I looked down into her deep brown eyes, seeing nothing but concern. I felt a rush of appreciation and affection for this knowledgeable woman, who cared enough to prepare me to walk into a potentially painful situation. She may not have spoken often, but when she did, it was always purposeful, and usually contributed to another’s well-being. I clasped her shoulder gently. “Thanks, Nerys. I’ll consider myself warned.” I smiled at her, hoping she could sense the depth of my gratitude before taking a deep breath and continuing down the path.
The trees surrounding us thinned out as we approached a clearing containing a small cottage. Smoke curled out of the top, and heavy dark curtains covered the windows. The door was painted an eccentric deep purple, and a small herb garden sat out front. I approached it, crouching down in the damp soil and stroking the soft petals of the yarrow.
“A fellow herb enthusiast?” A clear voice rang out.
I jolted, not expecting to see the woman next to me. Judging by the curses and gasps behind me, everyone else was caught unawares as well. ‘Holy gods, crazy witch.” Bastien mumbled somewhere behind me. I heard a smack and assumed that Carwyn had discouraged any further comments. I rose, brushing off my linen pants, and took in the witch in front of me. A deep green dress clung to her figure, a pale-yellow headscarf covered her unruly red hair, and her blue eyes gleamed with mischief and laughter. I immediately felt a kinship. Her thin face formed a broad smile, and she extended a pale hand. I clasped it gently. “Yes. I used to grow and dry herbs, sell them at the markets. Before… Well, before.”
She nodded like she understood, and she probably did. She had wise eyes. “You’re welcome to take anything you need from my garden.” She said softly. “A child of the earth flourishes when nourished. You shine very brightly” I cocked my head, not entirely understanding but grateful, nonetheless.
“That’s very kind of you, thank you.” I turned to Callisa to find her inspecting the ivy growing down the side of the cream-colored cottage. “Callisa, you’re a healer; I’m sure we can get some useful herbs for pastes and medicine. Maybe amaranth and comfrey.”
“If that’s alright with you?” I looked back at Lavinia, trailing off like in the last minute she would have rescinded her offer.
“Take what you like Aeryn, I’d love to help any way I can.”
I paled at her use of my name, the name I most definitely did not give her yet. “I’m a witch, Aeryn; surely this does not surprise you.” She teased with a sly smile. “I’m Lavinia. Come inside, everyone.” She opened the purple door and led us into a cozy interior. A fire was roaring against the far wall. Herbs were hanging under the various windows, a small settee covered with patchwork blankets occupied the center of the room, and a wooden table and chairs were just to our left.
“Thank you for your hospitality,” Nerys murmured politely.
“I have not seen you in many years.” She said solemnly. Azael, Callisa, Lavinia, Elias, and I took the chairs at the table. Carwyn, Bastien, and Nerys squeezed in together on the threadbare settee, and Eleste sat in the comfy black chair to the right of the fire. “We were all so worried when we heard the news of what happened at solstice. We didn’t know what to do, who to turn to. Even now, allies are being hunted and killed.” She sighed heavily, her blue eyes looking suddenly weary, too weary for her youthful features. “I’m deeply sorry for your loss. I know it doesn’t get easier over the years.” I fidgeted with the lavender lace at the end of my long braid, and Elias coughed, turning to face the setting sun outside the window. Azael turned a concerned glance his way before answering Lavinia.
“Yes. It was… Hard. It was a rough time for us. Things have changed greatly since we were imprisoned.”
“No one could figure out how to help; adamanteis is kept well hidden, the area heavily warded and concealed. We looked for years.” Her voice trembled slightly. Callisa laid a small hand on Lavinia’s and gave her a soft smile.
“We know, and we don’t blame you. Any of you. We’re just glad you’re okay, that you escaped Theia’s wrath.” A small ginger cat with unusual blue eyes jumped into Lavinia’s lap, curling up and rubbing its head against her stomach. Lavinia chuckled, stroking its fur absently.
