“Oh, is that unspeakable? Now who’s superstitious?”
Aloisia rolled her eyes. “What does it matter what we think we know or don’t know? What we think is real or not real? What differentiates these markings behind our ears from the markings on Brighde’s body?” She swept her hair back, revealing the tattooed symbol behind her ear.
“These markings we have,” Kaja said, “are runic. They are ancient traditions passed down from the First Chosen Huntresses. You know that.”
“The markings on Brighde’s body were runic.”
“Not necessarily,” Tristan interjected. “I only said they bore a resemblance to the runic languages.”
“What makes it different?”
Kaja shrugged. “I don’t have all the answers.”
“Obviously.”
“Look, there’s no point in us turning on each other.” Kaja sighed. “I’m going home to get some rest.” She set her tankard on a table and strode for the door. None stopped her.
“Some rest would do you some good as well, Lis,” Tristan said.
“Why does everyone keep telling me to rest?” Aloisia shot him a glare.
“Maybe because the past twenty-four hours have lasted a lifetime. Maybe because you’ve just come back from a rather taxing hunt. Maybe because the moon is in the sky and that is generally when people sleep.”
She puffed out a breath, turning her attention back out the window and to the Dead Woods. Anger pounded through her veins – anger at Kaja, anger at the judiciaries, anger at the whole damned situation.
Between the tree trunks, within the inky darkness of the woods, a glimmer of blue light shone. Her anger fizzled, as if quenched by a bucket of ice water.
“It’s there,” she murmured.
“What?” Tristan approached the window.
“It’s come back.” She stared at the flickering light, unblinking, as if it may vanish should her eyes close for even a moment.
Tristan squinted at the trees. “Where?”
Aloisia didn’t answer, instead making for the door. Slinging her bow and quiver over her back, she ran out into the night.
TEN
“Lis,wait!”Tristancalledafterher,lockingthedoorbehindthem.
Aloisia sprinted for the trees, focused on the faint blue glow dashing between the trunks. Hope swelled in her chest. Maybe finding answers in two weeks wouldn’t be impossible.
“Lis, where are you going?”
She glanced over her shoulder, watching Tristan bound after her. “The blue flames. They’re in the Dead Woods.”
“I’d gathered. But I don’t think we should go in there at night.”
She rolled her eyes.
“I’m serious. You’ve just had a run in with a bear. There are wolves and worse in these woods. You’ve said as much yourself.”
“Where’s your sense of adventure, Tristan?”
“It fled with your good judgement, so it would seem.”
“You promised to help me.”
