“Hear me, all Kingdoms and all people!” The Lady’s voice ascends and echoes against the ceiling. “All of your fates lie in the hands of these two, the God-Cursed Children. Should they ever touch, you will all die with them.”

She turns as she did before and vanishes, the Guard along with her.

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Braizen

Present Day

I stumble out of the clay house and gasp. My head’s still fuzzy from the wine the older woman gave me, but I’m starting to think clearly again. At least, I think I am. It was daylight when she invited me into her house. It’s now dark, and stars glisten brightly. I could’ve sworn I was only inside for a few torturous minutes. What was in that wine, and what did I tell her?

Torrent barges out of a doorway and lands with a thud on the cobbles. His eyes are squeezed shut, and he rocks unsteadily on all fours before standing. Lin trips in a doorway and wobbles for a moment or two. He spies me and slaps himself. Hard.

“What’s happening to me?” He’s scared. The three of us share blank stares before I finally speak.

“Is everyone okay?”

Torrent raises a thumb. “I’m alive. So, good enough,” he grunts.

Lin doesn’t answer; he keeps smacking his cheek as if to wake himself from a terrible dream.

Lorna exits another house and quietly closes the door behind her. She observes each of us, folds her arms across her chest and rolls her eyes. She looks irritated but otherwise fine.

Next, Idalia appears. She seems disoriented, and she rubs her eyes to look up at the sky, seeming confused that it’s nighttime. She fixes me with a peculiar expression, as though she might cry, and then runs to Torrent, who’s about to topple again. Pushing her small, delicate hands between his colossal shoulder blades, she helps him straighten, as if unaware that if he falls back, he’ll likely crush her.

“So, they drugged us,” Lorna finally says, wiping her hands down on her thighs. “How nice.”

I run my hand through my hair and manage a laugh. “There are far worse things they could’ve done.”

“Far better things too,” Torrent interrupts and pats Idalia on the back. “I thought I was following Nuri into her house, but an old woman was inside. I wasn’t that disappointed. I mean, she was beautiful, and I do like my women older, but really? She didn’t have enough curves for my taste. Besides, she wasn’t much for conversation.” He shakes his head and then brightens. “She did offer me rum, though!”

Lin smacks his face again and continues to mumble to himself. I don’t even try to understand what he’s saying.

“Anybody want to share what they saw inside the houses?” I flash a light grin to balance out my anxiety.