“Sounds suspicious ta me. If you’re meant to manage the history, then why can’t you have access ta everythin’?”
She smiles down at me and lightly touches my nose. “You’re a smart little thing, aren’t you?”
I puff out my chest. “Maybe I should be a sage too.”
There’s a knock at the door. “Sage Bhoomika, a moment please.”
“Coming!” she calls, pushing back her chair. “I’ll be right back, Blue. Enjoy your tea.” She slips from the room, and I help meself to more cake. Good stuff and still warm from the oven. Best kind, if ya ask me. A prickle travels up my spine, and a moment later, a shadow falls over me.
I scamper across the table as Madame Spider lands in the spot where I was just sitting, and I grab the knife that Bhoomika was using to slice the cake. It’s feckin heavy, but I ain’t letting go.
“Back up, eight legs. I told ya, I ain’t lunch.”
Her voice fills me head.
Do not fear, little rodent. You are not on my menu.
“So why are ya creeping up on me? What dya want?”
To congratulate you on a job well done with the scroll.
“How do you know what I did with it?”
I have eyes and legs all over the domain. My children tell me things.
I suppress a shudder. “Okay…so it was a song, and I had it played.”
And they heard it. They connected. Good, then it has begun.
“Begun? Leela and Araz?”
Ah, is that what they call themselves?
I lower the knife slowly. “What are you talkin’ about?”
They are eternal.
My chest tightens. “Yeah, well, it’s obvious your children don’t see everythin’, or you’d know that Araz is dead. He was taken over by the primordial evil.”
Little one, you have much to learn. But you will. In the royal domain. In the Vidya tower. The knowledge you need will be found deep beneath. All you need do is ask, and they shall speak.
What the feck is she on about?She scuttles closer, and I scamper away. A low chuckle fills my head.
Survival instinct. Good. Never trust.
“Oh great, that’s good to know.” I back up a little more and earn another chuckle.
I see you, sage.
“What?”
Tell them Aserathiin sent you.
The door opens, and Bhoomika enters.
She stops and looks at me with a frown. “Blue, who were you talking to?”
My gaze flies to Madame Spider, but the spot where she was is empty. Now I just look nuts. Great.
