Yeah. A big “No, thank you,” to that.
“Why not go to the fey?”
The dark gaze never wavered from his face. “I suspect the answer is in your library.”
Cyn narrowed his eyes. How the hell had she known about his library?
“Is there a reason for your suspicion?”
“Erinna came to me shortly before she and Mika left.”
Cyn stiffened. Erinna and Mika had been the two fairies who’d rescued him from these caves, taking him into their home even when he could so easily have destroyed them.
He’d never forgotten how they’d rescued him from the caves, and how they’d made him a member of their family. They’d been a part of his life for centuries, treating him as a true son. At least they had until they’d disappeared several days . . . No, wait. If it was January, then they’d left weeks ago, with only a short note to tell him not to search for them.
“What did she say?”
“She had a premonition after they took you into their home that you would be the savior of the fey.” Siljar watched the disbelief spread over Cyn’s face. “That’s why they insisted you learn as much of their history as possible.”
He adored his foster parents and he’d been happy to indulge their desire that he learn the language and writing of the fey. And even had listened to the endless stories that had been passed down by their ancestors.
But they tended to be highly dramatic, and it wouldn’t take more than a stray dream, or the shape of a leaf, to convince them that he was supposed to be some sort of fey messiah.
Cyn shook his head in denial.
Bloody hell.
It had to be a joke.
“If they thought I could be their savior then why did they leave?” he demanded.
Siljar shrugged. “They sent word to me that Erinna had a new vision and they were going to check it out. They refused to give me any more information.”
The growing fear that he was going to be forced to help the Oracle whether he wanted to or not was forgotten at Siljar’s words.
It was one thing to accept that Erinna and Mika had taken off for their own pleasure. And another to think they’d put themselves in deliberate danger.
“Damn them.” He shook his head, angry that he hadn’t suspected there was more to their abrupt departure. “Why didn’t they tell me?”
“Clearly they wanted to protect you.”
His fangs ached. “That’s not how it works. I keep them safe, not the other way around.”
Siljar blinked, as if confused by his burst of anger. “It was their choice.”
He wasn’t going to argue the point. At least not with the Oracle.
Now when he found Mika and Erinna . . .
“Did they tell you what direction they were going?” he instead asked.
“They only said that they wanted to investigate the vision.” The Oracle smoothed her hands down her satin robe, not appearing particularly concerned. “I don’t think they were entirely clear on what they expected to find. They were, however, quite convinced that you would soon be needed to play your part in fey history. They asked me to keep an eye on you.”
“Do I have a choice?” he muttered.
“No, your foster parents are depending on you.” Siljar reached to place a hand on his arm. “We all are.”
Cyn glanced down at the scroll in his hands. “Well, shit.”