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I turn page after page, delving into theories on magic-induced illnesses. I scan the text, considering each possibility. A cursed object? No, that’s too straightforward and limited in its reach. It doesn’t account for the widespread impact. I cross that off the list.
A simple curse, then? I think about this for a moment, but again, the same issue arises. A standard curse, even a powerful one, wouldn’t have the capacity to affect an entire population like this. It’s too random, too uncontrolled. I shake my head, dismissing this idea too.
“Have you gotten anywhere at all?” he asks, sounding more than a little disappointed.
“I’ve eliminated things.”
“Like what?”
I bite my lip, remembering that I need to still seem hopeful to the wolves or they might just end my miserable life. “A cursed object, for example.”
“Why eliminate that?” Now, he seems truly curious.
“Let’s say I cursed… a sword, for example.” It’s a bad choice given that I’ve just enchanted a shifter’s sword, but I press on, “Everyone who touches that sword would get sick. That might mean a few, or maybe even a lot of people getting sick, in one area. But this illness is popping up all over your kingdom, seemingly at random. A cursed object wouldn’t behave that way.”
“Make sense,” he says, looking thoughtful. “What else could it be?”
“Just a simple curse. Let’s say a witch, with her dying breath, cursed a shifter on the battlefield. It’s possible anyone he comes in contact with from that point forward would get sick. But, again, we could probably trace his path through the kingdom with ease. This illness is, again, seemingly random.”
“I see your point.” He sounds discouraged. I don’t want to discourage him. I want to give him hope.
I close the book and try to consider how this disease spreads based on what I’ve been told. Prince Arlys had shown me a map before Prince Drogo had gone to my room to get my magic book. They’d marked everywhere the sick had been found, thousands of dots spread randomly all around the kingdom. It seemed to get worse on the edge of bear territory, but we didn’t know how the illness spread there, so that’s all we have to go on.
How is this illness spreading? What could be the cause of it? I look around at the clouds and the trees and the mountains, trying to figure it out. Could it be spread through touch? No, many more people would have it.
Think, Tara, think!
As I look out towards the forest, a faint glimmer catches my eye. A familiar glimmer, and my heart leaps when I realize that it’s Wisp behind Prince Rinan, hovering right above the water. I glance around and notice that the princes don’t see her. Wisp is tricky like that.
My heart leaps at the sight of her, and I smile, asking, “What could make a whole kingdom sick?”
I don’t know a lot about Wisp, but I do know she’s older and wiser than me. She always seems to know more about the world than I could ever imagine, even if she can only explain to me what she knows in riddles.
Wisp freezes in midair as I speak, and then her movements become more frantic. Purposeful. She flies in a loop, then dips low towards the water and brightens, before circling in the air once more. I’m not sure what acrobatics have to do with sick shifters, but I watch her antics with a smile. She seems to know something, but I can’t talk to her to hear what that is right now.
“A whole bunch of shifters who are getting sick at random, spread out all over the Shifter Kingdom. It’s a horrific puzzle.”
I pull my feet out of Prince Rinan’s lap and inch closer to him and Wisp, trying to follow her movements. What’s she trying to tell me? She’s drifting along the water, looping into the sky, seemingly playing, like she’s done a thousand times before. But what does she mean? She’s obviously trying to communicate something with me.
Wisp darts to right next to Prince Rinan’s shoulder. She’s teasing me. I’m going to snag her and make her tell me.
“What are you doing?” Prince Rinan asks suspiciously.
“Shhh,” I whisper, my gaze focused on my prey.
Taking a deep breath, my muscles tense, and I leap forward. Wisp is gone in a flash. The boat violently lurches to one side, and I remember too late where I am. My mouth forms into an O, and I’m vaguely aware of Prince Rinan’s sudden sharp intake of breath. The boat capsizes, throwing me and Prince Rinan into the river.
Water envelops me, cold and jolting. For a moment, time stands still. The only sound is the muffled rush of water in my ears. Then, my thoughts catch up to what’s happening, and I realize I need air. I kick instinctively, propelling myself upwards, breaking the surface with a gasp.
I emerge, sputtering and gagging, as I try to spit out the tangy water. It’s so gross I want to rake my tongue with my nails, but I hold back as my teeth start to chatter. The water’s coldness seeps into my bones, leaving me shivering and disoriented.
Well, that was smart. And Wisp is nowhere to be found.
Something floats past me. Acting on their own accord, my hands desperately clutch the now soaked book of magic, holding it up in the air and out of the water even though it’s dripping wet. Around me, the river flows on, indifferent to my plight; its metallic taste still lingers on my tongue.
Regaining my composure, I blink the water from my eyes and search for any sign of Wisp in the treetops or the flowers, but she’s gone. Probably laughing somewhere. A sense of urgency replaces the shock of the cold water. She knows the answer. I just need to find her and the first part of this process will be done, and I can figure out if this is actually something I can fix.
I scan the river, turning my head this way and that, my hair clinging to my face and neck. The surface of the water reflects the sunlight in a myriad of sparkling fragments, but there's no sign of Wisp’s glow. I squint into the distance, hoping to catch a glimpse of that familiar brightness. The river around me is a blend of light and shadow, movement and stillness, but no trace of Wisp.
