The Seer purses her lips, looks down at the table again, and seems to ponder this. Then, she looks at Hector, her eyes full of questions. Questions he seems unwilling to answer as he keeps his arms crossed and his eyes unwavering.
She shifts her gaze to me and gives me the same close inspection. I try to mimic Hector’s stoic façade, but I fail miserably. She looks straight through me as though sheseesall my secrets.
“I see a woman teetering on the edge of a 6-sided stone. A stone with darkness and light. Heart and duty. Past and future.”
I’m struck by the truth behind her statement—how succinctly she has put words to my struggles.
“Which am I to choose?” My words are barely there, a whisper, a breath, a plea to know which is the right path.
Compassion glimmers in her vibrant eyes. “Do you think your Fate lies in a single path? Life is balance. There can be no life without death. No light without darkness. No love without responsibility. No past that doesn’t lead to a future.”
Frustration and desperation grip me, threatening to overwhelm me. So many things depend on my ability to choose wisely. Why do the gods play with me? No matter what path I choose, someone will lose.
She leans forward and lays her hand over mine. “Your Mother’s death wasn’t your fault, Sol. You were only a child. You don’t owe her vindication. You never did.”
I let out a ragged exhale as I pull away and stare at the far wall. “It was all I knew.”
“I know.”
“But now you have people who will help you. People like Hector.”
Instinctively, my eyes lift to his, and for the first time since we stepped into the Seer’s cottage, he smiles at me, and my heart lightens, as if magically he pulled some of the weight from it.
The Seer speaks again, pulling my attention back to her. “To be healed, you must first heal. To find your purpose, you must find your sacred branches. To find your destiny, you must find your origin.”
She smiles and looks at me as though she has just given me directions—complete with map and compass.
“More riddles,” I say under my breath. “The gods must have their fun.”
“Patience, Sol,” she says. “You must have patience.”
Hector stands and beckons me to do the same. He reaches into his cloak and pulls out a small leather bag. It clinks as he drops it to the table.
The Seer pushes the coin back to him. “I have another price.”
“What kind of price?” He tucks the bag away.
She leans forward and speaks in a worried voice. “I need you to find someone for me.”
“Who?”
“My sister, Tersah. I haven’t seen her in a while. Usually, she comes to Karra twice a month.” The Seer’s hands shake as she clutches them together. “I’m worried about her.”
“Where does she live?” Hector asks.
“In Mharra.”
“We will find her.”
“Thank you, Hector.” The Seer places her palms flat against the table. “When you find her, I’d like you to bring her back here.”
He nods. “I will.”
The Seer rocks back against her chair and speaks in an even voice. “The gods chose you, Hector. Your people need you,” she says with assurance. “Never forget that.”
He nods, puts his hand on the small of my back, and guides me from the cottage. A cool wind greets us as he leads me to Hale and tucks my cloak closer.
After we’re both situated on Hale’s back, he pulls me against him. “I hoped the Seer would be able to help you. I didn’t know she wouldn’t have all the answers you seek.”
