She turned and blinked slowly, her lips curved in a secretive smile. “I could.”

As much as I disliked the idea of staying with a stranger, it was clear Adriel knew more about the bloodstones than anyone else. She might even understand the link between Ceren and me. I was afraid we were wasting time here in Galeth, time my parents might not have, but until I knew more about Ceren’s plans, rushing off to New Castle alone was likely to do more harm than good.

“That does sound like a reasonable compromise,” I said, glancing up at Talin.

He smiled and nodded, but I could tell he was holding something back.

I reached for his hand. “It’s just for a few days.”

“Good. Then it’s settled.” Roan clapped his hands together in satisfaction. “We should get on the road. There’s a storm coming.”

“But what about my belongings?” I asked, unmoored by the sudden turn of events.

“I’ll have them sent.” Roan turned to Talin, Osius, and Grig. “Are you ready?”

I hadn’t been prepared to say goodbye to everyone right away. I stepped closer to Talin and lowered my voice so Roan wouldn’t overhear. “Are you sure this is all right? I don’t want to be away from you or Zadie, but Adriel might know something that can help us.”

“Of course it’s all right,” he said, pressing a chaste kiss to my cheek. “Just be careful.”

“I will.” I turned to find my sister, feeling a sudden pang of regret. We had only just gotten each other back. Maybe separating was a bad idea.

“It’s okay, Nor,” she whispered in my ear, because of course she could sense my hesitation. “It’s only for a day or two, and then we’ll go find our parents, and we’ll all be together again.”

I embraced her, wishing I shared her sense of certainty. Then Adriel was leading me back outside to where Titania waited in the courtyard.

“Don’t worry,” Adriel said as she mounted her own horse, a blood bay mare with a black tail so long and luxurious it dragged on the ground. “I don’t bite.”

I climbed onto Titania, glad I would at least have one friend with me on this new phase of my journey.

“Adriel,” I asked as I followed her down the road away from Leesbrook. “I was wondering if you could tell me a bit more about what it is you do.”

“Didn’t Roan tell you?” she called over her shoulder. “I’m a witch.”

14

I stared after Adriel. The only witch I’d ever heard of was the one in Samiel’s stories, an evil temptress who caused rogue waves that sank ships and drowned sailors, and she had been a myth. At least, I had always believed she was.

“What do you mean?” I called, trotting to catch up.

She glanced at me, a grin lifting one side of her mouth. “What, you don’t have witches in Varenia?”

Ceren had once mentioned that the Ilareans thought I was a witch after I saved him from drowning. “Do you mean people who can do things that defy the laws of nature? At least, nature as people understand it?”

Her grin widened. “That’s an interesting way of defining magic. I’ll have to remember that.”

“You didn’t answer the question,” I said, but she turned back to the road and didn’t speak again for the rest of the journey.

We arrived at Adriel’s home just as the storm broke. Tucked into the green hills beyond the pastures we’d passed on our way to Leesbrook, it was a lovely little stone cottage with a wavy thatched roof that gave it the appearance of a toadstool.

“You live out here all alone?” I asked as we led our horses to a barn behind the house. It had two stalls separated by a small tack room, which was just as well; our mares didn’t seem overly fond of each other.

“Why shouldn’t I?” Adriel asked. She showed me where to hang my cloak and led me across the small yard, which had been cultivated into a tidy little garden. “It’s perfectly safe.”

“Don’t you get lonely?” I ducked under the low door frame after her. Inside, the cottage was as cozy as it appeared from the outside, consisting of one room with a stove and a hearth on one end and a bed at the other. In the middle was a little wooden table covered in various herbs and several books.

“I don’t have time to get lonely,” Adriel said.

We certainly wouldn’t be lonely now; in fact, I didn’t see how there was room for me. The dwelling was smaller than my house in Varenia.

“It’s all right,” she said, sensing my concern. “You can sleep in my workshop. I’ll move my things in here. Roan said he’d have a bed brought from Leesburg later today, so you’ll be comfortable there.”

It seemed like a lot of trouble to go through, considering I only planned to stay for a few days at the most. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”

She glanced up from the hearth, where she was arranging kindling for a fire. “Roan said you needed somewhere to stay. Was he lying? I wouldn’t put it past him. Especially not when a pretty face is involved.”

I ignored the teasing smile on her face. “I could have gone to Fort Crag with Talin or stayed with my sister in Leesbrook.”

“But you chose to come with me. Interesting.” She finished building the fire and rose. “Come on, I’ll show you the workshop. I have a feeling you’ll like it.” She led me through a door at the side of the house, across a small covered walkway, and into an even more diminutive structure.

There was a long wooden table covered in bottles and jars filled with various liquids, reminding me vaguely of Ceren’s workshop. But the similarities ended there. There were plenty of windows, which, when the storm cleared, would let in lots of sunlight. Lacy white curtains hung next to them, creating pretty shadows on the clean whitewashed walls, which were decorated with bouquets of dried flowers. Crystals and colorful stones had been collected in little handmade clay bowls, and a striped orange animal I’d never seen before—a cat, according to Adriel—lay curled in an armchair in the corner.

“What do you think?” she asked.

“It’s lovely, Adriel. But I can’t ask you to clean it out for me. I can sleep in the corner, on my bedroll. Or in the barn, if that’s easier. I won’t be staying long.”

“Nonsense. You’re welcome as long as you like.”

I almost insisted again that I would be leaving soon, but I knew it would be more to reassure myself than her. “Thank you. That’s very kind.” I went to look through one of the bowls of polished stones. “I understand that you’re a witch, but what exactly do you do?”