Chapter 1 #4
“I’ll see you around,” he called out, his voice carrying through the din of the marketplace.
I didn’t respond.
My shoulders hunched as I manoeuvred around a cart filled with colourful pottery, the glazed surfaces gleaming.
The moment we were out of sight, I whirled on Theo and smacked him on the arm. He rubbed the spot as if I’d actually injured him.
“What part of ‘don’t say anything’ did you not understand?” I demanded, jabbing my finger into his chest for emphasis.
“I felt bad for him,” he said, shrugging one shoulder. “He’s really nice.”
I bit my lip, my teeth pressing hard enough to sting.
“Exactly. He’s too nice. I’d destroy him like a storm hitting a village.”
“You’re not that bad,” he bumped his shoulder against mine. “Maybe a light breeze at worst.”
I snorted. “You know what I mean. He wants something I can’t give him. It would be cruel to pretend otherwise.”
As we made our way through the thinning crowd, the market began to shift. There was less laughter, fewer children running between stalls. The scents had deepened into something heavier, richer. Incense curling from clay burners. The tang of dried herbs strung up in bundles.
The atmosphere changed too. Voices lowered to whispers, and people moved with more purpose, their eyes darting around as if afraid to linger.
And then I saw her.
An old woman, draped in loose layers of black linen that swirled around her like smoke, sat cross-legged before a small fire.
Its embers crackled softly beneath the shifting breeze, sending up sparks that danced in the air.
An eye had been marked in the centre of her forehead in deep black ink, stark against her wrinkled skin.
Her booth was sparse, little more than a patterned rug faded by time and a low wooden sign scrawled with uneven letters.
HAVE YOUR FORTUNE TOLD BY A SEER
IF YOU DARE.
The words sunk their hooks deep into my mind. The woman’s gnarled hands worked a string of amber beads, her lips moving in silent prayer or incantation.
I slowed. Could they truly see what lay ahead?
But then like a ghost, my mother’s voice echoed as clear as if she stood right beside me. Stay away from Seers. They are nothing more than frauds. Dealing with them will only bring misfortune.
I should’ve walked on. I knew better.
Instead, I turned to Theo, reaching out to tug on his sleeve.
“Ooo, do you dare, Theo?” I murmured ominously, wiggling my fingers in mock mysticism.
He scoffed, unimpressed, and crossed his arms. “Please. You think some old crone can tell me something I don’t already know?”
I smirked, nudging him forward with my elbow. “Like the fact you’re an insufferable ass? I think she can tell us all about that with just one look at your face.”
“It’s not real, El,” he said, digging his heels into the ground. “I wouldn’t believe a word she says.”
Ignoring Theo’s protests, I reached into the small pouch hanging from my sash, grabbing two copper coins. With determined steps, I approached the Seer and placed the coins into her outstretched palm. Her skin felt like parchment, dry and thin as our fingers brushed.
“Sit, boy,” she commanded, her voice surprisingly strong for someone who looked as ancient as the mountains themselves. She gestured to the empty space before her on the rug.
With a dramatic sigh that seemed to come from the depths of his very soul, he obeyed. His knees cracked as he folded his long legs beneath him.
The Seer reached for his hand and turned his palm upward. She closed her eyes, her lids crinkled, lips speaking to something unseen.
A long moment stretched between them, broken only by the soft crackle of the fire and distant calls of merchants closing their stalls.
Finally, she spoke.
“I see multiple women around you,” she said, her voice taking on a singsong quality, “falling at your feet.”
Theo’s grin was instantaneous, spreading from ear to ear. He turned to me, his eyebrows raised in triumph. “I take back everything I said. I believe every word.”
The woman’s eyes snapped open, sharp and irritated. She released his hand only to smack it. “Hush, boy!”
“Yeah, Theo. Hush.” I pressed a finger to my lips, fighting the smile that threatened to break through my mock-serious expression.
I crouched beside them, the hem of my tunic gathering dust.
She squeezed his palm tighter, her knuckles whitening with the force of her grip. Theo winced, his smile dying as her expression hardened. I leaned in, drawn by the sudden intensity radiating from her hunched form.
“You will embark on a journey to lands unseen,” she said, her voice strained as if the words were being pulled from deep within her.
Her brows pulled together, furrows appearing between them as her grip slackened.
“But—” she paused, exhaling sharply through her nose, “your path remains unclear. I cannot see further.”
She dropped his hand abruptly.
Theo blinked, rolling his wrist to make sure it still worked properly. “Well, that was… cryptic.”
