36. Adrian
Adrian
As we walked up the path towards her house, hope started creeping in. We’d actually made it. Everything was going swimmingly. Sage was next to me, hand in mine, a smile as radiant as the sun on her face.
We reached the cottage door. The whole place was a gray stucco with wooden shutters painted a bright yellow. The door was the same, though there were some chips around the edges, revealing the original wood. It had some charm, and was obviously well cared for.
After longer than I’d admit, I reached up and knocked on the door. No one answered at first, and Sage and I looked at each other, trying to figure out what to do.
She seemed to make up her own plan, knocking on the door herself. “Hello,” she called. “We’re looking for Maral—”
She was cut off as the door flung open, but to our surprise, no one was there.
“Do we go in?” Sage asked me.
I shrugged. “I suppose we’ve been invited in.”
We each entered the doorway, jumping when it shut firmly behind us. I tried not to think about what that meant too hard as I glanced around. It was a cozy place for sure. The kitchen sat to the right, jars scattered around and dried herbs hanging along twine near the windows.
There was a sitting room to the left, with a burning hearth despite the heated weather outside. Throw blankets were all over the backs of the couches and a large round chair rested in the corner.
“This is… nice,” Sage said timidly.
“Hello?” I called, hoping for an answer. “Anyone home?”
Suddenly, a stout woman appeared in front of us, making Sage jump behind me.
“Who else would have opened the door?” she asked.
I was shocked she looked to be the exact age she was the last time I saw her. She had black hair with a streak of gray running through it. Her pointed ears were heavily pierced, a mix of silver and gold hoops going all the way down to the lobe.
“I’ve seen you before,” she said, standing almost on her toes to get as close to my face as possible. “You were smaller.”
“Yes,” I said. “I came here with my previous ship captain.”
“So you’re the new Shadowhart,” she said. “Interesting. I thought it was meant to be the other one.”
“Coltar?” I asked, his name hard in my throat.
She nodded. “Yes, him.”
“You met him?”
She nodded. “Maybe, three years back.”
I blinked. “You must be mistaken.” Coltar was found dead in an alley four years ago.
“I never forget,” she said assuredly.
This time she must have, because I saw him for myself, but I wasn’t going to argue
“Anyway,” she said, drawing out the ‘y’ on her words. “What can I do for you now? And who’s your friend?”
I’d almost forgotten Sage who was stuck behind me.
She peered out at being acknowledged. “I’m Sage,” she said.
“Yulean?” she said, eyes turned suddenly interested.
My hand went to Sage’s arm, feeling protective.
“Don’t worry sailor, I have no plans on harming your princess. It’s just not every day I see one.”
Neither Sage nor I seemed to know what to say.
“So come, have tea and tell me what you need.”
Maralda led us to the kitchen, where a magestone kettle was already running. She reached into the cupboard and pulled out three mismatched cups, plopping tea bags in each and filling them.
The cups went from sitting in front of her to arranged on the table in the blink of an eye, without her moving a muscle.
“Sugar or cream?” she asked, as she came to join us.
“I’d love honey if you have it,” Sage said.
A moment later a jar of it appeared in front of her. “Neat trick,” she said.
I worried Maralda would take some offense, but she only smiled. “I have a lot of those up my sleeve.”
After tea was settled, the mage looked at us expectantly, waiting for the reason we were here.
I cleared my throat. “You see, Sage has a necklace,” I pointed to it. “And it is… stuck.”
She blinked. “You came all the way here over a broken clasp?”
“No,” Sage clarified. “To lift the curse.”
“A curse you say? Tell me everything.”
Sage took the helm, explaining to Maralda everything that had happened, from receiving the necklace, to now.
She was mid sip when Sage finished. Maralda set her tea down.
“Can I come take a look?”
Sage nodded, pulling her chair out, the wood scraping the ground as she faced her.
Maralda stood and approached her, putting her hand around the necklace. I watched as she closed her eyes, assuming something would happen in that time, but it was just the three of us, waiting in silence.
Was the chain just going to snap? Would there be a big light that flashes, breaking the whole thing? The anticipation was killer.
She pulled away, the necklace still firmly tucked against Sage’s skin.
After a long, considerate moment, she said. “I’m afraid I can’t help you.”