Page 15 of Once the Skies Fade

“Ah, but magic takes time, love,” she said, her lips curving up into an unnerving smile. “Especially the magic you’re needing.”

“Then let’s hurry this up, shall we?” I asked. “Can you find out who is responsible for killing him or not?”

The old woman sat down across from me and folded her hands atop the table, studying me intensely. “Of course I can?—”

“Name your price,” I said, impatiently. The sooner she told me who was responsible, the sooner I could have my revenge on them, and the sooner I could move on from this sorrow.

“But that is not the magic you seek,” she said, her eyes darkening.

I leaned over the table and glared at her. “Of course it is. What else could I?—”

“Revenge,” she hissed through a sinister smile.

“I don’t need magic for that,” I said.

“Perhaps for simple revenge, but they murdered your husband, Calla. Don’t act as though merely killing them will satisfy your need for retribution.”

I studied the old woman for a moment. “You suggest I curse them?”

“Not you, child. Me. For you. Just a simple curse I’ve devised to?—”

I waved a hand dismissively and settled back in my chair. “As long as it works. You guarantee it will make them suffer?”

“There are no guarantees in life or in magic, but by their very nature, curses generally do cause great suffering.”

“Fine,” I muttered, crossing my arms and dropping my head at an angle. “And what’s the price forthatmagic?”

Minerva lifted her bony shoulders in a shrug. “Nothing tangible, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Stop stalling or?—”

Her smile shifted into a sneer. “Or what, Your Majesty? You’ll find another mage to curse your enemy for you? There are no others in this land or in this time with the power to do it, so either you learn some stars-damned patience, or you leave my house and forget this vendetta.”

Gritting my teeth, I pushed my breath out slowly before finally saying, “Very well. What do you require?”

“Silence,” she said, and I pressed my lips together. A trill of a laugh escaped her withered lips. “Not silence now, love. Silence forever.”

Instinctively I lifted a hand to my throat, which earned me more laughter. I glowered at her as I dropped my hand back down to the table. “Stop being so cryptic.”

“Then stop assuming things,” she countered, not saying more until I offered a small nod of agreement. “I will tell you who is responsible for killing your husband and ensure they suffer in return, but you must be silent about it.”

My brow tightened. “Who would I tell exactly?” Even as I asked, though, Isa’s face flashed in my mind.

“You may be surprised, love.”

Raising my hands out to the sides, I muttered my agreement. “Very well then. I will not tell anyone.”

Minerva’s eerie smile returned. “You won’t have a choice. If I do this, and you try to speak of it, try to inform someone of Brennan’s killer and what I’ve done for you, you won’t be able to. Your voice will choke. Your pen will fail.”

Impatiently, I bobbed my head in a string of quick nods. “Fine, yes, I understand. Please, let’s get on with it.”

She angled her wispy-haired head to one side, and I squirmed under her scrutiny. “Why so antsy to return to your empty bed, Your Majesty?”

I sucked in a deep breath and released it slowly. “I simply want to get back to ruling my kingdom.”

“Fair enough, I suppose.” With those words, she snapped her fingers and the clutter disappeared from the worktable. A sweep of her hand summoned a map of Sandurdam, the five nations neatly labeled. Emeryn, Arenysen, Kinham, Wrenwick with Dolobare sitting in the middle of the Laraburn Sea to the east.

I stared at the map for a long moment, but nothing happened. From beneath my lashes, I glared at the mage. “Well?”

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