Page 5 of Keldori By Daybreak

“Ferrin,” I admitted. No big deal. Just the guy who tried to kill me and wanted to punch a hole between two realities.

“And he’s a nocturmancer,” Sorcha sighed. “A damn good one if he was able to project himself into Keldori. Who else?”

“Tiernan Eldguard,” I said.

“Fana’s Riftkeeper? He’s with Ferrin now, isn’t he?”

“Probably. His sister is Ferrin’s right hand woman.” We’d told her all about the companions we’d traveled with across Skalterra, unknowingly helping Ferrin deliver Fana to what would’ve been her death had I not released my grandmother from her glacier prison myself.

“That’s two, then. Three if you count the sister because she’s sure to know your name by now too,” Sorcha growled.

“Tiernan’s not a nocturmancer, and I don’t think his sister Caitria is either,” I continued. “But, the Baron. She might know. I told my name to her bodyguard, though there’s a chance he hasn’t shared it.”

Sorcha and Aoife both groaned.

“Tamora Alarbus knows your name?” Sorcha hissed.

“I said she might!”

“Idiot girl. It’s no wonder that school you liked waitlisted you. What reason could you possibly have for giving your name to the Baron’s bodyguard?”

“I was trying to get back to Skalterra! I wouldn’t have needed to share it if anyone in Keel Watch Harbor had been even a little bit honest about who you all were!”

Aoife shrugged. “She makes a good point.”

“It doesn’t matter how good her point is!” Sorcha exclaimed. “There’s still a chance that both leaders of the armies in our way know her name. They’re both nocturmancers. Either one of them might call her and make her their Nightmare.”

“Wren,” Aoife turned to me with an encouraging smile, “have you heard any voices call your name in the last week?”

“No?” I didn’t mean to look to Ciarán for reassurance.

“I’ve been keeping watch over her head,” he promised. I waited for him to smirk, but he met me with a gentle frown that reminded me too much of Liam.

“Yet Ethel was able to call her.” Sorcha’s wrinkles deepened as she narrowed her eyes.

“The Saergrim is the one Magician I have no power over,” Ciarán explained.

Sorcha hummed to herself for a moment, thinking, and then made for the door.

“If you insist you’ve got Wren’s wandering consciousness under control, then it’s best we all get some sleep. We’ve got a lot to do in the—” Sorcha cut off in a yelp and stumbled back from the door with her hand clutching at her gown over her heart. “By the Frozen God, girl! Are you trying to kill me?”

“Sorry!” A face materialized in the gloom of the hallway as Orla stepped closer to my door. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. Wren, are you okay?”

My chest relaxed at the sight of Orla. She hugged herself with long, thin arms, and her short hair stuck up one side. She glanced around my room with apprehension, but there was something reassuring about her demeanor. I wasn’t the only one out their depth here.

“You should be sleeping,” I said as gently as I could.

“I heard you mention my uncle.”

The old women shared a look.

“It’s nothing—” Aoife started.

“Oh, sure,” Sorcha cut her off. “Ferrin Quillguard could summon the Saergrim’s granddaughter on a whim, extract information from her, feed her to a rotsbane. Anything really! But yes. It’s nothing.”

“No, he—” The rest of the sentence died on Orla’s lips, but I knew what she’d been about to say.

He wouldn’t.