with a J, if I remembered correctly—spotted us as we entered. He said something to Riel in the fae language as we took our seats at the prep table, and Riel responded with a grin. The cook chuckled to himself and went to fetch us some food.
“He says we must have missed him,” Riel translated for me, still smiling. “It’s uncommon that someone chooses to eat in the kitchen, but this is one of those second son perks I told you about. I told him he’s far more important than either of us.”
“Accurate.” I giggled, grateful to be included in the conversation. “Food is the backbone of society, after all. Definitely more important than you… maybe a close second to me, though.”
“Is humility considered a desirable trait where you come from, or is that only the case here?” Riel asked wryly. An impish smile was the only answer I had for him.
The cook came by with trays. The day’s late morning meal was a stuffed egg dish, essentially a spiced veggie scramble served in the shell. Last time I’d had it, I’d asked what they had that produced such big eggs with thick shells, and Riel described an emu-like animal.
The chef gave Riel a wink before leaving, which drew my attention to his tray. To my surprise, he got two plates—one with the same portion of eggs I had, and one with more raast , the same white, gelatinous cubes we’d had for breakfast that morning. I raised an eyebrow.
“They know me well,” he said by way of explanation.
“You do seem to like those,” I commented as I picked up my spoon.
“I’d go so far as to say it might be my favorite food.”
“Really?”
“Mm-hmm. I haven’t had the pleasure of sampling many human foods, though. For all I know, there’s something even better somewhere across The Rift.”
“We do have some good stuff. Pizza, chili cheese fries, falafel, butter chicken and garlic naan…” My mouth watered despite the fact I was already eating. God, I missed how indulgent our food was. Fae food was so elegant and restrained by comparison.
Riel leaned back and sighed. “Someday, I hope that the relationship between our two worlds will be such that I can travel freely across your globe. There are many things I hope to experience for myself one day.”
“Honestly, same.” Although the thought of crossing through The Rift had once been a terrifying ordeal, I now found myself curious about the world in ways I hadn’t been since my teen years. I was proud of the progress I’d made, although I was sure that was due to Riel’s influence. Having a patient, capable guide did a lot to ease my nerves. And once I figured out my magic, maybe I could bargain with George for more freedom.
With that thought in mind, I shoveled the last few bites into my mouth and swallowed them down, eager to get going. “Better get a move on,” I said, swinging my legs over the bench to get to my feet. “The sooner we can get this sorted out, the better. I’m more than ready to be done with all the meditating.”
Riel made a sound of agreement as he finished off his last piece of raast .
“It is good?” asked an accented voice from behind me. With a jump of surprise, I whirled about to find myself face-to-face with the cook.
“Oh, yes!” I made a show of patting my belly. “Delicious as always. Thank you!”
The cook nodded, pleased with my response. He said something to Riel, who shrugged and gave a noncommittal reply. I thought I picked up a few familiar sounds, but nothing useful. Though I kept a pleasant smile pasted on my face, frustration brewed beneath the surface. Not for the first time, I wished there was a language app or at least a textbook I could learn from.
As we left the kitchen and headed across the hallway for the spiral staircase, I fell into step beside Riel. “After I get my magic sorted, how about you start teaching me your language?” I suggested. “We’ll need something to fill our time with, after all. And I’d like to learn.”
“Perhaps.” Riel leaned in and lowered his voice. “Though if passing time is the goal, I can think of several activities that would be more desirable than further lessons.”
Having a gutter brain, my cheeks colored at his words. He overlooked my reaction and added, “And although I am a wonderful teacher, it is not my primary calling.”
When we reached the base of the stairs, Riel paused.
“Ready?” he asked me. “Remember, whatever happens, I have your back.”
I nodded to show that I understood and gestured for him to get on with it. Although he meant to reassure me, I found that it became easier to overthink things the more they were discussed. Sometimes it was better to leap in rather than test the water first.
Riel started up the steps with me on his heels. Our footsteps echoed in the tight space. The stairs went up much farther than I had expected, curling up and around out of sight and beyond. Just as I began to wonder if there was some kind of confusing magic at play, an ornate wooden door appeared, signaling that we’d reached the top.
My palms started to sweat. I discreetly wiped them on my shorts as Riel raised a hand to knock. Before his hand made contact, a voice called out from the other side of the door.
“Now, who could that be?” A soft chuckle followed. “Come in!”
Riel and I shared a glance. He reached out to grip the handle and push the door inward. No sooner had a gap been created than a short, blond figure appeared, making me jump.
