Page 24 of A Fate Unwoven
NINE
LENA
Lena had never seen the old temple before, but the magic inside of her clearly had. It stirred as she walked through the stone halls, retracing steps that were not her own.
Watch,it whispered.Listen.
Her wrists were bound before her. Lena tried to raise her arms. To pull at the ropes until they came free, but her body would not obey.
No, notherbody. The hands were too smooth. The hair falling over her shoulder too dark.
“Please,” she said, but it was not her voice that came out. “You don’t have to do this.”
Even though the words didn’t belong to her, Lena felt the desperation behind them. It pooled in her stomach the farther into the temple she went, curling up alongside the girl’s fear, and Lena found herself trying to turn her head to see who was beside her. She could hear their footsteps. The heavy gasps of their breath. Whoever it was, they remained silent as they led the girl through the stone halls.
It was only when they arrived at a set of spiraling stairs that the girl was made to stop. Sconces lit with a strange, blue light lined the walls,illuminating the engraved symbols in the stone. Old Wyrecian. Her fingers itched to reach out and trace them.
A hand pressed against her back, urging her forward before she had the chance to turn back. The stone steps were ice-cold against the girl’s bare feet, and Lena could feel the cold spreading through the girl’s bones. Down and down the girl went, until finally, she reached the bottom, her footsteps faltering as she took in the sight before her.
The chamber itself was nothing special; a circular room made of stone, lit by the same sconces that had lined the walls of the stairwell. But in its center, surrounded by a half dozen figures in hooded robes, was a stone slab. Fear froze her in place as her gaze locked onto it, and Lena knew just as surely as the girl did what the stone was meant for.
“Please,” the girl said again.
One of the robed figures stepped forward. “Do not be afraid, child. You are receiving a powerful gift, one that will allow you to protect these lands from those who wish to do it harm. It is a great honor. Now, come. Your fate awaits.”
The girl remained frozen, her heart beating wildly in her chest. Lena could feel her panic, her desperation, raging like a storm. She tried to take control. To force the body she was trapped in to run. But no matter how hard she willed it, the girl did not obey. Instead, she turned her head toward the figure at her side, to the ropes around her wrist, as a new feeling flooded through her.
Resignation. And with it, stirring in the pit of her stomach, was a rage powerful enough to burn down the world.
Lena awoke drenched in sweat.
The memory of her dream lingered at the edges of her mind, twisting her stomach into knots. She’d heard the tales of how the first Fateweaver was created. Of how thebodadaughter of one of thefirstZværnapriests had been chosen as a vessel to harness the power of the Sisters of Fate in the mortal realm. Like most of the stories about the first Fateweaver, there were different versions depending on who you asked; those who followed the teachings of theZværnabelieved that thebodagirl was glad to have been chosen, and that the Sisters had given her a fraction of their power willingly as a show of support to the prince who would become Wyrecia’s first emperor. It was only when the two younger Sisters, Læda and Awyla, allegedly tried to turn the Fateweaver against the very emperor they had made an alliance with that the eldest sibling, Næbya, imprisoned them for the “good of the empire.” She’d been the empire’s matron goddess ever since.
Other people—like Lena and those who lived in the Wilds—believed differently. The way her mother had always told it, the first Fateweaver had been taken against her will, and Næbya had imprisoned Her Sisters because they had been the ones trying to stopHerfrom corrupting the Fateweaver. Lena’s people believed it was Næbya’s influence that had twisted every Fateweaver into a weapon of vengeance, one known to curse any who would refuse to worship Her as their one true goddess. And for those who actively rebelled against Næbya or the Ehmar line, the Fateweaver would simply use her power to alter their fate, ensuring that whatever death had been woven for them was changed to be at the emperor’s hand.
It was a power her people believed no mortal should possess.
And now it ran through Lena’s veins.
She could feel it stirring beneath the surface of her skin, waiting to be released. She dug her nails into her palms, letting the pain ground her as she sucked in deep mouthfuls of air. Was the presence inside of her trying to show her something, or had the dream just been a manifestation of her anxieties? It had felt so vivid. Soreal.
It didn’t matter. Whatever it was, it was just another reason for her to escape this fates-damned empire as soon as possible.
It was early enough to still be dark out, and the unfamiliarity of the smuggler’s office had Lena’s fingers inching toward the space where her mother’s blade should have been.
Her mother’s face flashed before her eyes as her fingertips met her empty sheath.What is the first rule for surviving in the Wilds?
Lena closed her eyes, chasing the image.Never let your guard down. I know, Mada.
After her mother had first disappeared, the memory of her had been as bright and fierce as she had been in life, guiding Lena through the dark. Now, though, her mother’s image was hazy. Time had blurred the sharp angles of her face. The shape of her smile. But her voice was still as clear as Lena’s own.
She clung to it as she got to her feet and scanned the room quickly. Casimir was nowhere to be seen, and the top drawer of his desk was slightly ajar, revealing the curling edges of what appeared to be a roll of parchment. Curiosity getting the better of her, Lena crossed the small space in two long strides, cursing when the wooden planks beneath let out an echoing creak.
She froze, hand hovering inches above the drawer, straining to hear any hint of movement. Casimir had said he’d be upstairs, but she couldn’t help but wonder if he’d been lying. If he’d secretly left to betray her to the guards whilst she slept. It was doubtful, considering it would mean sending them to a house full of incriminating evidence, but Lena wasn’t about to completely rule out the possibility. After all, the smuggler’s help could clearly be bought.
She wanted to trust him. To trust that her mother wouldn’t have sent her somewhere she wouldn’t be safe. To trust that the rumors about him were true. But she was so close to her freedom now that taking chances wasn’t a luxury she could afford.
Once she was sure there was no one moving around the house, Lena pulled open the drawer in one swift movement. It was too dark to see the full contents—and if she was honest, Lena didn’t even knowwhat she was lookingfor.Proof that Casimir was who he said he was? Something that would give her leverage to use against him in case he betrayed her? Whatever she was hoping to find, she had to do it fast.
