Wicked As You Wish (A Hundred Names for Magic #1) - Rin Chupeco Page 0,106

birthday, or turn into stone, or become king. But your spellbreaking makes you unpredictable, young Makiling. I only know of one way to foretell a Makiling’s doom, would you like to hear it?”

Tala faltered. “I’m not sure I want to know what my doom is.”

“You are not ready,” the priestess said, nodding. “There will be time enough later. For now, it is important that you do what you feel, rather than what you know. When you are ready for answers, you must come to me again.” She turned her head to regard Cole, who had suddenly gone pale, his eyes wary. “And what of your doom, Nicholas of Nottingham?”

“That’s none of your business.”

The old woman laughed again. She glanced at Zoe.

“My mother had mine told when I was born.” The girl’s face was even whiter than Cole’s. “She insisted. I don’t believe in any of it.”

“Yours is not a pleasant doom, it is true. Perhaps that will change with time. Fear has never been your enemy, Zoe Fairfax; it has always been doubt. Now, I have a boon to ask. There is something I would like you to bring to Maidenkeep, something that could aid in the prince and the Duke of Wonderland’s war against the Beiran queen.”

“Why not bring it yourself?” Cole countered.

“Because I cannot leave this village.” The woman set the pouch onto the table nearest to where they sat. “Ikpe comes from a long line of Aesopian warriors. They were valiant fighters, yet their descendants have long since forgotten the darker arts of war in peacetime. Now, they have embraced the art of life, and this I will not change for anything. To leave now would sentence Ikpe to death.”

“You could be lying,” Zoe said.

“All seeresses speak what they know to be true, Lady Fairfax. It is why people fear us, and hate us.”

Their gazes locked for several seconds. “I do believe you,” Zoe said, if a little reluctantly.

“Will you accept my request, then? Naturally, I will pay for the trouble.”

“Oh, but you don’t need to pay us any—”

The priestess tipped over one of the small pouches on the table, and small silvery spheres the size of marbles rolled merrily across the surface, effectively silencing Zoe. Cole’s eyes widened, and he whistled low.

“Those are glyphs.” Zoe’s hands trembled as she picked one up. The small gem sparkled against her fingers; one could almost look straight through it. “Silver-marked glyphs.”

“Silver-marked?” Tala asked.

“Gray-marked are the most common. Blue-marked are used for mostly defensive spells like those cast on the walls, and green-marked have some elemental properties, like mine does.” Zoe indicated her whip. “Fire, ice, lightning, and so on. But silver-marked spellstones are those forged specifically for binding segen. They’re so rare that no known sword’s been forged with it in the last three hundred years.” Zoe’s voice trembled. “One of these alone would be almost priceless. I can’t accept something so—”

“You will take these with my gratitude and my blessings.” The priestess was firm. “Along with a bag of my medicine charms. You will need them long before you reach Lyonesse. What I ask of you in exchange is worth a hundred times as much.”

The firebird lifted its head and growled. Without warning, it stretched its wings, leaped, and flew out the cottage door, angry snarls blistering the air in its wake. From somewhere farther away, Tala heard the unmistakable sounds of howling, coming from the direction of the village.

“Ah. The butterflies.” The priestess closed her eyes, resigned. “Your Makiling curse is a good lesson in humility, Tala. Even my precautions have failed me. You will find my granddaughter at the tower.” She swept the rest of the stones back into the small sack, depositing it in turn into the larger bag. “She isn’t supposed to be there, though she thinks I don’t know. Look after her for me. Take this bag with you, with my thanks. It might be of use to you soon enough. Quickly, now. My people will take care of what Deathless are left, but you all must leave before the ice maiden comes. I can keep the frost at arm’s length, but not if it is the Snow Queen directing her full malice our way.”

The words took some time to sink in, but the color drained from Tala’s face when they did. Zoe had reached the same conclusion a few seconds earlier. She sprung up from the chair, accepted the pouch with a hurried “thank you,” and raced out the door, taking off