“Yes,” Mordecai says, “it is.”
He’s still got his arms around my waist, his thumb stroking my lower spine.
“We’re sorry to interrupt, but we wanted to take you guys, Cadel, and Kaida, out and show you some of our favourite places. Just something to do today, if you feel like escaping?”
I look up at Mordecai, prepared to defer to him.
“It does sound like fun.”
Mia claps her hands. “Excellent, I’ll see if Legion wants to come with us, we can make a day of it, check the traps.”
I refocus on her. “Traps?”
“We set up fish traps and game traps.”
“So, we’re actually getting out of here?” I ask, excited. The enclosed valley has not been doing anything great for me. I’ve been trying not to admit it, but the growing unease with being trapped in here has started really getting to me.
Cadel and Kaida walk slowly over to us, hand-in-hand. He looks at me, and I remember the haunting story he told us last night, which in turn jogs my memory of the event in question.
“If the gods all fell, how sure are we that it’s just one beta? What if there are, like, a dozen?” I ask slowly. “Do you think that’s a possibility?”
“I don’t think it really matters at this point. How do you stop a god? Do any of us have the power to even stop one, let alone more?” Cadel murmurs as he joins us.
I want to tell him what the old lady had said. He would save us. What is he going to do? When is it going to happen? I can’t relax because I’m waiting for something terrible to happen.
Imminent doom has settled over us, and it feels like our peace has gone.
“Let’s just forget all about the world today and go out and have some fun,” Mia says with a strained smile.
She turns and walks away. I shrug off Mordecai and follow her. I catch her, touching her elbow.
“Mia, are you all right?” She looks up at me and smiles, but it’s a watery, false smile that does nothing to convince me that she isn’t on the verge of tears.
“I’m fine. Just dandy.”
I consider her for a long moment. “Have you dreamed of an older lady with silver hair?”
She recoils as if I've hit her. “No!” she shouts. “No, I haven’t, and I resent you asking me. You should mind your own business.”
“Mia, I’m sorry.”
She shakes her head and turns away from me. “Forget it. Let’s just get ready.”
She stalks off, but my brain is racing because there’s something else I’ve remembered.
The All-Seer often appears in the shape of an old woman with silver hair, which would make her…I turn around, and my gaze finds Kaida.
I blow out my cheeks. “Not going there.”
“Coward,” Mordecai teases as he walks past.
Chapter 57
Over my dead body
The traps are empty.
Not just empty but destroyed. A niggling, uneasy thought is tapping at the back of my mind, but I haven’t voiced it yet, even if my unease is making it almost impossible to ignore.
