druids, so any information they could gain from the Pool would be random. The Pool could also refuse their request,” Theo said. “The Pool has free will. It might not choose to answer what you ask.”
“And what if they have a druid on their side?” Delmare asked.
We went silent at the horrible possibility, before Kiara said, “Let’s not jump to conclusions. We figured all the druids had died out, and yet we have Odette. To find someone else like her would be very rare.”
“So what are we asking? We have eight chances,” Emma said.
“I’ll ask where the alicorn stone is,” Odette said. “That’s a good start.”
“And I’ll ask about the Alicorn Court,” Theo suggested.
“I’ll ask how to beat Gabby and Elijah,” Delmare offered.
“Same,” Stefan added. “Just in case we get two different answers.”
“I want to ask what the prophecy means,” Emma said. “And how to fulfill it.”
I felt queasy. That was a big question to ask.
Alexei paused. “I’m going to be open to the Pool,” he said. “I want to see what it shows me.”
“I’m going to ask how we defeat the leshane,” Kiara said.
I nodded. “Then I’ll ask about the other stones— where they might be.”
“It’s settled, then,” Emma said. “On the count of three, we do it together. One… two…”
I thrust my hand into the water before anyone else did. In my head, I repeated the same question: Where are the griffin, the Seelie, and the Unseelie stones?
My sight was taken over, and everything went black as I tumbled into a vision. The feeling of water on my hand was gone. The sounds of the forest dissolved, and I felt my spirit leave my body and enter into the Pool as the depths of its knowledge sucked me inward.
It was obvious the Pool had chosen to ignore my request and show me something totally different from the moment the vision began.
What lay before me was like a movie scene. I saw seven druids in long brown cloaks, hoods thrown over their faces. Their eyes remained in shadow as they stood in a circle around a black cauldron under the light of the full moon, raising their arms to the sky and mumbling something in a chant I couldn’t decipher. Their chant grew faster and faster, words melding until the chant became more like a song. I heard a wolf’s howl in the wind, and the horrible cry of a tortured man mingle together into one.
The cauldron had a red brew that bubbled like blood. A druid stepped forward, and dropped a crown into the liquid. There was a great flash, and something like lightning whizzed across the sky. The cauldron bubbled more violently than before, until the boiling abruptly ended and the water went still. When the druid dipped his hand into the liquid, I saw within his palm shone the blue sapphire that was the wolven stone.
The vision ended there. Nighttime became day as the Pool spat me out, and I was sent spiraling back into my own body.
I hadn’t recognized the heaviness the demon provided, but as I’d been free of him for a moment within the confines of the Pool, now it was more demoralizing than it ever had been before.
The leshane was pacing angrily at the corners of my mind. He hadn’t seen what was shown to me, and was jealous for it.
I replayed the vision in my head. From what I could tell, the Pool had chosen to show me an ancient dryca ceremony, performed hundreds of years ago that involved the wolven stone. Why this was important for me to know, I wasn’t sure.
The sky was a little darker now, on the verge of sunset. The vision had seemingly been moments, but I must’ve been within the depths of the Pool for more than an hour. My friends groaned as they slowly began to come around. Delmare held her head, like she had a headache, and Stefan winced beside her. Alexei was pale-faced, and Theo looked positively sick. Emma appeared like she might throw up, while Kiara’s expression was pinched.
Odette was the only person whose eyes were clear. She looked from this way to that and said, “Well? What did we find out?”
“You first,” Delmare moaned as she rubbed her temple.
Odette smoothed out her skirt. “Well, the Pool didn’t show me exactly where the alicorn stone is. But it confirmed that the Alicorn Court does have the stone.”
I suppressed letting out a curse. That didn’t help at all.