Chapter 48 #3
‘I assumed that she wished for Ingrid to grow up Sanning. She had spoken more than once of their callings. I believe she felt the need to return to hers, even though she had never expressed such a thing to me. The first I knew of her life outside of Isthyr was when you told me you came from Wrohelm. And that Ingrid was left – abandoned – at a temple?’ He shakes his head, as if the words are too impossible to believe.
‘I would have broken down those rings myself if I had known. If I had known she was not with her mother, I would have done whatever it took to get her back. But I … I accepted Lyda’s choice to take Ingrid. ’
There is yearning in his voice and so much regret. I don’t need to look at Caz to confirm that he’s telling me the truth, yet she speaks.
‘This priestess who brought Lyda here, is there any chance she could be the same one your mother was left with? Your friend, Rose. Dinah, that’s her name, isn’t it?’
My stomach lurches. Surely not.
If it had been Dinah, then she would’ve told me of my heritage. My true one. The Sanning part as well as the Issen. Wouldn’t she?
‘That is not the name she had. Frida. I believe that is what she was called,’ Magnus tells me, and I’m surprised by the relief that rushes through me.
Guilt, too, that I could ever have believed Dinah to be involved in deceiving me in such a way.
She kept the Issen part of me hidden, true, but that was for my safety.
This would have been very, very different.
Frida. I can’t say I know any of the priestesses by that name in Wrohelm, but when I return, I can seek her out. I’d like to learn more about my grandmother.
‘You have a lot to consider. I know that,’ Magnus tells me. ‘And that is in addition to the prophecy and the Rite of the Veil.’
‘The prophecy?’ Caz asks, sitting ramrod straight. ‘What prophecy?’
I let out a sigh. ‘Come on, we’ll head back to our rooms and I’ll tell you and the others together.’
‘So now I need to research Torailian prophecies as well?’ Caz questions as we head out, just the slightest hint of a sigh in her voice.
It’s saying something when even Caz is growing tired of research.
I can’t blame her though. We’re trying to find the pieces of the puzzle, when the picture itself is still too blurry.
Maybe knowing the prophecy will help with that, but I need to get my head straight for a minute before I add something else into the jumble of my thoughts.
‘Are you okay?’ Caz asks quietly.
It’s my turn to sigh. ‘Magnus said something when we were talking before you came, about the second stage of the Veil, and it’s weighing on me.’
‘Did Oel say something to him about the prophecy? About you?’
‘No, that’s exactly it,’ I say, shaking my head. ‘Magnus didn’t speak to Oel.’
‘What?’ Caz jerks to a stop. ‘I mean, you can’t know for sure whether any of the other Issen have had the same experience in the second stage, but you’d think if anyone else was going to speak to a God, it would be the king, right?’
‘Right.’ I nod in agreement.
‘Given that the Gods themselves are speaking to you,’ she says, voice hushed, ‘it makes the whole prophecy thing seem…’ Her words drift into the icy air, so I finish the sentence for us.
‘Like it’s probably real.’
A silence settles between us, but before it can properly bloom, Caz speaks again. ‘What about Thessa? About her being your cousin?’
Another laugh escapes me, but it’s nervous more than bitter or overwhelmed.
‘I don’t know,’ I start slowly, trying to put the feelings together and find the words. ‘I mean, Magnus seemed convinced, but has she ever said anything to you about me?’
‘About the possibility of you being her cousin? No, of course not. I would have told you.’ At some point we started walking again, but I don’t know when.
‘I do know about the aunt that went missing though,’ Caz continues.
‘She did tell me that. And it would add up. You’ll need to speak to her about it. ’
‘Yeah, I will.’ I clear my throat. ‘There’s something else I’ve been meaning to talk to you about. The vow. I … I want to tell Kyor. I know I can trust him with this. And he deserves to know the truth. I just need you to agree so that the vow can be broken and I can talk to him about it.’
‘The vow was only ever for you.’ Caz smiles softly. ‘I’m more than happy to release it.’
‘Thank you.’
I expect a golden glow or a new sensation of lightness, but there’s nothing.
‘Did it work?’ Caz asks.
I shrug. ‘I guess we’ll see when I speak to Kyor.’
It’s only then that I realise I’ve not heard anything from Fen. Or Kyor for that matter. Even though I definitely told my wolf to go find him.
Fen, what’s happened? Where are you? Where’s Kyor?
He’s in the palace. Little Raven…
My skin prickles. Fen must have said my name a thousand times since we bonded and in a hundred different ways – with fear, with disdain, with devotion – but there’s something about the manner he says it this time that causes goosebumps to rise across my entire body.
Fen… I fight to slow my pulse, which suddenly pounds behind my ears. What are you keeping from me? Where is Kyor?
I am sorry, Little Raven. He would not be stopped. They would not be stopped. There is nothing you can do.
Where is he? I swear to all the Gods, Fen, if you don’t tell me now— The growl tears out of me, edged with something dangerously close to panic.
They are in your room in the palace, Fen whines.
In our room? Why would my wolf feel so worried about sharing that with me?
My mate does not want this, Little Raven.
His fear rips through me.
And suddenly, I’m running.