A moment passed. Two.
Birds sang, bugs buzzed, the water shimmered and trickled and puddled along. I wondered if she was going to take the bait.
“Thought what?” the siren finally asked.
“You might be a seer, but you can’t see Card’s sister.”
“Of course I can see her.”
I made a doubtful sound.
She put hands on her hips. “Do you know how many people argue with me? With my power?”
“I’d say not many, since, anyone who comes to visit you, you lure to their deaths.”
“Exactly. Don’t press me, or I’ll lure your man to his death.”
“Yeah. Card and I are not a thing. I don’t even like him.”
“You came here, miles away from your familiar soil. Miles away from your Crossroads. That’s not something done out of hate.”
“Doesn’t have to be done out of hate,” I said with a shrug. “There are other reasons.”
She hummed. “Do you owe Fate a favor?”
“Not really.”
“Then why would you help that man?”
No, I was not going to sort that out with her when I wasn’t ready to face the truth of that answer. “Do you really hate that tree, or did you just want to make us work for you?”
“I don’t hate the tree. I never said that. It annoys me.”
“Because?”
“It blocks the flow.” She seemed to try to hold back the rest of what she wanted to say, but I had a feeling she didn’t get a chance to complain to many people, what with all the luring to the death she did.
“Can you see the fishing hole from here?” she demanded.
“No?”
“Neither can I! I can’t see the fishing hole from my favorite rock either. There are a lot of fishermen who come in here because it’s so close to the trail. They just come down here by the dozens and fish, like there isn’t anything to be afraid of.”
“Is there?”
“Yes! Me. But if I don’t find them in time, do you know who does find them? Do you know? I’ll give you one guess, Crossroads.”
I blinked at the sudden deluge of emotion. “Yeah, I have no idea.”
“Gary, that’s who!”
I waited a second wondering if I’d lost the thread of this conversation.
“Who’s Gary?” I finally asked.
“He’s the rougarou who lives here.Hehas a view of the fishing hole.Hescares fishermen off before I can even reach them.”
“But what does another swamp monster have to do with the tree?” I asked.
