"Very well. When my gift faded, I didn't know what to do. Losing my power was worse than dying." Gunilla lowered her head.
Katrin suspected the sorrowful gesture was only partially an act, though she understood in some measure. The idea of losing her own gift left her terrified. She refused to dwell on that now, needing to know everything of her past. She tapped her former mistress' shoulder.
"Go on."
A deep shuddering breath shook Gunilla's frame, which oddly appeared smaller and frailer than ever before. Katrin remained still, aware that Hradi and the others watched closely, though made no move to interfere.
"In order to survive and continue to bring good fortune to those I encountered in my travels, I needed someone who truly possessed the gift I had lost." The silver-haired woman raised her gaze. "When I met you and your mother, I knew you were the one who would best assist me."
"Serve you, you mean."
"Did I not love and nurture you? I cared for you, fed you and raised you as if you were my own."
"I am not yours. That has never been in question." Another suspicion took root. She carefully folded her arms and positionedher wand so it aligned with her stature. "What truly happened to my mother?"
The woman hesitated, long enough for Katrin to realize that her family's deaths had not been because of her father's treachery, but Gunilla's. She folded her arms, the only way to restrain her fists from striking out. She needed to hear all of it first. Then she would give Gunilla over to Hradi and his father to deal with. She dared a glance at him, unable to read his stone-like expression. Ignoring the uneasiness creeping along her spine, she returned her attention to the old woman.
"Tell me!" Her voice boomed and she took a significant pleasure in seeing Gunilla flinch.
"I was the one who set the attackers on your family."
Pale eyes searched Katrin's, clearly pleading for forgiveness. She forced herself not to reveal her fury. So many questions sprang into her thoughts. "Who did you hire? When did this happen? What clan am I from?"
"I learned several years after I took you in…"
At Katrin's growl, Gunilla amended her words. "After I took you, your clan searched for me. There was a young man I met a few summers back, who brought word that they had finally gotten close enough and that we were in danger. That was the first time we fled under cover of darkness."
Katrin began to understand what Hradi had meant when he had dragged her to the secluded hut, accusing her of betrayal. "Who is this young man?"
"He was able to help me create allies in the various villages we visited. He also stayed behind to offer explanations for our sudden … departure."
Katrin still had no idea who the man was. She had never seen Gunilla speak with anyone other than the girls, and those residing in whichever town they were in. Katrin had been beside her almost always. No matter how hard she tried, she could not think of oneperson Gunilla could have met with in secret. The silence in the hall grew thick, all those gathered listening intently.
"Who is he?"
"His name is Bjark."
"I don't know him."
Gunilla shook her head. "No. He was never revealed to you."
The confusion multiplied, muddling her anger. She recognized a twist of guilt as well. How had she been so blind? Why hadn't she seen what the woman was doing? How many had been hurt because she had not realized what Gunilla had been doing with no one's knowledge?
"How did I not know of your treachery? You never let me far from you, for as long as I can remember. So how did I not know?"
Again, the older woman wrung her hands together before her. Several times, it appeared she was about to speak, only to remain silent. Finally, she responded.
"On the nights I met with him, I…"
Katrin narrowed her eyes at the hesitation, finding it hard to contain her aggravation. She gritted her teeth and held back the urge to strike the older woman. "You what?"
Gunilla's gaze suddenly bored into hers, filled with a strange and frightening glow. "Gave you a sleeping draught so I could slip away long enough to learn what he had discovered."
Katrin's vision went white for several moments, the rage too overpowering to resist. It surged in her veins and roared in her head, until she feared the pressure would drive her to something she never imagined herself capable of. Her fingers clenched hard on the wand, relief and comfort chasing the fury with the thrum of the wood's connection to the elements needed to keep her grounded.
In the periphery, she felt Hradi moving closer. She shook her head, waving him away. She needed to finish this all on her own. Closing her eyes for several breaths, she once more faced her mistress.
"Why?"
