we’re supposed to use that. Not Elli.”
The old man pulls his patched cloak closer around his bony shoulders, even though he’s sitting not six feet from a fire. “The signs were different from the ones that portended the cuff. Yes, the presence of Vaaden indicates an artifact, but the aspect indicates opposition. Stress. Something pushing back. This on top of the indication that the mighty power would be split into two components, the power and the balance. This time, the stars foretold an Astia with a will.” He raises his head, and his pale eyes lock with mine.
A will. Frustration courses through me. Does will matter when it’s overwhelmed by the power of the wielders who use me?
Raimo gives me a sly look and drops the parchment back into his box. “So, here we are. The Suurin were born, just as the stars foretold, and now they’ve become men. The Astia has risen. I’d say all of this proves that I’m brilliant.”
Oskar crosses his arms over his chest. “Aren’t you forgetting something? This extraordinarily powerful Valtia who, unlike past Valtias, doesn’t have balance because Elli got all of it?”
Raimo sighs. “Only the stars know where she is, but at least the elders don’t have her. I’m actually shocked that she hasn’t revealed herself yet. If she wasn’t raised in the temple, she wouldn’t necessarily know what was happening to her. But we know she’s alive, because the Saadella hasn’t come into the power yet.” His brow furrows. “Correct? I feel like I’ve missed some important events.”
“No, the Saadella has no power,” I say quietly. “But the elders have her. She’s just a little girl.” One I want to gather in my arms. One I want to protect. The urge is powerful and instinctual, its own kind of magic.
“They found her?” Raimo curses. “That’s not good.”
Oskar lowers his dark, slashing brows. “Apart from the obvious, why?”
Raimo’s eyes glitter with ice. “Because if the Saadella dies, the magical line dies. Only the death of a Valtia can create a Saadella, and once she is made, there is no chance of making another until the next Valtia dies. Why do you think the priests are so frantic to find the new Saadella every time a Valtia perishes?” He jabs his finger at me. “Why do you think they lock her away in the temple and attend to her every need? Yes, they want to control her, to make sure she has no will or thoughts of her own. But also—her death means losing the magic, and that magic is what’s keeping them in power.”
“Then the girl should be in no danger,” says Sig. “Wouldn’t they protect her at all costs?”
Raimo mutters something under his breath and shakes his head. “Everything is different now.” His creaky voice is made of urgency. “The last of our copper is being mined, and who knows what will happen to the magic when it’s gone? The fire and ice could fade away—or they could turn on the very ones who bled the land of their source. The elders know this, and I don’t doubt they’ve been planning for it.”
My hands ball in my skirt. “They’ll want to ensure that when the time comes, they have all the power.”
Raimo nods. “We are truly standing on the precipice of disaster.”
Oskar stands up, looming over the three of us. “I’ve heard enough. I’m ready to fight.”
Sig grins. “It’s about time. This is going to be fun.”
Oskar smiles, walking toward him until they’re only a few feet apart. “I knew you’d say that.”
His fist arcs forward and catches Sig in the jaw, sending the Fire Suurin to the ground, his head lolling and his eyes unfocused. Oskar leans over Sig, his knuckles bleeding, menace oozing from every inch of him.
“Understand, though,” he says quietly. “Throw as much fire at me as you want. I don’t care. But if you ever harm someone I love again, you and I will be enemies forever. And I promise—you will die with ice in your veins.”
CHAPTER 23
Oskar stares down at Sig for a few long moments, then offers his hand. The entire cave goes still. No one breathes. The wielders look poised to defend themselves if Sig retaliates, their hands hovering flexed at their sides. Sig blinks a few times and moves his jaw from side to side, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His dark eyes focus on Oskar’s face, and he lets out a pained chuckle. “Fair enough.” He accepts Oskar’s help