Page 108 of Burning Crowns

‘Do you still have Daybreak?’

Rose went to fetch it. When she removed the sheath, the dagger was still coated in the dark blood of the kraken.

Celeste gingerly took it and inspected the bloodied blade. ‘Since this blade pierced the kraken, and the kraken is linked to Oonagh, Kai thinks we can use it to track her and find out where she’s going next.’

Shen dropped the firewood by the door and came towards Celeste. ‘Do you even know how to blood-scry?’

Celeste set Daybreak down. ‘You never said anything about theblood,’ she said, turning on Kai. ‘You should know I don’t dabble with it. I think we’ve all learned a valuable lesson from what happened to Wren. Blood magic only leads to trouble.’

‘I quite agree,’ said Rose, with rising panic. ‘We can’t afford to make things worse than they are.’

‘Relax, Queenie,’ Kai scoffed. ‘Blood-scrying is not blood magic. My mother was an accomplished seer and she often used to scry this way.’ He picked up the blade and spun it in his hand, catching it by the tip. ‘Even traces of old blood can hold a link to the person they came from.’ He wagged the dagger at Celeste. ‘And since the kraken and Oonagh are linked by blood magic, I reckon we can use this blade to see what your sneaky grave-robbing ancestor is up to.’ At their sudden silence, he gave a self-satisfied smile. ‘I bet you’re all happy you decided to bring me along now, aren’t you?’

Rose turned on Shen. ‘Will that really work?’

‘I’ve heard of blood-scrying, but I’ve never seen it done,’ he admitted.

‘That’s because you spent your childhood holed up in a stuffy palace,’ said Kai. ‘The desert has its own ways.’

‘We might as well try,’ said Celeste. ‘After all, we have nothing to lose.’

‘And it won’t harm Daybreak,’ said Shen.

‘So long as you do it outside,’ interjected Greta, who had been hovering awkwardly on the edge of their conversation and was now mirroring Aya’s look of alarm. ‘Your magic will frighten my beasts.’

Kai glanced at the slumbering grey wolf. Perhaps it was Rose’s imagination, but she thought he looked a little scared. ‘I don’t want to get eaten by that wolf,’ Kai said.

‘If it makes you feel better, Lupo would probably just gnaw on you like a meaty chew bone,’ said Greta, brightly. ‘The poor old thing has lost most of his teeth.’

Kai cleared his throat. ‘Never mind. We’ll make the fire outside. When the blood burns, you’ll read the answers in the smoke, birdwatcher.’

‘How simple you make it sound,’ said Celeste, dryly.

Kai puffed his chest up. ‘Everything is simple when you’re brimming with pure unbridled confidence.’

‘Let’s just get on with it,’ said Celeste, shooing him outside.

‘I’m not missing this!’ said Anika, wrapping herself in a blanket before rushing to join them.

‘Good luck,’ said Greta, before promptly shutting the door after them and sliding the bolt lock into place.

Rose desperately hoped the plan would work, but after almost being devoured by an undead kraken, it was becoming increasingly difficult to remain optimistic.

Anika looked on curiously while Kai, Shen, Celeste and Rose cleared a space in the snow behind the wooden cottage. Kai and Shen combined their tempest magic to block the howling wind while Rose and Celeste struck up a small fire that grew quickly under the guidance of their magic.

Kai came to stand beside Celeste then, guiding her with uncharacteristic helpfulness. ‘Carefully dip the blade into the flames, feeding it as much blood as it will take.’

‘Don’t burn yourself!’ said Anika, watching anxiously from the side.

Shen shot her a warning look, raising his finger to his lips.

Celeste blew out a breath, carefully lowering Daybreak into the flames. ‘Then what?’

‘Then, you know …’ Kai rolled his hand. ‘Do the seer thing.’

Celeste glared sidelong at him. ‘You said you knew how to do this.’

He grinned, sheepishly. ‘I don’t haveallthe answers, birdwatcher. Just wait for the smoke.’

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