Page 13 of Terragnata and the Heir of the Earth

Leiya must have heard me, for she eyed me and said, “Wetches like their fancies, eh? I remember me ferst time at a Wetch camp. Looked like a bunch a’ rich folks on holiday. Thought them Wetches were soft, needin’ all these comforts and such. But no, them Wetches are tough as any Fae warrior. They jest like to travel enstyle.”

“Witches,” I repeated, dazed. Maybe I really was going crazy.

“Now look,” she grabbed hold of my arm and stopping me in the middle of the camp. “Yer gonna be right confused when everythen es explained to ye. Ye won’t know what te believe and ye won’t know who te trust. But ye hear me when I speak the truth right now. We are the only ones who can help ye get what ye want. Trustthat.”

I raised my gaze, staring up into Leiya’s hazel eyes, feeling a limpness in my own. “And what is it you think I want? My family is dead. I have nothing to want for.”

“Yes, yes ye do. Whether ye want et now, or later, ye want revenge. And ye won’t be able te think straight again until ye get et. And even then ets a coin toss. But ets yer best shot at moven on, and we’re yer best shot at getten et,” Leiya said.

The word revenge sounded dirty to my ears. But it stirred something inside me—something primal. The word burned in my chest where it had been cold and dark before.

It felt good to burn.

CHAPTER SIX

OLD MEMORIES

Leiya led me to a small canvas tent in the middle of camp. She pulled back the flap, revealing several long dining tables, serving stations, and even elaborate candle fixtures. I gaped at the warrior—the tent should have fit one or two cots inside at the most. She only gave me a nod and motioned me through the threshold.

Magic.

Jana sat at the middle of the table rather than at the head, and everyone seemed to angle themselves towards her. The other woman I had seen before, the one from the cleansing, sat to her left. She appeared younger than Leiya. And smaller, though that wasn’t difficult to accomplish. The two men that held my feet during the cleansing were there too, one averaged height and lean, the other that looked like three of Leiya put together. I wondered if they were related.

Jana rose upon my entrance. “Welcome, Terra of Argention. Please, have a seat,” she gestured to the spot directly across from her at the table. I did, feeling as numb as I had before Leiya’s ‘revenge’ speech kicked up something inside of me.

Guess that was temporary.

“Friends, Terra has been through a great deal. May I request the room while I read her in?” Everyone hurried out except Leiya, who remained standing behind me. Eventually, Jana tilted her head back and Leiya too retreated.

“Well, you look much better.” Jana offered a soft smile. “Without all the filth on you. I imagine it feels good to be clothed and clean for the first time in such a while. Are you hungry? I can get you anything to eat. I am happy to call for a?—”

“Am I your prisoner?” A genuine question. Not that I cared terribly.

Jana sighed. “No, Terra, you are not my prisoner. I just have some things I need to discuss with you. And you can ask me all the questions you like. If you still want to leave afterwards, well, that is your choice.”

The cold, empty place in my chest took shape into something harder. “Who are you, why do you know my name, and why did that… man want to take me away?” I pinned her with my stare. “And why,” I said softly, choking on the last part, “why did he kill my family?”

Surprise flickered across her face. “Do you still not remember anything, child?”

“Rememberwhat?”

Jana rubbed her temples. “The cleansing is a fickle process. It may take several days for your memories to come back. You likely need to still your mind and quiet your new senses in order for that to happen. For now, I will fill in the blanks. But I must warn you—this story will not be easy to hear.”

I clamped my teeth together to keep them from chattering.

“Your family, the ones you called mother and father and brother, were not your kin. Of course, you grew up with them, so you should always call them yours, but your father did not seed you and your mother did not bear you. The blood of your brothers does not run in your veins.”

“Stop,” I whispered.Maybe I shouldn’t listen. After all, she could be making this up?—

“You were born in Nebbiolo, a Witch queendom isle far east of here, to a Witch mother and a Fae father. Your father raised you from a young age in a Fae kingdom called Viribrum, after your mother died in Nebbiolo. He was a famed warrior amongst the Fae, and you showed unbelievable promise as a young Faerie in training; many thought you would one day follow in his footsteps and join the ranks in protecting the kingdom.”

I wanted to cover my ears and shake my head in disbelief, but it felt like she put color and sound to the muted dreams of a long sleep.I had lost not only one mother, but two?

“How is any of this possible? Witches? Fae? Am I truly supposed to believe these fabled creatures exist—thatmagicexists?” But even as I questioned her, the words tasted stale in my mouth. The tent alone told me enough.

Jana extended her hand. An ornate dagger appeared, resting in her palm, out of thin air, and then vanished once more. “You should know that Witch and Fae exist, because you sit amongst them. You, yourself, are one of them. One of us.”

My eyes widened, catching on her hand where the dagger laid a moment before.

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