The Seer didn’t react. Instead, she turned to me, her gaze piercing.
“Come, girl. Allow me to see.”
“That’s okay—” I stammered, already backing away. “Maybe next time.” I turned, ready to flee before curiosity could override my better judgement.
My mother would kill me. The mere thought of her fury raised goosebumps along my arms.
Before I could take a single step further, Theo’s hand clamped down around my elbow.
“I don’t think so,” he said, the words tinged with vindictive pleasure as he dragged me back. “You made me do it. Now it’s your turn.”
He dug into his pocket, the fabric of his trousers bunching as he withdrew a couple of coppers. The coins glinted in the light before he tossed them into the Seer’s waiting palm.
I shot him a glare, hot enough to burn metal, but he only grinned wider and stuck his tongue out.
“Traitor,” I hissed.
“Payback,” he whispered, giving me a gentle shove toward the Seer.
Reluctantly, I lowered myself onto the rug, the woven fibres rough against my bare ankles as I extended my hand, palm upward, revealing the lines etched into my skin. The moment her fingers closed around mine, her entire body stiffened, nails digging into my skin.
She sucked in a broken breath, her brows dipping so far down that her face transformed. Her eyes darted beneath her closed lids, her lips moving rapidly though no sound escaped them.
Then just as suddenly, she released me, flinging my hand away like it had burned her.
I yanked back, clutching it to my hammering chest. Tiny crescent marks on my palm welled with small droplets of blood.
The Seer stared at me as though she could see beyond flesh and bone, to something hidden beneath. Her eyes were wide and unfocused, lips trembling as they struggled to form words.
“I… I cannot say,” she whispered, almost to herself.
A chill of unease settled over me. The marketplace around us seemed to fall away, sounds muffled, as if my ears had been stuffed with wool.
She shook her head violently, the motion setting her beads and amulets clattering against each other.
“Bargains will be called in,” she muttered. “Nothing is as it seems. I cannot say more.”
What in the hell does that even mean?
Her gaze lingered on me, heavy with meaning I couldn’t decipher, but felt in the pit of my stomach. “Well. That’s enough of that.” I pushed myself up, legs unsteady as I stumbled to my feet and wiped dust from my trousers.
“Wait!”
Her voice stopped me cold.
Her expression was grave, the inked eye on her forehead seeming to pulse in the flickering firelight.
“A warning, girl.”
I exhaled sharply, the air hissing between my teeth.
Oh great.
“If you allow the fire to touch you—” her voice lowered, like a whisper of smoke curling from dying embers. “Prepare to burn.”
I bolted, my feet moving faster than my mind could command them. Theo matched my stride, his longer legs easily keeping pace.
“That was…fucking weird,” he said, breathing heavily as we rounded a corner into a more populated section.
I forced out a dry laugh that sounded fake even to my own ears.
“She’s probably just hoping I’d hand over more coppers to hear the rest of my so-called fortune.” The words tumbled out quickly, though I didn’t quite believe them.
Neither did Theo. I saw it in the way his mouth pressed into a thin line, his usual light-heartedness dimmed.
We didn’t talk about it further. And just in time.
“There you are!”
My mothers voice sliced through my thoughts like a knife. She appeared between the crowd, pushing past a group of haggling women. Her arms were filled with bundles of herbs, rolls of fabric, and small clay jars sealed with wax.
Theo rushed forward, effortlessly taking the heavy satchels from her arms before she could argue. The leather straps creaked as he adjusted their weight, slinging them over his shoulder.
She let out a soft laugh, her free hand patting his back affectionately.
“Such a sweet boy,” she praised, her voice warm with genuine fondness. “My only hope is that Elira finds someone as decent as you, my Theo.”
I scoffed, crossing my arms as I fell into step beside them. “Please, he doesn’t have a decent bone in his body.”
Theo turned to me, a smirk already curling his lips. “I can think of at least one bo—”
Before he could finish, I kicked him in the shin, the toe of my sandal connecting with enough force to make him buckle. He let out a muffled grunt, hopping awkwardly to keep his balance as the contents in his arms rattled.
“Elira!” My mother’s voice was sharp with disapproval. “Don’t kick him.”
She reached out, steadying Theo.
“And you,” she gave him a pointed look that could wither flowers, “don’t say rude things.”
We both mumbled a half-hearted “sorry” in unison, exchanging grins when she turned away.
Laughter followed us as we walked home, our steps falling into an easy rhythm. The slow descent of the sun cast long shadows before us, stretching our silhouettes into giants.