“His name is Velis. He’s been my familiar since I was a baby witch at thirty years old.” My eyebrows raised, both at the length of their lives and the connection they shared. “I’m not immortal like them,” she said, gesturing towards the group. “I use a longevity spell; I’m still very susceptible to injuries, just not old age. Velis’s life is tied to mine.” She looked down at him, the love evident in her eyes. Velis purred loudly, and Bastien made a strangled noise from the couch.
Lavinia’s eyes narrowed and focused on Bastien. He paled considerably, drawing his long arms and legs in protectively like he could shield her icy gaze.
Carwyn snorted, patting Bastien’s knee like he was a child scared of the monster under his bed. He scowled at her before straightening his posture. “Lavinia.” He said slowly. “Nice to see you again. And… Velis as well.”
“Yes, well. I’m sure you learned your lesson last time.” She said with a sniff, part threat and part tease. Azael clasped his hands together on the worn tabletop and finally addressed the topic of our visit.
“Lavinia, we consider you a useful ally and an even better friend. I’m hoping anything we discuss here today will remain between us.” He raised one silvery brow, as if she would look into his searching eyes and tell him no.
“Of course, Azael.” She murmured. “What is it you need?”
Callisa took the lead. “We are going to be traveling, meeting up with others. As you remarked earlier, Aeryn is very bright. She’s been pursued relentlessly for years by Theia’s guards because of the sheer strength of her aura.” She turned to me. “I don’t think I told you, but it’s remarkable that you were able to evade them for this long. With no advanced training in stealth or defense, you should be enormously proud.” I warmed at her praise, affection blooming. She turned back to Lavinia, draping an arm over the back of her chair. “We need to hide her divine essence. We don’t want to attract our pursuers and lead them to our allies. We need time to recuperate, to train, to reconnect.”
Lavinia hummed, stroking behind Velis’s ears. “This is not an easy task.” She said, glancing at me. “Have your powers surfaced yet?”
“No,” I admitted disappointedly.
She nodded, her lively blue eyes becoming unfocused. We sat in silence for several moments, just the crackle of the fire and the shuffling of Bastien’s anxious movements. “There’s only one thing I can think of that will cloak your essence but still allow you to grow into your powers and keep your connection to Sinaia.”
“That’s perfect!” Eleste exclaimed, clapping her hands together.
“No,” Nerys said from her spot on the settee next to Carwyn. Her eyes were flinty and flickering in the light of the fire.
“Nerys,” Lavinia sighed. “It’s the only option.”
I was not the only one whose brows were drawn in confusion.
“Then we’ll figure something else out.” Her tone was unyielding.
“What are you talking about?” Azael said with a frown.
Lavinia tapped the nails on her free hand on the table, pursing her lips. “I can do a ritual that will hide her essence, but I will need to carve into her rune.”
“Absolutely not,” he said with a scowl. Several others chimed in with objections.
“I don’t have a rune.”
“How would you know?” She asked with an inquisitive red brow raised.
“Azael showed me his.” I blushed slightly, feeling uncomfortable that everyone knew I’d seen his hips and not the accompanying situation. “I would know if I had a rune the size of a hand on my hip.”
“Aeryn,” Callisa said softly. “It’s on the back of your neck.”
“Wha- I- Since when?” I stuttered, flustered by the fact that I have a mark on my body I never knew existed.
“I’m sorry, Aeryn. I knew when you were surprised by mine that you must not have known it was there. I didn’t want to overwhelm you; I thought I’d have time to tell you.” Azael said, his silver eyes pleading with mine. Begging me not to take it as another betrayal, another omission that pertained to me.
I rubbed the ache in my temples. Lavinia got up and retrieved a small, gilded hand mirror, handing a larger mirror with polished silver edges to Callisa. Callisa held the mirror up in front of my face. As Lavinia moved behind me, I examined my face in the mirror. I didn’t look at myself often. I had no use for vanity on the run. Used to running in the middle of the night in my sleep clothes and medium-sized pack, I had no need for cosmetics or mirrors. My violet eyes looked tired, further emphasized by the dark bruising under my eyes that matched the obsidian flecks. My freckles were light, just barely sprinkled across my nose and cheeks. My cheeks had always been filled out, but now they were an attractive hollow that led into my jawline.
