“I think she needs extra rations in order to heal.” Collum was back over by the cot once more, peering down at me as I buttoned up the front of the uniform coat I had been given.
Friar frowned, but she didn’t argue. “I’ll ask Astrid to bring something extra late tonight.”
The name of the cook, who had been my only other ally since my arrival, allowed my shoulders to relax. There was a twinge of pain as my ribs settled, but nothing like when Collum had shoved me. Something which still bothered me more than it should.
As we made our way back to our cell, my arm over Collum’s shoulders as Markus and Syrus followed behind, I began to wonder if Collum was really the person I should be trusting.
Whether or not she was truly on my side of whatever was going on here.
CHAPTER 10
It was late that night, well after dark, when Astrid let herself into our cell, allowing the door to snick shut behind her.
The cell I was kept in had always been small, especially with the addition of Collum. And now that a third person, who was also very tall, stood inside, and with the two of us sitting on the cot, there was hardly room to breathe, much less move.
“Collum,” Astrid greeted my cousin, who stood, pulling her into a hug even as my jaw hung open.
“You two know each other?” After finding out that Collum had been the one to redislocate my ribs earlier, I didn’t think anything else could surprise me, but this had proven me wrong.
“She’s in the same coven.” Collum tossed the words in my direction as if I would know immediately what that meant as the two of them continued to embrace.
When she didn’t elaborate, I grumbled, “The coven I wasn’t allowed to join, you mean?”
They broke from their hug, Collum motioning her hand in my direction as if to tell me not to worry about it. “Do you think you can gather the servants for reading? Soon? Maybe even tomorrow night?”
Astrid’s eyes were filled with concern as they darted from me to Collum. “So soon?”
Collum nodded. “We don’t have much time. From what I understand, we aren’t allowed to take the books from his presence except for this week. Therefore, we need to read to you what we can now.”
Astrid frowned. “And then what?”
Collum apparently didn’t have an answer either. “I’m not sure, but I want to at least get what Adis has into the servants while we can.”
I let out a breath. I felt like I wasn’t even involved in this plan they were currently making. Like I was still a spectator in my own life. But spectator or not, Collum was missing the point. “All the books I have read Adis so far are simple or emotional powers. Nothing worth getting in trouble for.”
Collum rolled her eyes. “We need to even the battlefield in every way possible, even if you think the powers are insignificant.” She didn’t wait for me to respond before turning back to Astrid, pulling a small clay jar from her shirt. The one I knew for a fact I had seen her steal from Friar earlier. “This is a sleeping potion, give it to all of the guards tomorrow night, but ensure the servants don’t eat any. It’s powerful.”
I watched the interaction, observing how Astrid’s hand hesitated as she reached forward to take the jar from Collum. I wasn’t the only one who was uncertain about this.
But Collum didn’t give Astrid any time to voice her concerns either. “Any luck on finding a seeker?”
I choked on air.
One moment we were talking about Astrid and Collum knowing each other from their coven and suddenly Astrid could find a seeker?
My coughing didn’t alarm either of them.
“No. I told you I would keep an ear open, but as someone who isn’t a seeker themselves, you knew it would be a long shotthat I would come across anyone.” Her voice was firm and unyielding.
“I know, but you know as well as I do that the only individual in all of Ralheim that would have a use for one other than the coven is Adis.”
“I know.” Astrid’s lips pulled down at the corners. “But as far as I know, he hasn’t found one either. I will let you know if that changes.”
My cousin huffed, sitting down on the cot next to me so hard that it caused me to rise off the bed. “Well, gather the servants tomorrow and we will read what we have to them now and worry about where we will find more powerful books later.” Collum’s words were a clear dismissal, and before I could say anything to the contrary, Astrid was ducking out of the cramped cell, the door closing behind her.
I waited until a few moments had passed before turning to Collum. “That was incredibly rude you know.”
She shrugged. “I learned a long time ago that everyone in the coven has very strong opinions over what we should and shouldn’t do with magic. If I want to get anything done, I have to be firm.”
