Something moves across her face, and she gives a cold smile. Her teeth are white and very sharp. “I ate him,” she says matter-of-factly.
I gulp. “Well, that will do to resolve a bad breakup. Lovely,” I say valiantly, and she chuckles. “Aren’t you worried to have your last piece of glass in someone else’s hand?” I say curiously.
She chuckles. “Nay. For I already possess the glass’s ability.” She looks at me, and I’m caught by her eyes. The green glowsand shifts, shadows dancing across the orbs, and again I hear that rustling whisper. “I can see the past, the present, and the future for all creatures if I so desire.”
“I’m not sure I’d want that ability.”
She considers me with those eerie eyes and then blinks. The glow disappears, and she’s just an old lady again. “It has not always been a blessing, but I learnt to manage the gift through blood and toil. In the past, I was driven mad by it.” She winks at me. “A few enterprising Greek scribes got some pennies for their stories during that time.”
“The Kraken?” I breathe.
She smiles. “So am I known by the myths.”
“In the films, you’re always big and scaly,” I whisper.
She laughs loudly. I see Sigurd and Marin look up with consternation on their faces, but she waves them away.
“I did see that film.The Clash of the Titans. What ridiculousness. What use would I have had for a foolish virgin?” She scoffs. “And one who thought entirely too much of herself. She never met a mirror that she didn’t want to gaze into. Although the young actor was a tasty morsel.”
“Absolutely,” I say fervently. “I’ve seen it twenty times, and it wasn’t for the plot.”
She chuckles. “I like you, Cary. You are afraid and yet fearless at the same time.”
“Is that possible?”
“In you, yes. It’s a valuable talent to possess in your future life. Fear exists to warn us to be cautious. But dauntlessness is a far rarer gift, and it allows you to forge ahead.” We still haven’t reached the end of the room, but she pivots and leads me back to the others. I realise with a shock how far away they are now, their figures barely visible.
“Well, I have kept you in a fit state, Cary. Mayhap the dragon will owe me a favour after all.” She chuckles. “Ah, but what is afit state? The dragon is always too quick to trust. Will you be a fit state for my dinner table, perhaps?”
I draw in a breath. For an instant, something wild flickers in her eyes. Something inhuman and cold. Then she blinks, and she’s just an old lady again. She gestures at my jumper. “May I?”
May she what?
I nod regardless, and she places her hand above my chest. Almost instantly, I feel the chain around my neck warm and move, and then the pendant rises out of the neck of my jumper towards her. She touches it lightly, and for a brief second, it glows a bright jade green.
“Beautiful,” she says approvingly. “One of Agnes’s best hagstones.”
“You know her?”
She nods. “Of course. She and her sisters are regular visitors. I permit them to gather ingredients for their spells.”
“You and not the king?”
She winks at me. “I think we all know Llys’s posturing is empty. I allow him his delusions, but occasionally he must be made aware of his limitations. Your fame has spread far and wide.”
“I’m not famous at all.”
“Do you know why Agnes gave you this?”
“As protection?”
She nods. “From me.”
“She won’t get into trouble for that, will she?” I ask anxiously.
She studies me for a long few seconds. “Nay. For she meant well. She didn’t know that her stones had no power over me. She did it because you were kind to her. You saw below her appearance and offered her good advice. It is not wise to judge a creature by its size or appearance. Neither denotes ferocity. And make no mistake, human child. I may be old and small, but Iam also empty, and the rage that sometimes fills me is as big as worlds. But you are still not scared of me, are you?”
I tip my head, considering her. “I’m very wary, but I think you are still kind.”