Lavinia brushed my hair away from my neck, her cool fingers leaving bumps in their wake. She positioned the hand mirror behind me, to see the back of my neck in the reflection on the mirror Callisa was holding. I felt stunned at the sight of the tiny full moon, the eight-pointed star within it, its cardinal points extended, and the celestial shapes surrounding it. I gently stroked over it, awed at how it didn't feel any different from my normal skin but could look so multi-dimensional.
“Thank you, Lavinia,” I murmured as she offered a sympathetic nod and took her seat at the table.
“It’s beautiful,” Eleste said kindly, fiddling with the sleeves of her soft brown sweater and helplessly trying to diffuse the tension.
“Why isn’t it on my hip like yours?” I asked anyone who would answer.
“Many things about you differ from us, Aeryn. New is not bad; new means change. New means improvement.” Nerys said quietly.
“There is no way you’re going to carve into her neck,” Elias, of all people, said. I gaped at him, and he studiously avoided looking at me.
“I agree with Elias,” Bastien said, followed by nods from everyone else.
“Is there another way?” I asked.
“No. I’m sorry.”
“Then we do it,” I shrugged.
“Aeryn,” Callisa pleaded. “We can find another way.”
“That’s ridiculous. You have people to meet, places to be, and schedules to uphold. I’m endangering all of you by being unshielded as I am now.” My voice cracked slightly. “I refuse to be the reason any of you are harmed.”
Lavinia extended her palm over mine, and I felt an instant dose of calming energy. I nodded, thanking her with my eyes. “It will only hurt for a small amount of time. It shouldn’t affect the dreamwalking either.”
“I don’t dreamwalk. Sinaia contacts me that way, which makes sense as I have her essence, and dreams are part of her domain.”
“No child. You can dreamwalk.” My mouth gaped, and I was momentarily stunned. I thought back to how I was able to alter the dreamscapes with Sinaia.
“Is that my gift?” Her thumb rubbed soothing circles on the top of my hand.
“Time will tell. You’re destined for great things. I would be surprised if you could only dreamwalk. You have a strong essence.”
I took this revelation numbly, and I stored it away where I could obsess over it later. I was becoming used to these surprises.
“That’s an amazing gift,” Carwyn said appreciatively.
I smiled, but I knew it was tremulous. “So,” I sighed. “Let's get this over with.”
Lavinia nodded once, and began striding across the cottage, gathering supplies. She appeared to be heating a small blade over the fire. Callisa scanned my eyes, her own looking troubled. “Aeryn, you don’t have to do this. I feel horrible putting you through the pain. We can always ask someone else and put our plans on hold for a little.”
I beamed at her. “I’m thankful to have you care so much, and I’m grateful for it, but Lavinia knows what she’s doing, and we’re already here. I don’t want to delay you, and I don’t want to put anyone in danger. The sooner we get this done, the better.”
“Brave creature,” Azael murmured, extending his long legs under the table. Outwardly I rolled my eyes, but inwardly I warmed with pleasure at his praise. Then I rolled my eyes again just for the part of me that flushed with pride at the smallest compliment from him. These people were warriors, immortals, and I was nervous about being carved? I felt cowardly.
Lavinia set up her supplies onto the table in front of me, then swept my hair into an updo, making sure no strays remained in the way. Her movements were fluid and confident. She ground a paste using a ceramic mortar and pestle and dipped a delicate blade into the mixture. She rested a cool hand onto my bare shoulder, and I flinched slightly, wishing I could see what she was doing and when she would be starting. Azael slid his hand into my left, and Callisa took the right.
“Just squeeze, okay? As hard as you want.” Callisa said. The weight of each hand in mine was calming. I glanced over at the middle of the room and saw the concern on everyone’s faces. Even in front of me, Elias looked troubled. I cringed at the sudden searing heat on the back of my neck. My nerves were screaming with pain, and I could feel the sweat dripping down my face. My stomach dropped, and I clenched Azael and Callisa’s hands tightly, my fingers pale with the tension. I ground my teeth and the pain increased; Lavinia began moving the knife across the rune, murmuring unintelligibly under her breath. Carwyn gasped, and Eleste echoed her surprise.
“It’s fading,” Bastien said, sounding awed.