“The prince!” The person there, who I assumed was Neyes, made a show of throwing a hand up to their mouth and gasping. “What a pleasant surprise.” Despite their choice of words, their expression remained slack, without even a lick of surprise.
Riel rolled his eyes and bid me to come in as the person stepped back to give us room to enter. Once inside, I had the chance to examine the figure before me.
They were… not what I expected. A nest of unruly curls sat atop their head, flat on one side and a frizzy halo on the other. Their irises were such a pale blue-gray that they almost appeared white. They were also short for a fae, around my height, and I couldn’t tell if they were male or female. It didn’t help that the tunic they wore was drab and shapeless, providing an effect not unlike a child wearing a potato sack.
“Um, h-hello,” I stammered, realizing that silence had fallen. Holding out a hand, I introduced myself. “I’m Avery. From America, across The Rift. Riel’s been teaching me about my magic for the last couple of months.”
Neyes’s eyes sparkled with delight as they directed their gaze to Riel.
“You told her who I am?” they asked, pointing at me.
“I did,” Riel replied, remaining stoic. Neyes directed their attention back to me just as I let my unshaken hand fall back to my side.
“I appreciate your introduction. It is refreshing,” they said, turning away from the door and making for the bed on the other side of the room. “Most people come to me assuming that I already know everything. I usually do, but… that does not make for the best conversation.”
Neyes sat with a huff of exertion, displacing a board game that had been sitting on the covers. Crossing their legs underneath them, they looked at us expectantly.
Riel cleared his throat. “You probably know why we’re here…” he began.
“A good start,” Neyes exclaimed, clapping their hands together. “But let me stop you there. I have not met anyone new in decades. Tell me about yourself, Avery. ”
“Oh!” I scrambled for words. “Ah, I, uh… I’m twenty-two years old. No siblings. Born in Connecticut, later moved to Washington, D.C. My favorite subject is sociology. My interests include video games, social media, reality TV shows, swimming, tennis… uh, what else… I want to learn how to play the guitar someday.”
Neyes didn’t blink even once throughout my speech.
“How wonderful!” They laughed. “So many strange words, I can barely understand you. And how do you like our world, Avery?”
“It’s lovely,” I offered. “This area is beautiful, and the weather is so nice. The food is delicious. Everyone’s been so accommodating.”
“Accommodating? Yes…” Neyes’s gaze flicked to Riel and lingered there, causing him to stiffen. Neyes was quick to wave off his concern. “It will be our little secret,” they promised, putting a finger to their lips. “If I wanted to tell anyone, I would have to leave this room, after all.” Their light chuckle seemed to set Riel at ease—mostly, anyway.
“So… they just keep you locked up in here?” I dared to ask. “All the time?”
The room wasn’t exactly a prison, but it didn’t look that comfortable either. It was minimally furnished, and without at least a TV to pass the time, it had to get boring.
“What reason do I have to leave?” Neyes responded with a shrug. “I have sunlight, a bed, peace, and quiet. My meals are delivered to my door.” As if reading my mind, they added seriously, “And the things I see are entertainment enough.”
Questions started jumping to mind. My eyes darted to Riel. He showed no signs of annoyance or impatience, which emboldened me.
“Go on,” Neyes encouraged, waving a hand in invitation. “Ask.”
Not letting myself be bothered by their sharp intuition, I launched into the most pressing of my clamoring thoughts. “What’s it like?” I blurted out. “Seeing the future?”
“Exhausting.” Neyes’s expression, which had been open and relaxed until now, sobered in the span of a breath. “Imagine that you are always watching ten different places out of ten sets of eyes in ten different years. After some time, you learn how to filter out the irrelevant material. But even then, you find yourself living the lifetimes of those around you while they go about their business, entirely oblivious. It is noisy and exhausting.”
A hint of irritation crept into their tone as they spoke. Before I could start feeling self-conscious and mumble an apology, they’d pivoted back to Riel.
“Shall we get to business, then?” they asked.
“We came to seek your advice,” Riel said without missing a beat. “Although we’ve made some progress, Avery has not yet learned to access mana . She was using her mending ability regardless and almost reached vahela . If you’ve seen anything that could help, please.”
Neyes’s expression became contemplative. “Mm. One that changes, one that mends. One that makes all beings friends.” Without elaborating on the random rhyme, they shook their head.
“Unfortunately, I do not have an answer for you. As you know, those from beyond The Rift live outside the realm of my sight. But I believe you do not require my help.” They turned a meaningful look on Riel. “If she uses magic in the same way as the Ishameti , then the same methods should be effective. There is one way to speed up the process.”
