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High above us, there was a round opening to the wintry forest and the gray clouds above. The cave itself bore giant stalactites hanging down from the ceiling and stalagmites stabbing upward from the floor. A steady trickle of water moved down the sides of the cave and dripped from the ceiling.
Goll slipped out of the water then reached down and pulled me up. The cave was cold, but there was a buzzing of powerful magick here, a stillness only felt where gods have been.
“It’s here,” I whispered to Goll, smiling despite my physical discomfort, my lips and body shivering.
Instantly, he ignited feyfire in the palm of his hand. “This won’t hurt you,” he promised.
Before I could ask what he meant, he whispered to the flame in his hand. It leaped into the air and spread wide into a flat sheet of flame that drifted through the air and wrapped around my shoulders like a shawl.
“Oh.” I jumped, my instincts to back away from fire ingrained. But it was like a warm tickling against my skin, immediately chasing the chill away in my core. “Thank you.” I smiled to Goll.
His tight expression relaxed. He gave me a nod.
“Hurry up, slow pokes!” shouted Zu, hovering halfway across the cave.
As we followed, Tikka zipped up next to me and whispered loud enough for anyone to hear, “Lucky dark lady that you get poked with that one.”
She smiled her sharp-toothed smile and then darted away at Goll’s growl. I bit my lip and looked over at him.
He heaved an exasperated sigh. “Fucking sprites.”
“She is right, though.” I glanced down at his thick manhood hanging between his legs and arched a brow.
“You keep looking at me like that, Una, and we won’t make it to this godforsaken text.”
“God-touched. Not godforsaken.”
“We’ll see,” he growled as we followed Zu and the others to one side where water trickled down the cave wall.
“Here,” shouted Zu excitedly. “Come, come!”
There, where the three of them flew, the cave wall jutted out. The water sluiced down the side into a shallow pool the size of a large bowl. All three sprites flew into the bowl and came out together carrying a glass vial with a cork stopper.
They carried it through the air toward me, their eyes glowing with excitement. That wasn’t all that was glowing. Inside the vial, an effervescent shimmer of green brightened their faces.
“Take it,” said Zu.
Glancing over at Goll, whose expression was grim, I reached out and took the vial. Nothing miraculous happened, but at closer inspection, I could see something floating inside the vial.
“Goll,” I said, not believing what I was seeing, “there are actual words floating in here. But I can’t read them.”
They were etched in gold sparkles, swimming in the clear water of the vial.
He stepped closer, the feyfire still draped over my body lighting his face. He scowled and peered into the vial. “Old fae. Very old.”
“Can you read it?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know anyone who can. We’ve found ancient relics with this sort of writing.”
“Drink!” shouted Zu.
“Drink, drink!” Tikka and Geta chimed in unison.
Yes. I was supposed to drink them. I was sure they were right. When I unstoppered the cork, a breathy whisper escaped into the tall caverns. It sounded like the wordlady.
As I lifted the vial toward my mouth, Goll reached out and gripped my wrist, his eyes wide with concern. “Are you sure?”
A calm had swept over me the instant we’d stepped into this cave. “Yes. It will be all right.”
