Page 137 of Salt in the Seas
Sylmar stroked his beard, his gaze on the distant fire. “Were they each responsible for the death of her sister though? I can’t imagine Emeris being involved.”
Aeliana frowned, running the memory back again in her mind. “No. She said her sister died at the hands ofaWyndren priestess.”
“That could still be what you missed. They may both be considered guilty for reasons we don’t know. What came next?”
“Um, ‘a love, born of blood, doomed to wither by unfounded contempt.’ I thought maybe that’s the deterioration of their sisterhood. Why they’re enemies now instead of friends?”
He nodded but gestured for her to keep going.
“Then, ‘where love might triumph, pride will prevail. Pain will be shared, heartache doubled.’”
“That explains all their strange mirrored injuries.” Sylmar’s face grew grim, as if hearing the curse made it more real. He’d probably been hoping this trip would prove Emeris’ theory wrong. Aeliana would be lying if she said she hadn’t also hoped that might be true. Then they’d be free to go after Mayvus without fear of what it might do to her mother.
“Then it said, ‘the relief of death will evade them, for their destiny is to watch the light leave each other’s eyes. Until—’ and… that’s where it cut out. I feel as if that last portion is what we need the most. It sounds like the thing that will take the curse away.”
He nodded slowly, but she sensed he wasn’t listening anymore.
“What do you make of it?” she asked.
“I think you’re right about the things you pulled out, but the thing that concerns me most is the idea that death evades them and that they must see the light leave each other’s eyes.”
“What does it mean?” she asked.
“I’m not sure we can really know, but it suggests that they must be together when they die.”
Aeliana froze. “Like, as long as they’re apart, they’re immortal?”
A strangled laugh escaped his lips before turning into a cough. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s how Mayvus interprets it. Especially after they both survived a dragon carrying her to a cave.”
Then his face grew pensive, as if evenheconsidered the possibility.It was insanity to think a curse could be that powerful, but itwouldexplain how they’d survived something so deadly.
“It doesn’t make any sense though,” Sylmar said. “In that scenario, I could cut off Mayvus’ head and she’d survive as long as Emeris wasn’t with her. How could that ever be possible?”
Aeliana shuddered at the image. “Maybe the sprites don’t actually change things. Maybe they sift through the future and use that knowledge to make deals and accurate predictions. What if this curse is more like that? Maybe they knew how my mother and aunt would die and they used that to create a curse.”
Sylmar considered her words, staring into the sky as though it might hold the answers. “While that may be true, the sprites do have magic. We can’t ever underestimate them by thinking they can’t impact the future.”
She sat back as the hopelessness left her drained. “I don’t know what to do with this information. I’d hoped we’d come away with answers and clear direction. Even the acolytes made it sound like what we’d come away with would be good. And now I’m just more confused.” She closed her eyes, hating the way her mind dredged up a perfect memory of Iris stabbing Holm. “And angry.”
Sylmar’s grip tightened on his staff. “She did tell you the full story is documented in the archives of the Dehvlonian Oracles. Who knows who they are, but it gives us a new place to look.”
“Across the barrier.” Aeliana sighed. “It just feels like we’re wasting so much time chasing down starbridges instead of trying to defeat Mayvus once and for all.”
“But if the curse you heard is right,” Sylmar pointed out, “it confirms your mother’s intuition. Going after Mayvus now would end both of their lives. I assume you don’t want that.”
She shook her head. “Of course not.”
“Then the only option we have is to seek out more answers. We’ll have to be careful. Perhaps Holm wasn’t the only one branded. Or perhaps she’ll brand more of us. Trust was already hard to come by, but now it will be even easier to lose.”
Aeliana glanced at her sleeping friends, hating that Sylmar was right. Even if they were all completely trustworthy, the smallest changein behavior might start making someone seem suspect. But this was the time they needed to be able to trust each other the most.
“We’ll also need to let your mother know what you found. See if she has any insight.”
“Could we bring her back here? Give her a chance to see Lady Merinnia?”
Sylmar glanced at the Sayhleen guards and elders. “First we need to figure out how to get out of here before we can even consider bringing someone back. It might take a miracle for each of those, and I would never count on more than one.”
Aeliana glanced at Cyrus, knowing he would tell Sylmar to have more faith. But something in his posture looked different. His shoulders slumped, as if he was confessing instead of praising the Stars. “Has Cyrus seemed quieter to you today?”
