“He believed marriage might convince her,” Triisa said. “It did not, but by then, our fate and hers had been sealed. We toldhim no, and he laughed, stating that he’d make us dance for him always. Or they refuse to dance and die.”
“He kills those who won’t willingly enter the portraits?”
She dipped her head forward in agreement.
He really was a nasty piece of work.
“Alright, I’ll do it,” I said. “I’ll try to do it, that is. The spell doesn’t always work.”
“When one tries, one finds growth and uncovers potential that a comfortable, untried stance never reveals,” she said sagely. “Effort is the seed of mastery.”
“You’ve got that right.” I closed my eyes and gathered power. Would it be harder to free three at once or would it feel the same as when I’d released Iasar?
I cast the spell, sending it at them like a bolt of lightning.
As I opened my eyes, they slipped from the picture, tumbling onto the floor in a jumble of thin limbs. They lay so still I thought they were dead, but then they stirred and climbed to their tiny bare feet, rising only to the height of my knees.
A pop, and Pelid and Sowen disappeared. I felt hollow surprise at their loss, a stab in the chest for the brief connection I’d found with them. I shook my head, scattering the feeling.
“To thank you, we will give you three gifts,” Triisa said.
“That’s nice of you but unnecessary.” It would be unwise to accept anything from them, but someone once saidreject a pixie’s gift at your peril; slighted, they’ll spin luck into curses. Who’d told me that? Reyla, probably, reading from one of the many books she borrowed from the fortress’s library.
“Tis true,” Triisa said with a conniving smile that revealedtiny sharp teeth I suspected could rip into my flesh and leave a painful gouge that might never heal.
“What’s true?”
“Your friend’s statement.”
“Stay out of my mind,” I growled, reinforcing my mental guards.
She dipped her head forward and fed me a sly smile.
“Alright. I accept the gifts from you and your sisters,” I said.
She held out her hand and led me past the watching eyeballs and the closed closet door, over to the wall to the left of the dangling globes holding pulsing hearts.
“I don’t want a heart,” I said with a shiver.
“You may one day regret saying that, but that wasn’t my gift.”
“Who do the hearts belong to?” Now, of course, I wanted to know. Or did I? I couldn’t hold back my cringe. They looked like they were still alive, beating without a body to hold onto.
“Telling you this is not one of your gifts.”
Always words that teased but revealed nothing. What was it with freed creatures? Although, the blue beasties had fled, leaving no promises behind.
“I see five now,” she said. “Interesting. There were many more when we were first placed in this room.”
“Where are they?”
“Swallowed, I assume.”
“By what?”
“A very good question.”
I shook off that train of thought. “Vexxion’s isn’t there.” I wasn’t sure why I voiced the words.
