Page 61 of Own To Obsess

“And you didn’t feel the need to tell me about it when you came back either,” she snapped.

“Shaya,” Rozalia said. “I thought about it, but you have to understand… It would have been working against him. And you were starting to get on so well here at that time. I didn’t want to spoil any—”

“How do I get to her?” Shaya asked, almost cutting her off. “Will she still be there?”

“No, but…” Rozalia inhaled again deeply. “You said you didn’t learn the Ancient Tongue, but she said there was one spell she taught you.”

Shaya frowned. “She didn’t teach me any spells. She was adamant that I didn’t use magic and attract attention to myself.” Shaya squinted at her. “Are you sure it was her?”

Rozalia nodded. “She said she taught it to you when you were three as a rhyme if you got lost.”

“Three years old?” Shaya shook her head, as she tried to think back. “I can’t remember anything like that.”

“And she taught it to you again when you were nine as a different rhyme for when you’re sad.”

“Oh,” Shaya said, suddenly remembering. Kyus had taught her a short little song to sing when any of her flowers or plants died. She had become so skilled in her garden that she rarely needed to sing it, especially as she no longer felt as sad when plants died. It wasn’t a song she could remember. “What about it?”

“It is a beacon spell,” Rozalia explained. “It tells her where you are.”

Shaya’s mouth dropped open and she groaned, slumping her shoulders. “I don’t remember it.”

“She thought as much, but she’s still hoping for you to cast it so she can find you.”

Shaya thought for a moment. “But if I cast it, she won’t be able to find the Isles. She’ll just see ocean.”

Rozalia nodded. “The closest she can get is about five yards from the edge of any of the outside islands.”

“Is Nyek one of the outside islands?”

“Yes.”

Shaya rubbed her face as she tried to think of a plan. She needed to remember the spell. If she could remember the first line of either rhyme, the rest would come. She was sure of it. “Why didn’t she tell me she was teaching me a spell?” she said, frustrated.

“Most daughters don’t want their mothers always watching them,” Rozalia said wryly. “She probably thought as you got older, you wouldn’t want to use it. I’m sure she never planned for you to be in this situation.”

Shaya nodded. She never planned for this either, but she knowing she had that kind of spell would have helped.

“And also answer me this,” Rozalia added, her voice soft, her brown eyes searching Shaya’s. “Would have you used this rhyme at any point before now?”

Shaya opened her mouth to answer, but she couldn’t. She had initially traveled with Kardos willingly, and although she had suffered, it hadn’t been bad all the time. She wouldn’t have summoned her sister. But part of that would have also been for her sister’s own safety.

“Please take the night the think about this, Shaya,” Rozalia said, after a long moment of silence. “You may feel different in the morning.”

She most certainly would not feel different, but there was no point saying that to Rozalia. She smiled at nodded at her.

“Thank you. And I hope…” Rozalia hesitated, her face filled with both worry and hope. “I hope you understand that it was never my intention to—”

Shaya squeezed her hand. “I understand, Rozalia. I could do with some sleep. Let us talk in the morning.”

Rozalia beamed at her, and then spend a ridiculous amount of time fussing over her blankets before leaving her to get some sleep.

Shaya lay in bed thinking hard about the rhymes buried deep in her mind. She had to remember them if she was going to get out of this horrendous situation. She didn’t even know when Kardos was going to return—it could be any moment.

Squeezing her eyes shut she cast her mind back to her gardens. Surprisingly she was able to maintain a steady focus. Maybe that was a result of too much fevvoli tea or the whole experience in itself. She thought back to favorite plant when she was younger and how she’d knelt by the dead remains crying and singing….

Shaya’s eyes snapped open. She had it.

***

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