Page 90 of Seaborn and the Seven Seas

Ranis settled by the fire, back against a log, arms crossed. Theron leaned against the trunk beside us, legs stretched out, unbothered by the cold.

The sky had deepened from gray to black, the last of the light swallowed by the trees. Only the crescent moon remained, casting just enough silver through the branches to make out shapes and shadows. The fire did the rest.

“Tomorrow we’ll reach a village in the deepest part of the forest,” Theron said.

“Is that where the alchemists are?” Ranis asked.

Theron nodded. “Their head alchemist, they call her The Priestess may be able to sense whether the gods actually live within the stones.”

The fire crackled.

I closed my fingers around the stone in my pocket, warm against my palm, like something sleeping. If I took it out, it would hum, so I left it alone.

“My grandmother told me about The Priestess when I was small.” Fraya stared into the flame as she spoke. “She said there was a time when mortals had no way to speak to the divine. So one of the seven looked down and chose an ordinary woman.” She picked up a stick and turned it in her hands. “Someone with no royal blood, no special birth. Just a woman who listened well and kept her word. And they breathed their energy into her. She became aware of the presence and gained the ability to feel other people’s emotions.”

Ranis tossed a stick into the fire. “Some believe she could even look into one’s soul.”

Fraya looked at him across the smoke rising. “And others believe she can see the future.”

A beat of silence.

“How do you know this?” Jina asked.

“My mother told me.” Ranis tossed another stick. “Like how Fraya’s grandmother did the same for her.”

“My grandmother. She was a merchant in Auris.” Fraya shook her head, wonder crossing her face. “We learned the same story, but different ends of the world. Our world is so vast and yet so small.”

“Though no one agrees on which god gave her the gift.” Ranis peered up at the branches when an owl hooted somewhere above.

“Has anyone actually met The Priestess?” Jina shifted closer to the fire. “Or are we riding on the assumption of a legend?”

Theron brought up one knee and picked at the fish head, what was left of the meat. “I’m following a hunch.”

“A hunch?” I hadn’t meant to raise my voice.

“Quiet, Little Star.” Theron arched an eyebrow. “You’ll wake the night creatures.”

“Night creatures?” Jina leaned into me.

Great. Thanks for pointing out what was unnecessary.

“How do we know you’re going the right direction?” I glared at him. “What if we get lost?”

He sat up straighter, narrowing his eyes. “I know what I’m doing. I would not lead you astray.”

I wasn’t sure he meant the road.

“Do they have wings?” Ranis crossed his legs, yawning. “I heard someone say The Priestess has them.”

“Where did you hear that?” Theron rolled back his shoulders and cracked his neck.

Ranis shrugged. “Can’t remember. Someone at a tavern. Is it true?”

“The people of Caelum had wings before the Seelie queen took the kingdom.” Fraya flung the rabbit bones into the fire. “She lined up all the people, town by town, and stripped their wings with her magic.” The bones caught and blackened. “My grandmother said their wings were the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.”

“The children…” Jina covered her mouth. “She took their precious wings too, didn’t she?”

“Don’t think about it.” Minha scrubbed Jina’s hair to lighten the mood. “We’re going to take her magic away somehow.”