“Explain,” he repeated when I gawped at him like a fish trying to breathe air. “That way when they come back and you’re dead, I know what to say.”
“Who died for this?” I thrust the spark toward him. I mean, he might try to kill me, and that was a concern, but there was knowledge to be had here. I had so many questions. And besides, while he kept his eyes on the spark, I had the time to ease a packet of poppy dust from the pocket of my skirt.
“Put that away.”
“You couldn’t have stolen it . . .” They had to be given. Given, or made just for you. And no one ever gives away a vital spark. They cost too much.
I wondered how quickly the others would rob him blind if they knew he had it. An extra chance at life was the most precious thing any adventurer could carry.
His eyes flared. Before I could so much as lift my hands, his dagger whistled past my ear and thunked into the stone wall. A few strands of my hair fell to the ground, shining gold against the earth.
Whoops. I’d gotten distracted.
Another dagger flew by. This one nicked my ear, and warm blood immediately flowed from the spot. I sucked in a sharp breath through my teeth at the sting and considered it a victory that I hadn’t flinched or screamed. He was so silent, so quick. Alone with his friends, he hadn’t bothered, so I hadn’t realized the extent of his abilities. But I understood him a little better now. Someone had sacrificed their life so he could have that spark. A parent. Maybe a sibling. The price of a vital spark wasn’t money, but suffering.
No wonder he was such a mirthless wet blanket.
“Away,” he growled. “As you’ve said, it can’t be stolen. So put it back.”
“All right, don’t get your black leather panties in a twist.” He was right, I couldn’t steal it. Any attempt would’ve seen the vital spark reappearing on his person before I could get a mile from him, and even if I could take it, I couldn’t use it. For anyone but Talsar, the vital spark might as well be a walnut. But if I could have stolen it, I definitely would have.
Instead, I knelt and slid the spark back into its hidden pocket, then rose, hands up. I touched my bleeding ear.
“Last words?” he asked.
Oh, I had many words. But knowing he couldn’t or wouldn’t answer my questions, I asked something else that had been bothering me. “Talsar, you’re a tough guy, right? Why travel with these people if you don’t even like them? It isn’t for safety.”
He flipped the dagger, hilt to tip, tip to hilt, sizing me up, taking aim. “I’m flattered.”
I gave him an innocent smile. “If I’m going to die, you might as well tell me.”
He considered me for a long moment. “The money.”
Irritated, I shook my head. “If you just wanted money, you’d get it. You don’t need them.”
He looked at me as if I were the dumbest slug ever to crawl beneath his descending boot. “What’s the point of having everything if you look up from all those baubles one day and find yourself alone?”
Bemused, I wrinkled my brow.
He shrugged. “I guess you’ll go to your grave not knowing. Goodbye, Adeline.” He threw the final dagger, and it sailed straight for my neck.
I swiped my hand across the air. A solid bubble of energy flashed around me, sending the dagger spinning to the ground. Simultaneously, I tore open the packet of poppy dust and blew it in his face. “Aw, sweet pea. I’m sorry to ruin your plans, but I am a touch difficult to kill.”
He jerked back too late; I had already traced the necessary symbols double time in the air, my fingers leaving behind those lovely trails of gold.
The spell took hold, and Talsar’s expression went blank. I paused to listen for anyone coming. Hearing no one, I paced around him, deciding the best way to reorder his memories. “You just arrived with the water to find me lighting the fire, like you asked.”
A nod from the expressionless elf.
“You expected to find me doing something sinister, like going through your bags. You are chagrined to find your suspicions unfounded. You will behave more gentlemanly in the future.”
He nodded again.
“Very good.” I sauntered over and dipped my handkerchief in one of the buckets, then dabbed at my bloodied ear. “Now, pumpkin, pick your knife up off the floor, grab your buckets, and come in again.”
He did as instructed, returning the dagger, whose blade was engraved with ravens, to some hidden place in his coat and then striding from the ruined cottage. I turned to the fire. A few seconds later, Talsar half dropped, half set the buckets of water down inches from me.
“Lands alive!” I jumped and pressed a hand to my chest. “You scared me half to death!”
The sound of footsteps cut off anything Talsar might have said, and Ezo and Ivy entered with firewood and a few fat birds, respectively. It looked like we’d wrapped up our little drama just in time.
“Oh, hey!” Ezo glanced around. “You cleaned up, Adeline. And started the fire. Nice.” He dropped the load of firewood off to the side and slipped something into my hand. “Don’t tell Firenza.”
I looked down at my palm to find another wax paper–wrapped sweet. Through the wrapper, I could tell it would be blue as a sapphire. Color drained from my face.
“Uh, are you okay?”
I blinked at the sweet. “S-sorry? Um. Yes.”
I tried to recover. Here I was, having a life-and-death duel with one member of this group, and not a minute later another one was handing me candy. I forced myself to smile, then leaned forward to kiss Ezo on the cheek. “Thank you, sweetheart.”
The green of his face went bright. “Uh. Thank you. Okay. Yeah. Thanks.” He turned away. Before he could go anywhere, he stopped short. “Talsar, why are two of your knives stuck in the wall?”
My blood ran cold. I’d told him to pick up the dagger on the floor, but I’d forgotten the ones stuck between the stones.
The dark elf raised startled eyes to the place Ezo indicated, then strode over and retrieved the raven blades, looking each one over. Slowly, very slowly, he looked at me, brow furrowed in confusion. But when he spoke, it was with as much dry confidence as ever. “Practice.”
My heart skipped. But he didn’t remember, despite the look. Because if he did, I would already be dead.
“Well, practice outside. You’re making safety hazards,” the goblin grumbled.
Firenza tromped through the door, wings draped around her like a cloak and snow caught in her black hair. “I’M STARVING. TALSAR! WHAT’S FOR DINNER?”
Talsar said nothing, just took the birds Ivy brought and went back to cooking. Every once in a while, when he thought I wasn’t looking, he would stare at me through narrowed violet eyes.
After dinner, I stepped outside, where I watched Firenza croon wordlessly to the horses. Running my fingers over the lumps those sweets made in my skirt, I looked up to the stars. If Talsar ever remembered and told the others, they would kill me. I’d seen it in his eyes. If they escaped the hags, and I didn’t have the power arcane, they would hunt me down.
It looked like they really did have to die.
The hags came for me in my dreams, and I eagerly pushed through the finger-bone curtain. Again, I stood in the dark, waiting for them to reveal themselves. Unlike the last time, I could not stop tension from seeping into my voice, making it too sharp. “I greet the coven of Torwich Wood.”
The sourceless lights appeared, revealing all three at once: Auntie Posey at her pot, Auntie Pearl with her knitting, and Silver Maude rocking in her chair, back and forth, back and forth, needle flashing as she fastened bones together.