Page 85 of Earthbound

Pointedly, she set the finished pear core on the ground between them. ‘Tell me about the obeah.’

He sighed. ‘If I tell you about the obeah, I must first tell you about the prophecy.’

‘Then tell me, Afa. I need to understand.’

He nodded. ‘And if you understand, you’ll help me fix it?’

She wasn’t sure what he meant, but she was prepared to lie. ‘I’ll try.’

Suddenly his arms were around her. She froze, her heart in her throat. Then she realised it was only an embrace.

‘Thank you, Lettle.’

She extracted herself gently from his arms. ‘Tell me then.’

He took a deep breath then spoke. ‘There were many wars between the sorcerers and the fae after the first. They realised strength alone could no longer stop us, so they tried to assassinate me, poison me. They killed Cevar first, lured him away with the promise of riches then sent me his head. Bish died trying to protect his hamlet from the fae’s magic. Guso took an arrow meant for me.

‘Soon it was just me and Hady against the might of the fae.’

‘What of the elves?’

‘They had retreated from the world, their god warning them of the curse to come.’

‘So you did curse the fae?’

Afa’s eyes flashed with annoyance. ‘Let me tell the story you have so yearned for.’

‘Go on.’

‘Hady and I lived in Kaa’pah’lie reigning over the humans as emperor and empress. They welcomed her, despite being fae, for our people were always loving, always welcoming. They had long begged for the war to end. I had come up with a plan to harness the extent of our god’s power to do just that. Though we were sorcerers, we were not invulnerable, and so I drafted a spell that had never been done before. I knew that by binding to the earth I would have enough power to end all wars. A risky endeavour, for we could not anticipate the sacrifice it would entail. But Hady didn’t agree with the plan. She had not recovered from the death she had seen when the obeah turned on our people. She was wary.’ He paused. His expression as he’d been recounting the story had been indifferent, but now it darkened like a rain cloud.

‘What happened?’

‘The fae captured Hady.’ Time had not blunted his anger. ‘Have you ever loved so fiercely that you would do anything to never let them go?’ he asked.

Lettle’s hand went to her throat.

‘Yes.’

‘And have you ever broken their trust?’

Her palms prickled with heat and she didn’t answer.

‘I had promised Hady that I would not speak the spell to life. I had promised her on the beating heart of our unborn children. Twins.’

‘She was pregnant?’

He dipped his head in assent, as though voicing it would be too hard. ‘When they took her, I broke that promise. I considered it for less than a moment. I simply said the words. And she watched through my eyes.’

‘What happened?’

He shook his head, scared again. ‘If I tell you, you won’t like me any more.’

Lettle understood Afa a bit more in that moment. He was one of those people who thrived on adoration, a feeling she could not relate to, as few people liked Lettle when they met her–and she preferred it that way.

‘I need to know, Afa. Or I won’t help you.’

He held out a hand. Lettle looked around in confusion until she saw an obeah appear, the grimoire between its jaws. It dropped it into Afa’s waiting hand.