Chapter 35

  It had taken a lot of convincing to get Max to leave for the night. While Snow respected how protective the man had become over Sage, it was entirely unnecessary. Despite descending down into the basement with Lia to make her a bed, the two could easily hear the argument. Max’s angry words cut right through the floorboards. He called the two of them a threat, but it was useless against Sage. Her calm words were softer but as solid as the northern coast. She reassured him again that there was no threat but for the suspicion that might arise in his troop if he didn’t return to them for the night.

  Only after the man had left did Snow and Lia come back upstairs and begin arranging some long overdue baths. While Lia took hers, Snow helped himself to some of Sage’s left-over dinner in the kitchen. The sautéed fish and rustic bread were enough to keep his stomach from grumbling until morning. By then he would go into the village and arrange some proper food, while sorting out what’s happening in Tindale. One thing was for sure, if he knew the Tin’s, they were not happy with a troop of saviors in their quiet town burning down the local temple.

  “I don’t suppose you’ve had any other visions you’d like to share?” Snow looked up from his empty plate to take a drink of cider.

  Sage sighed as she sat across from him at the table, cradling her tea. “No. Just the usual flashes, but I’ve learned to trust what I feel when I see those fleeting images.”

  “What do you trust about these particular flashes?” Snow asked.

  “I trust that your coming here is meaningful, that your reunion with Titus will be so as well, and that what’s coming…,” Sage paused and her lips thinned, “it will be terrible.”

  “How terrible? What have you seen?”

  Sage shook her head. “Again… just flashes… a battle of some kind.” Snow knew that look. Sage’s brow was knitted tight as if she were trying to will away the unwanted visions. He didn’t dare ask. He knew what a battle looked like. Perhaps he would ask another time, but not now.

  “Have you tried the stones?”

  Sage’s eyes didn’t need to work for her to shoot him a startled glare.

  “… No. I told you the stones are unpredictable. They don’t always show me what I want to see.”

  “If the goddess wished you to save the priestesses, perhaps she will give you a clear vision among the stones. Maybe she’s just as worried as we are.”

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Sage sat quietly and stared down into her tea for a moment.

  “Have you had… any strange dreams lately?” she asked.

  The mention of dreams immediately brought back the nightmare he had witnessed a few days ago. The faces of the dead flashed in his mind’s eye along with the terrible maw that opened up to swallow him.

  “What dreams have you had?” he asked.

  Sage lowered her voice, as if there was some apprehension in mentioning it. “A black beast gobbling up all the world. … Every breathing thing.”

  Snow sat quietly for a moment before sharing his. “I had a dream I was standing beyond the veil. Those who were already dead were asking me to help them before a black thing tried to swallow me whole. You think these are prophetic?”

  Sage nodded solemnly. “Even more so now that I know you’re having them too.”

  “I only saw it once. It might be nothing.”

  Sage reached out a hand and found his. It always impressed him how she seemed to know where his hand was no matter how they were sitting.

  “Don’t dismiss it, Kori. The gods are speaking to us.”

  Snow didn’t pull his hand away. He took her fingers in a tender hold.

  “The gods speak to you. They want nothing to do with me. I’m surprised the goddess gave me her blessing when I needed it,” Snow replied.

  Though Sage refused to believe it. Snow was quite sure that while the new god hated his guts, the old gods could take him or leave him. Despite learning Orthan’s ancient tongue, and knowing which of those words could coax Ilone to his aid, none had come to him over the years to offer a path or any inspiration.

  Humans belonged to Orthan and Ilone before the nameless High God came along. Beasts and monsters belonged to the Wild Twins. He was a child of dragons; powerful voyagers who stayed long enough to make a mess of things before vanishing through the same strange gateways that brough them to this plane. He belonged to no one, and the fact always made him feel unmoored, drifting through life searching for his purpose since his people did not exist.

  “Not all have their wishes granted when they call upon the gods. Even those who serve them can be ignored in their moment of need. In your moment, maybe there was a bigger reason than just a convenient alignment of power and belief.”

  Snow sighed. “What if… what if I came to the stones with you?”

  Sage’s back went straight and the softness on her face faded. She looked away in thought, but the face told Snow there was a danger in what he was asking.

  “You think she wants you there?”

  “If Ilone was so happy to help me heal that man and be on my way towards you, maybe it’s because there is something here she wants me to see. Maybe she does want to speak… to both us.”