Her basic questions reinforced just how little Saga knew about the potion. A rock formed in my belly.
“The seer sat before she took it and sank into a vision. The ordeal looked as natural to her as breathing, but she was a well-known seer.”
My spine straightened. “We should find her, to see how it felt.”
“She went to the afterworld three moons ago.”
“Oh,” I trailed off. “Apologies.”
“I didn’t know her well. Only met her once.”
Thyra and I exchanged looks, and she cleared her throat. “Very well then. You’re dismissed.”
He returned to the back of the workshop.
“Well, that was awkward,” I muttered.
“We should stagger drinking it.” Thyra held up the vial. “Do you want me to go first? Or you?”
“Me.”
Thyra’s lips flattened.
“Not because I think it won’t work for you,” I said. “After that one night, I’m sure it will. It was a protective instinct. But if the potion harms me, you shouldn’t drink it. After all, we’re about to march, or fly, into battle, and we all know you’re the better fighter. We need you more.”
Her face softened. “You don’t have to protect me all the time.”
“I haven’t. But in this instance, I want to.”
“Even if this is my idea that you don’t agree with?”
“And Thyra is more apt to be able to have a vision?” Saga added, eyebrows pinched together.
“Yes.” Crazy, but it was true. She was my sister, and I’d do anything for her.
Thyra held out the vial. “Bottoms up.”
I took the potion, uncorked it, and drank half, tasting the salty, herby liquid as it went down my throat. “Not bad.”
Thyra chuckled. “Here.”
She’d extracted the Frør Crown from the bag and held it out to me. I took the Hallow, the metal cold against my fingers, and placed it on my head.
“Just ask, right?” I settled into a spindly wooden chair that creaked beneath my weight.
Saga nodded. “Ask the Crown to show you a possible future. We’ll see if anything happens.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, allowing the potion a bit longer to weave through my veins.
Show me what will happen if we choose to go to Avaldenn.If we march as we planned and leave House Virtoris to fight on their own.
My stomach twisted at the words. I hated them but thought it was better to be exact. A second passed. Two. Three. I was beginning to think this was all going to turn out to be nothing when the darkness behind my eyes vanished.
Water sprayed across my face, cold and hard as pebbles. Wind whipped; the sound of the air screaming punctuated only by cries of pain. Pleas. Sounds of the dying.
My heart hammered. I stood on the ship’s deck, dozens of other vessels around me. As the boat lunged and swayed, I slid and caught myself by slamming my belly into the railing.
I groaned, but the sound came out as a whisper compared to the bellow that rang through the night air. Spinning, I saw Vale emerge from behind a mast and piled up supplies on the far side of the deck. My heart leapt, and I yelled out his name, but he didn’t turn.
