It was irrational, but the thought that Maryon had foreseen our meeting made me feel as if I were being manipulated. I told myself that futuretellers only saw the future; they did not make it happen. Yet a cold voice inside me pointed out that when Maryon told what she saw, she knowingly affected events. Had she not sent Jik on the journey that had ended in his terrible death, and was it not her futuretelling that had sent Dragon to the lowlands where she had vanished? If the Futuretell guildmistress had not spoken, both of them might even now be safe at Obernewtyn. Maryon would argue that she spoke only to ensure the best possible course for the future, but how could it be best for Jik to die so horribly? Was it truly possible that worse would have happened if he had never left Obernewtyn? Of course, Maryon might not have foreseen that sending Jik to the lowlands would mean his death, but I was unsure it would have made any difference to her foretelling if she had.

It was not only Maryon. I had been uneasy around those with futuretelling abilities ever since Atthis had made me promise to keep secret my quest to find Sentinel. There was no question that the futuretellers saw glimpses of my quest and maybe more than just glimpses. Dell had spoken of me leaving Obernewtyn and Maryon had made enough references to my quest over the years to make it clear that she knew far more than she said. The fact that she had only ever spoken obliquely of it suggested she understood the need for discretion, maybe better than I did. I little liked that thought, either.

‘Greetings, Elspeth.’ The soft highland-accented voice of the Futuretell guildmistress broke the silence of the small room.

‘Greetings, Guildmistress Maryon,’ I said, turning to face her, and winced inwardly, hearing resentment in my tone.

Maryon’s wide mouth was grave but a faint glimmer of amusement lit her grey eyes as she glided across the room, telling me she was well aware of my discomfort. I had a sudden revelation that it was the futureteller’s ability to see too much of what was going on in my mind and heart that, more than her futuretold commands or her discomfiting knowledge of my quest, lay at the core of my unease around her. This was a paradox because, as a powerful empath, Dameon was often aware of my feelings, yet I did not mind being with him. Indeed, the opposite was true. I loved him and missed him keenly when he was absent.