Page 43 of North Queen
The city. Norah felt a wave of excitement. She hadn’t been able to explore the city yet, having been limited to only the castle on the isle.
“How will we get across the bridge?” she asked.
“We already are, my dear.”
Norah’s pulse quickened, and she looked around to get her bearings, but the connected buildings along the street limited her sight.
“This way,” Catherine called, and swept forward under the cover of darkness. Adjoining houses lined the narrow streets, and they moved quietly so as not to draw attention. The queen regent was fast, floating through the streets, and Norah almost had to run to keep up with her. They turned down a side alleyway and followed the rowed homes until they finally came to a door. Her grandmother gave two knocks, and they waited.
The door creaked open. A woman, Catherine’s age, looked out.
“Esther,” Catherine greeted her.
“Catherine.” The woman smiled and opened the door, inviting them in. Esther was taller than Norah’s grandmother, and thin but with a round face. She wore a simple, green linen dress, and her long white hair fell over her shoulder in a thick braid.
Esther gave Norah a warm smile and bowed her head. “Princess,” she greeted. Then she turned to Catherine. “I’ll get Nemus.”
Norah followed her grandmother in, pulling off her cloak and waiting patiently. She looked around. It was a modest home, made warm by the handmade quilts and candles.
A few moments later, Esther emerged from the back room with an older man, who Norah suspected was Esther’s husband. He was tall, but the hunch in his back made him only slightly taller than his wife. His short, white hair matched his short-cut beard, and he wore a light brown tunic over his darker brown trousers.
“Catherine,” Nemus greeted her warmly. “Princess Norah, we were so happy to hear of your return.”
Norah gave a small nod, noticing their informality with her grandmother. They were friends.
“Nemus, we need your help,” Catherine said. “We have a burden we share in the strictest of confidence.”
“Of course,” he answered, his white brows dipping together.
“While Norah has returned to us, her memories didn’t come with her. We have to find a way to bring them back.”
He looked at Norah in surprise. “No memories?”
Norah shook her head. It felt strange to be so open about it now.
Catherine let out a breath. “I thought you might be able to help.”
He nodded. “I can try. Come.”
Nemus ambled over to a small nook and took a seat cross-legged on a large woven floor pillow. He gave Norah a nod and motioned her to sit on a pillow across from him. She settled awkwardly in her dress.
He pulled a quill and penned ink markings down his forearms, his lips moving in silence as he drew circles, lines, and interwoven triangles, designs she’d never seen before. Then he reached out and poured wine into a small bowl and set it down in front of him. Nemus pricked his finger with the tip of a blade, letting a few drops of blood fall into the bowl. He breathed silent words over the mixture and held it out for her.
Norah raised a brow. Surely he didn’t mean for her to drink it.
“Do you want me to see?” he asked at her hesitation.
She swallowed.Perhaps not anymore. But then, reluctantly, she nodded. “Yes.”
“Then you must drink,” he told her.
She glanced up at her grandmother, and Catherine gave her a reassuring nod.
Norah shuddered back her aversion and accepted the bowl, taking a deep breath before drinking. The wine was tart, and the thought of blood mixed within made her stomach queasy. She forced it down and handed the bowl back to Nemus.
“Close your eyes,” he told her.
She complied, pushing out a breath and dropping her eyelids closed.
