Page 104 of Kingdom of Briars and Roses

“You have lost someone,” she said.

Her words—the bluntness of them—unbalanced me. Tea sloshed at the edges of my cup as I set it down hard.

“I am looking for one who knows the old ways of the Verdant,” I said, deciding to be blunt too. “Someone who can break a curse laced with ancient magic.”

“You are looking for yourself.”

I scowled. If she was just going to talk in riddles, this would be a waste of my time. “Never mind.” Pushing my chair back, I started to rise.

The oracle’s eyes narrowed slightly. “She said you would come. But not so soon.”

I froze. “Who?”

“The Aine.”

My heart thudded. “Sonoma?”

“Amanti.”

My skin prickled at that. Amanti had come here? Had she lied about going to Vorinthia? “Do you know where she is now?” I asked.

“No.”

I swallowed my disappointment, but when I started to leave, the oracle snapped her finger and pointed at my chair. “Sit. I will speak to you of what you ask.”

Slowly, I sat again, watching the oracle warily.

“Heliconia,” she murmured as if tasting the name. “The dark queen who spreads her blight across the realms. You wish to defeat her.”

“Yes.”

“What makes you think the Verdant can help?”

“They were the last kingdom to walk Menryth before fae magic began to wane. Their power has never been matched since. I thought?—”

“You thought the Verdant’s magic would be a match for hers.”

“I hoped.”

“And do you know who the Verdant were? Where their power came from?”

“I was hoping you could tell me.”

The oracle studied me for a long moment. “The Verdant wereonce considered the balance between light and dark. Servants of the gods, some called them. And they ruled with the power bestowed by those gods. At that time, there was peace in all of Menryth. Then the moon split, and destruction came for them.”

“You’re talking about The Great War.”

“The changing tides brought more power-hungry creatures than the Verdant could handle. The Calidium queen was killed, and the fae that remained were driven out. For decades, they wandered, searching for sanctuary. During that time, the power bestowed on the land was reclaimed by those who had offered it, and the people’s power faded.”

“What does that have to do with Heliconia’s magic?”

“Maybe the question you should be asking is what it has to do with yours?”

“Me?” I blinked, my thoughts racing. Did this oracle know I had death magic? Did she realize what kind of power ran through my veins? And did I want to know what it was truly capable of? “Okay, what does it have to do with?—”

She lifted her brows. “What payment do you have for such valuable information?”

I gritted my teeth. “What do you want?”

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