“Of course.”
From the nearby shelf, I grab a drying cloth and turn, facing her. “I will speak to Tersah now.”
Everly’s brow lifts. “Why?”
“Because I require her help too.”
“But…” Everly reaches for her leather bracelet and speaks in a low voice, “…she wasn’t our friend in Karra.”
“I know, but we need her.” I smooth my sleeves. “And I think she will help us.”
Everly doesn’t protest as I leave the alehouse and head toward the boarding house where Tersah is staying. The entire time I walk, I think about the slaves we’re going to free, and I think about the voice that prompted me in this direction.
It’s different from the darkness that gripped me before. This is what I have always wanted to be. Good, not evil. Helpful, not destructive.
When I arrive at the boarding house, I hesitate for only a breath, then I push open the door to an overcrowded room. The smell of ale overwhelms me as I navigate the run-down boarding house with dirty walls and a creaky floor. Even the furniture is worn and old, with threadbare cushions.
As I approach the front desk, a young woman with black hair and gray eyes stares at me. She wears a worn apron over a dark surcoat.
“I am here to see Tersah.”
The woman points, and I follow her gesture and find Tersah in the back of the room, flirting with a group of men. I shake my head and move towards her. Her attitude shifts the moment she spots me. She shoos the men away and sits opposite of me, pushing a tall tankard of ale toward me. I ignore it, knowing it doesn’t settle well on my stomach these days.
Her brow lifts. “Does the ale upset the baby?”
I swallow and tuck Hector’s cloak closer to my body, as if it can protect my secret a little while longer.
“It makes me queasy,” I admit.
“I was that way.” She shoves her bracelets up her arms, then takes the ale and drinks every drop.
I lift an eyebrow in surprise. “You have a child?”
Her mouth thins. “Did.”
“I’m sorry.”
Shadows skim her delicate features as she lowers the tankard to the table with a thump. “Why are you here? Two days haven’t passed yet.”
I tell her everything, starting with discovering those prisoners and ending with my plan. She listens and asks a few questions, and when I’m finished, her eyes flicker with resolve.
“I will help.” She stands and glances toward the stairs. “But first, I have something for you.”
She leads me up the stairs and to her bedchamber. Once we’re inside, she grabs a leather satchel and hands it to me. “These are the flowers I promised you.”
“Thank you.” I grip the satchel, clinging to the hope that these flowers will change things.
Tersah leans toward me. “I put bloodstone in there for you too.”
“You have bloodstone?”
She nods. “My sister thought you may run out, so she made sure I brought some with me.”
The Seer again.
I shake my head, wondering how much of my Fate she’s controlling now. Or maybe it’s the gods working through her.
A conversation I had with Hector while we sat in the sweat lodge during our binding ceremony passes through my thoughts, kindling my memory.
