Page 67 of Silver in the Bone

As it turned to observe us, the mist illuminated its eye sockets, but its face seemed to have no mouth, no expression.

“Cripes,” Cabell breathed out.

“That’s Deri,” Betrys said when she realized we were no longer following her. “The hamadryad bound to the Mother tree. All of the trees of Avalon once had their own hamadryad caretaker, and there were other unbound dryads to assist them, but ... well, you’ve seen what’s become of the land.”

I gave a dazed nod, acknowledging her words. The hamadryad stooped, scraping dark muck from the tree’s bark in slow, thorough strokes.

“Come on, then.” Betrys tilted her head toward the waiting door, and we followed. Beyond it was another spiraling staircase, and, yet again, we descended.

After a while, the stairs widened. A distant rush of water echoed on the stone walls, and the air gained an almost mineral taste, not unlike the smell of dust just before the rain. The deeper we traveled, the brighter it seemed to become. Soon the faces around me, my skin, my hair, my clothes—everything was awash in strange cerulean light.

We made one final turn around the stairs, and the springs unfurled below. I slowed. Cabell tried to nudge me forward, but I couldn’t bring myself to move just yet.

The cavern was vast, its arched ceiling decorated with carvings of young women—the Goddess and priestesses, I presumed. The structure was supported by the shoulders of three massive statues. One, a young woman wearing a crown of flowers and a flowing gown. The second, a peaceful motherly woman in an apron, a basket and loom carved around her feet. The third was an elderly figure, stooped and wearing a cloak that swirled around her and depicted the stars and phases of the moon. These were the three aspects of the Goddess: maiden, mother, crone.

At their feet, a river of glowing water ran down the center of the chamber, seeping out from a split in an enormous root of the Mother tree, as if it were sap. Narrow tributaries branched out from it, filling smaller round pools. Mist or steam rose from the surface of each, promising much-needed relief for my stiff and sore muscles.

Bitterness warred with awe in me. How many breathtaking places, how many wondrous sights, had I missed before I’d had the One Vision? Nothing in my imagination could compare to what I’d seen here, either for beauty or for monstrosity. To the Tamsin of even a week ago, it would have appeared to be nothing at all.

Tidy bundles of clothing with surprisingly modern-looking undergarments had been placed beside three of the individual baths. I toed the top layer, a thin towel for drying off, revealing a simple tunic and dark brown breeches below.

“This is incredible,” Cabell said, turning to look around. “What makes the water glow like that?”

Otherworldly light shimmered from the depths of each pool, creating a soothing ambiance in what might otherwise have been a creepy, cavernous space. I set the wrapped Ignatius down on the bottom step, well away from the pools.

“The water is said to be tears of the Goddess,” Betrys said. “Flowing from her heart, which resides at the center of the Mother tree.”

I cringed. “I think I liked it better before you brought up bodily fluids.”

To my surprise, Betrys laughed. “It’s restorative—healing in a different way than what Olwen can do.”

Neve breathed in deeply, as if relishing the rain scent. Her wide eyes glimmered with wonder.

“I need to take my hour on the watch,” Betrys explained. “I trust you don’t mind waiting until I return to show you to your rooms?”

“Honestly,” Cabell said, “you’ll probably have to drag us out of the water.”

She turned her back to us. “I’ll take your clothing to be laundered if you’ll leave it there beside the baths.”

We undressed awkwardly, careful not to look at one another. Covering myself with my arms, my face burning from being so exposed, I stepped down into the water and tentatively stretched a foot out.

I shivered with pleasure at its warmth. The longer I stared into the swirling mist gathering on its surface, the more intolerable the chilled air around us felt. I descended farther into the pool, then plunged, immediately finding its smooth bottom with my toes.

There was a weight to the water I hadn’t expected, as if it were thick with salt. A ledge had been carved into it at the perfect height to sit with my head and shoulders above the surface.

Days of dirt and blood lifted away from my skin. My whole body softened, and my mind was quick to follow. I breathed in deeply, then dunked my head beneath the water, scrubbing at my hair and face with my hands.

I surfaced again with a gasp, wiping the hair from my face. Cabell sighed as he settled fully into his pool. He turned to face me, bracing his arms on the rocky edge. “This beats the Roman baths in Algeria, eh?”

“And we didn’t even have to break in to use them,” I said. “A novel concept for us.”

I hadn’t realized Betrys was still standing there until she breathed out two words: “Those symbols ...”

I followed her gaze down to Cabell’s tattooed arms and shoulders.

“Why would you cover your body with curse sigils?” Neve asked, pulling herself up to look over the side of her bath. She had carefully twisted her braids up and away from the water.

To show off all the curses he’s broken, I thought. To seem cool and mysterious to girls who have no idea what they mean.

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