The hot blade made my skin feel like it had been lit on fire, burning with Lavinia’s steady movements.
I squeezed my eyes tight, but a tear escaped anyway. Azael used his free hand to brush it away, then stroked my flushed brow with his cool hand.
“Done!” She proclaimed behind me. I slumped down onto the table, unsure that I could hold myself upright any longer. Lavinia applied a cold cloth to the raw wound, and I hissed at the sting, all my muscles tensing at the contact then releasing as the heat subsided.
“Your aura is gone, no glow at all.” Nerys sounded subdued, but I could see the unease in her eyes.
“I’m okay,” I assured everyone, wincing with the movement. “How long will this last?”
“I can reverse it at any time, but without my interference, it will fade in less than a year.” Lavinia shrugged. “It’s not an exact science.”
“Thank you, how can I repay you?”
“Consider it a gift from a new friend, darling.” She gave me a kind smile. “I’m going to give you a paste that will dull the pain and increase the speed at which it heals. I’m sure one of you will help her apply it daily?” She inquired, glancing around.
She received a chorus of agreements; Nerys and Elias were noticeably silent, not to my surprise. Azael’s full lips turned down in a frown. “I will be applying it.” Callisa laughed at the territorial look on his face; everyone else shrugged and glanced at me conspiratorially. I flushed, glaring at Azael. I realized that while Callisa had withdrawn her hand, Azael still held mine firmly. I soaked in the contact before pulling away from his cool embrace.
“Yes, Azael, sure. You can help me. Because I said so.”
He smirked, silver eyes sparkling in the low light of the setting sun through Lavinia’s wide windows. “I’d expect nothing less, love.” He rasped. Elias coughed pointedly, and I narrowed my eyes.
“I’m sorry, what was that? You’d like Bastien to apply it?” I teased. Bastien laughed boisterously, and I heard a small giggle from Eleste. Azael scowled while I smiled innocently.
Lavinia sniggered indulgently, cleaning the last of her supplies from the table. “How would you all like to stay here tonight before journeying in the morning?”
Elias glanced at the setting sun outside the window. “If it’s not too much trouble.”
“Never, I've missed you all greatly.” She said while p
ulling a large pot from the pale green cupboards in the tiny kitchen behind Azael.
Callisa switched the now warm cloth on my neck with another cool one, and I sighed with relief, murmuring my thanks. She gave my arm a gentle pat in acknowledgment.
“I’m making root vegetable stew for dinner, and as you know, I have the three extra bedrooms, but the first on the right has two smaller beds. The rest have one larger bed.” Callisa and Eleste jumped up to help prepare the food while Elias cleared the table.
“I’ll take the couch,” Bastien offered graciously. I winced at the thought of his gangly limbs sprawling over the arm, then grimaced at the pain from the pull in my neck.
“Nerys, Eleste, and I can take one of the larger beds,” Carwyn said as she arranged the throw pillows on the sofa.
“Azael and Elias can each take a smaller bed, and Aeryn and I can fit on the last bed,” Callisa said from my side.
“Then it’s all sorted!” Lavinia declared, green dress whirling as she collected various herbs and seasonings from around the cottage.
I rested my head for several minutes, breathing through the residual ache and trying not to tense. Tensing resulted in a blinding flash of pain.
“Salve is ready,” Azael said softly from behind me, jolting me from my blissful state. He brushed a stray tendril of hair from my neck, and I suppressed a shiver at the feel of his cool fingers. He refrained from commenting and braced one hand onto my shoulder, setting the pot on the table next to my right arm. He scooped out a fair amount, then applied the thick paste to the wound on my neck with light strokes. “It’s cauterized.” He murmured. “But it’s still going to hurt.” My shoulders hunched at the initial contact, but the most intense coolness began to radiate from the path his fingers had taken. I relaxed as the heat and sting alleviated, leaving a soothing numbness in its wake.
“Better?” He asked, tracing the edges of the marks with a single slicked finger. It was sensuous, and it made me feel like we were the only two people in the cottage. His finger trailed on my skin for several seconds longer than necessary, like he was soaking in the contact.
Daughter of Retribution (Crescent Queen Book 1) Page 7