Confused, I glanced at Riel.
“No,” he said immediately. “It’s too dangerous.”
Neyes shrugged. “I am no vahelim . You came to me seeking the truth, did you not? You can continue with the usual exercises, which may yet take several cycles of the moon, or you can perform the manaviri . Those are your only options.”
Riel’s lips pressed together .
“You lost me,” I remarked, hoping for an explanation. Unblinking, Neyes watched us both, letting the silence drag on. Eventually, their expression softened.
“Perhaps the time is not right,” they suggested. “Send the girl home for now. Try again in a few years. It may come easier then.”
My eyes widened in alarm. “Years? I don’t have years.”
“We don’t have years,” Riel echoed, pacing across the room. “Perhaps we would make more progress if we spent more time by the pools?”
He switched to his native language to direct a question at Neyes, who clucked dismissively and shook their head.
“Well, what’s the other option?” I asked, looking between the two of them. “Even if it’s dangerous, it might be worth considering.”
“Too big a risk,” Riel replied with a small shake of his head.
“High chance of failure,” Neyes added.
Their dismissiveness irked me. I raised my chin and prepared myself for an argument. “Listen, I appreciate that you want to look out for me, but in the end, the choice should be mine. If I want to take risks, that’s my prerogative. So please, tell me about this other method.”
Riel struggled to find a response, gesturing with one hand as though hoping to pluck the words from the air. “It’s believed that when we die,” he began haltingly, “the Goddess guides our… life force, our essence, to leave our bodies and join the flow of mana . In some cases, if the death was not by natural causes and a skilled mender is present, there is a small window of opportunity during which the two can be reunited and the body revived.
“The methods I’ve been teaching you, proper education and repeated grounding exercises, that is the usual way a youth learns to connect to the flow of mana . There is, however, a very dangerous technique”—Riel shot an irritated glance in Neyes's direction—“which involves forcing a mana connection by bringing someone to the brink of death.”
Before I had the chance to process his words, he stood in front of me, startling me into stumbling back a step. His eyes trapped mine, making it impossible to look away. One of his hands lifted, then dropped, as if he’d thought better of what he was about to do. “If anything goes wrong, you could lose your life,” he told me, his voice thick with emotion. My heart went out to him. “You can see why I’m not considering this.”
Not wanting to let it go, an argument sprang to my lips, only to die on my tongue the moment he added, “It’s not just risking you, although that’s more than enough. If you die here, we risk war with your country—perhaps your entire world. We can’t afford to take this decision lightly.”
So what, my options were crippling boredom or the chance of death? My mouth snapped shut, and I had to settle for a glower. The way he put it, there weren’t any options at all.
“I don’t suppose you have any statistics?” I muttered.
“What?”
“Like, what’s the chance of something going wrong? Twenty percent? Fifty percent?”
The half-shrug I got just ticked me off more.
“Neyes,” I said, facing the seer on the bed. “You’re the expert on the Goddess. Say that we did give this a try, do you think there’s any chance that she’d look out for me? ‘Cause I’m a guest here and all?”
“She chooses no sides.” Their tone was chiding.
“Of course. Well, how about we sleep on it and see if we can’t think of anything better by tomorrow? I’ll meditate extra hard this afternoon.”
Riel didn’t appear pleased by my suggestion. Rather than argue the matter here, I tugged on his sleeve and began steering him toward the door. He slipped past me so that he could open it for us. Before we crossed the threshold, I addressed Neyes one last time .
“Thank you so much for your time,” I said with a grateful smile, ducking my head to make eye contact underneath Riel’s outstretched arm. “It was a pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure was mine,” came the amused reply as the door shut behind us.
As the door shut behind the second prince and the Goddess-blessed human, Neyes’s smile disappeared. They lingered a moment before sliding off one side of the bed. Crossing the room, they went to the large window and peered out. The view of the land beyond was one they had enjoyed numerous times before, but now there was a strange darkness on the horizon. Perhaps not one that was visible to the eye, but Neyes beheld it nonetheless.
They unlatched the window and pulled it open. In moments, a petite bird with white-and-black plumage alighted on the sill as if summoned. Neyes ran a finger along the bird’s spine, and it leaned into their touch with a chirp of pleasure. With their free hand, Neyes reached into the pocket of their tunic to retrieve a piece of parchment, which they slid into a discreet metal tube attached to the bird’s left leg. With one last loving caress, they whispered a handful of words to the bird, and it took off. Neyes released a mournful sigh as they watched it go.
Responsibility is truly a double-edged sword , they thought.