Page 50 of Salt in the Seas
Sylmar’s head cocked in thought. “I’m suggesting that the experience made Mayvus believe it would. It explains why she was determined to go after Emeris as soon as she recovered. She believes that their injuries can be shared, but so can their health.”
Aeliana’s stomach turned. “So she kept my mother imprisoned like some sort of emergency boost to her health?”
“Exactly,” Sylmar said.
“And depending on what she discovered with the winex,” Velden added, “her plan might not be as far-fetched as it sounds.”
Lukai turned Aeliana’s way. “The regenerative properties in their eggs. They brought people back from the brink of death.”
Aeliana closed her eyes, terrified by the conclusion she knew was coming.
“If their health is connected,” Lukai said, “if they can keep each other alive even moments longer, it could be enough for her to regenerate herself and avoid death every single time.”
CHAPTER 20
Gaeren watchedAeliana’s face pale. He wanted to kick Lukai and remind the fool that his role was to comfort his bondmate. Instead, he laughed nervously and tried to minimize it all.
“I think we’re all jumping to conclusions here. Even if you’re right—and that’s a big if—we’re not powerless. We start by keeping Mayvus from the winex. I doubt there are any in the cold Ahmranan climate, so she already helped us out there.” Gaeren ticked the solutions off on his fingers. “Then we figure out if there really is a curse or spell or whatever. And then we break it.” He wiggled the three fingers as if a child should be able to follow the plan.
The others stared at him incredulously, making him aware of how impossible that all sounded. But that wasn’t something that had ever stopped him in the past.
“How are we supposed to find answers about a curse we’re not sure exists?” Kendalyhn asked.
“Maybe we can attack two problems with one solution,” Velden said slowly. “If Mayvus is hunting down the starbridges in order to unite them for power, there’s value in finding them before her. We have the golden arrow, and Mayvus has the onyx stone. There are only two left: an iron cutlass and a silver fish.”
Gaeren tucked his hand in his pocket, letting his fingers wrap around the arrow’s shaft. Orra’s gaze shot to his, her brows pinching inpain. He quickly let it go. Perhaps he should wrap it with something in the future.
“But the starbridges aren’t our primary problem,” Aeliana said. “As long as we keep the arrow from her, she can’t gain power from them.”
“There’s power to be had from each one,” Orra pointed out. “Maybe not the ultimate power she’s looking for, but think about how she’s using the stone to win Ahmranans over to her side. Could she do the same with the cutlass with the Dehvlonians or the silver fish with the Sayhleens?”
The silence in the room grew thick with fear.
“That’s why I suggested we attack two problems with one solution.” Velden let water burble between his hands, then tossed it from palm to palm like a ball. “If we go after the silver fish that would take us to Sayhla Island, we could visit Lady Merinnia and ask about the curse.”
“Lady Merinnia?” Aeliana asked. “The Seer from your story?”
“I don’t remember that one,” Gaeren admitted.
Aeliana turned to Gaeren. “You were back at the palace when he told it. The Sayhleens have a pneumatic progeny who’s so powerful she can see just one or two paths in the future. Velden’s mother went to her to ask about whether or not she should use the silver fish to cross the barrier. Whatever she saw convinced her to come even though she probably also saw her death.”
Velden nodded, his shoulders tighter than normal.
“That was years ago,” Holm said. “For all we know, she’s no longer alive.”
“Then they would have appointed a new Seer,” Velden said. “Maybe not as powerful as Lady Merinnia, but they train them for that purpose.”
“They’ve been doing it since their existence,” Orra added. “The first Seer was also the first Sayhleen—the man who sought out the sprites asking to take refuge in the water. The sprites thought they were tricking him, but he saw the way their people would thrive. He chose that path.”
“But if a curse exists, it’s already happened,” Sylmar said. “She seespaths in the future, not the past. I propose we visit Pacran’s library. If anyone has information about a curse that could connect people’s life sources, it would be him.”
“The collector?” Kendalyhn asked. “Technically he would also be our best option for finding the starbridges.”
Gaeren suspected Kendalyhn was right. In fact, Gaeren had gone looking for Pacran when he hunted down the starbridges on his own, but the swindler had been tight-lipped. Probably because of Gaeren’s status as a prince. Would they have more luck with someone like Sylmar or Velden asking instead?
“What about the witches?” Holm asked. “Didn’t Emeris say Mayvus often asked her about a connection between them? Maybe she was in league with the witches.”
“We already have someone looking into the connection with the witches.” Emeris’ cheeks turned pink as the room went quiet.
