“You didn’t try very hard. That was approximately two seconds of effort.”
“Something’s not right, though.”
“You need to learn patience,” he said. “Close your eyes.”
I closed my eyes again, but instead of the dry dustiness of the rock, all I could focus on was a lapping sensation, like water. But this water didn’t feel calming and invigorating like usual, it felt angry, twisting and churning. My stomach felt like there was a bucket of seawater sloshing inside it. It made me upset and worried.
My body trembled. Goosebumps pricked my skin, just like when I had been standing at the edge, looking out over the sea. I opened my eyes. “I’m sorry, but something isn’t right.”
“Yes. Your attitude,” he said. “Close your eyes.”
“I know we’re focusing on the rocks,” I said, standing, brushing myself off. It felt uncomfortable to disobey Seer Goddard, but I was learning to trust my instincts. “I think something is wrong, and I need to investigate.”
Seer Goddard gave a long pause. Then finally said, “Very well.”
“There’s something not right in the waters. I’ll be back soon, or tomorrow at the latest. Thank you for your help today.”
Then I turned and walked away from the Seer, despite every instinct telling me it was the wrong choice. I’d been waiting for the Seer to help me, and now that he had offered, I’d cut our first session extremely short. I couldn’t even follow his basic instruction to sit still and keep my eyes closed. But deeper inside, something was pulling me, urging me to move. Something wasn’t right on The Isle.
I moved toward the edge of the cliff. This time, I walked straight to where Seer Goddard had been standing before, toe to toe with his perch. He followed me, standing slightly back, watching.
I stood on the cliff, gazing to the right, where the northeasternmost edge of the island curved out of sight. The ocean spray was the usual angry sort, nothing particularly violent or suspicious. I looked to the left where the cliffs slopeddown, rolling gently from the high altitude of Silas’s lands to the waters. There I noticed a gathering of people on the shore.
I squinted, and it seemed like there was a small boat washed up on the shore. Tiny figures flitted around it, most of them dressed in black. A group of Rangers, most likely. If I really squinted, I thought I could make out Silas’s figure among them.
I had the passing thought that maybe it wasn’t my connection to the water, but my connection to Silas that had alerted me to the fact something was wrong. Either way, somethingwaswrong.
Seer Goddard gave me a barely perceptible nod when I turned to face him. Something behind his glassy, pale-blue eyes—so pale they were somewhere between the color of air and sea—resembled approval.
I hurried back down the path, stopping by Wisteria Cottage just long enough to slide on a pair of shoes before trekking down to the sandy beach I’d spotted from my high perch. Sure enough, I knew I was in the right spot when I spotted the swarm of gathered Rangers in the isolated cove, tucked among the hilly cliffsides that edged the island shore.
“What is it?” I asked when I found Silas. “What’s wrong?”
If Silas or Ranger X were surprised to see me, they didn’t show it. Silas merely nodded at the boat washed up on shore. “This turned up… missing its crew.”
I winced. “Is it a human boat?”
“We think so,” Ranger X said. “It’s nothing registered here on the island.”
“How did they get past the wards?” I asked. “I know my wards aren’t stellar yet, but keeping this island hidden from humans is kind of its main job.”
“We don’t know that yet,” X said. “But we don’t think it was by accident.”
“Could it have been”—I paused, glanced at it—“attacked by a kraken?”
“The boat’s much too intact for that. The waters were calm out there today, even beyond our wards. No reason it should have capsized. I know accidents can happen, but this doesn’t feel accidental.”
“Ranger X,” someone called. “You’re going to want to look at this.”
I trailed behind X and Silas as another Ranger led them to the front of the boat. On the bow, scratched into the wood, was a rough-hewn symbol. I didn’t recognize it, but apparently the others did.
“What is it?” I asked, squinting to examine the marking. “Does it mean something?”
“It’s the Triskelion Sigil,” Silas said softly.
I raised an eyebrow. “I take it that’s not a good sigil?”
I didn’t know anything about sigils. I wasn’t even sure what the word meant. I’dmaybeheard it once before, but that was the extent of my knowledge.
