Page 16 of Beneath the Earth (Seven Wardens 3)

It was Jared's idea to seek out Malan again. So far, the prophet had been quite helpful, mostly, so chances were that he had some advice for them now. Which meant that they were on the road again - well, the Staran. Izban and Amber stayed back at the house to look through the library, hoping to find something about the markings. It was probably a waste of time, but Macey was quite glad to be alone with her men again. It was like back when they'd started their strange journey. Except that now, they also had Rónán with them.

"Do you think he'll have waffles this time?" Jared whispered to her as they stepped into the mists, and Macey laughed out loud, drawing the looks of the other guys.

"Waffles," she explained, and they all nodded sagely. It had become more than just a running joke. It was something binding them all together. How romantic, the search for waffles. Maybe getting them would be a disappointment, an anticlimax. Sometimes the quest was more exciting than the treasure, after all.

Travelling the Staran felt strange this time, like they were calmer somehow. Maybe that was how it was supposed to feel, not as stomach-upsetting as it had been in the past while Self-Doubt was still eating away at them.

As soon as they stepped out of the mist, Malan's bodiless head was staring at them. He hovered over a bench outside his little cottage, as if he was sitting on it. It looked ridiculous, but Macey knew better than to laugh. She quickly looked around, wondering if there was some sort of view the prophet was enjoying, but their surroundings were just as foggy as ever. What a weirdo.

"I've been awaiting you," Malan said without wasting time on greetings. "You're late."

"Late for what?" Cam asked, vocalising what Macey was just about to ask.

"Dinner. I had to eat it all by myself."

Macey and Jared exchanged a worried look.

"What did you have?" Macey asked tentatively.

"Waffles, of course."

The look of devastation on Jared's face was priceless, and Macey couldn't help but laugh, despite her own feelings of disappointment. Maybe Malan was just teasing them. She couldn't imagine him eating anyway; how was he supposed to get the food to his mouth without a body? There was no stomach either, nor all the other essential parts to process a meal. No, it had to have been a joke.

Malan hovered into the house, the door opening as if by magic. Who was she kidding, of course it was magic.

They followed him into the kitchen - why did he need a kitchen in the first place? - where he stopped and looked at them all with a serious expression, enhanced by his drawn together eyebrows, as bushy as ever.

"As I said, you're late. I can see the magic leaking from you, Macey, and you'd be well advised to get it under control before it's too late."

"What?" was all Macey could come up with.

"Have you had any extreme things happen to you recently? Has your magic spiralled out of control?" His tone was dripping with sarcasm, as if he was fully aware of what had occurred in the pool.

"Well, yes, but Rónán said-"

"Oh yes, the selkie." Malan turned in the air until he was staring right at Rónán. "You've got it wrong, boy."

Rónán frowned, but kept his composure. Macey admired that - and she was totally going to call him 'boy' later on to tease him.

"How do you even know what I said?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "And what exactly am I wrong about?"

"You think the Great Orca is a legend. Well, he isn't. At least, not anymore."

It took Macey a moment to understand. "Wait, the orca that's supposed to represent the devil in Selkie legend?"

"Exactly that. But like every legend that many people believe in, it has created a vacuum in the shape of the being they've immortalised in their tale. Now, a creature is inhabiting that space and has become the Great Orca."

"Just like the Mahoun and Self-Doubt?" Macey asked.

"Exactly like them. It's yet another of their siblings. Right now, it's swimming towards the home of the selkies. If you want to save your kind, Rónán, you better head there now."

Malan's expression had changed, becoming almost sad, regretful. "I had a selkie friend once... never mind. I'd suggest you go th

ere before you try taking on the Mahoun or someone else. The Great Orca will only grow in strength the more people see him and start believing in him. Once he's destroyed the selkies, he will go after the na fir ghorma next, and then the kelpies. You need to hurry."

"Do we have time?" Cam asked. "We're thinking the Mahoun is planning to do something to the earth, poisoning it. We can't let that happen either."

Malan nodded in his bodiless way. "I suggest you split up. Jared and Flint might want to travel to Earth, maybe taking the other two Wardens with them. Cam, Macey and Rónán can deal with the Orca."

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