Gramps handed me a long, light blue crystal. “Because this crystal plus the water will help you connect with the energy of your soul stone. Once you’re fully in tune with spirit, your soul stone will give you a vision to lead you to it—like a magnet.”
A vision?Cool. I could get down with that.
“That’s it?” I asked, a little wary. So far, things Gramps said weren’t always simple.
He nodded and then furrowed his brow. “Well, then you’ll need to follow the vision of your soul stone, fetch it, and finally, bring it back here.”
A visionfrom my soul stone? Another thing I’d never heard of. Yeah … totally not worried.
“What if it doesn’t lead me to it? Like what if there isn’t a”—I waved my fingers in the air to indicate magic—“vision.”
“The young always worry about things they can’t control,” he said.
Was that to me or Reyna? Because she wasmaybeten years older than me. Tops. Hardly old compared to hismillennium.
“Just go with Reyna, Nai. It will all work out.” Then he faced his shield. “You’ll need to be on guard. Nai won’t be focused on the real world here, and with tensions as they are among the mages, she’ll need your eyes and ears—at the very least.”
She pursed her lips and gave him a curt nod. “I’ve got this, but will you be okay here?”
“Sure will,” he said, nestling back into the stack of pillows. “Let’s hope we don’t need anyone else but ourselves tonight. I think everyone is stressed enough to keep to their own castles, but…” He pointed at me, dressed in battle gear Reyna had loaned me. “You might want to change into selkie armor. Chances are you’ll be wandering the grounds … possibly even the island. The seal skin protection would be a good idea.”
Seal skin? “I don’t have that.”
“Not to worry, I do. A present for you from King Ozark,” Grandpa said, his eyes getting droopy. “He’s a good man … and a good king.”
I remembered the way the selkie king had handled the mage Jakko’s betrayal and nodded. I didn’t even know King Ozark knew Gramps.
“I’ll give it to her,” Reyna said and then pulled me toward the door. “Anything else?”
I waited for more directions, something more than his vague “relax and find your soul stone” pep talk, but he closed his eyes.
“Nope. That should do it.”
As soon as we stepped into the hall and the door was closed behind us, I grabbed Reyna by the arm. “Please tell me you know how this goes.”
“I’ve never done this before either,” she said, interrupting me in that brusque way that made me feel stupid. “But Geoff won’t let you fail. The only one who wants to make sure Kian doesn’t get spirit power more than you is Geoff.” She cocked her head to the side and then added, “And maybe me. Now, let’s get you that selkie armor.”
The slick black wetsuit looked similar to the leather body armor we wore but even nicer than what Reyna had leant me, and it felt like a second skin. There were layers over my vital organs, molded plating covering my chest, back, abdomen, and pelvis; only these layers of protection were practically weightless.
“King Ozark gave this to my grandfather?” I asked, looking in the mirror. The chest plate seemed decidedly made for a woman.
Reyna’s brow furrowed, and she eyed me through the mirror. “Yep, Ozark gave it to Geoff for you. Your grandfather talked to him before Rage’s coronation. I didn’t understand why you’d need it then, but, clearly … Geoff knew what he was doing.”
Whoa.
I nodded, thinking of all he’d done to get me here.
“The foot coverings are there,” Reyna said, pointing to two sock-like pieces that lay on top of a circle-shaped piece. “And the cap.”
Holding up the cap, I snickered. “I’m going to look like I’m wearing a body sock. I think I’ll wait and put this on in the pool.”
Reyna gave me a flat look. “Suit yourself.”
We ate a late dinner in silence. I was preoccupied with checking off this box of finding my soul stone, and only toward the end of the meal did I think of all that Reyna had on her plate. No pun intended.
“In case I forget to say it again later, thanks for having my back,” I said as we cleared our plates. Donovan and my aunt had already gone off to bed. “Not just tonight, but all the times…”
She gave me a tight smile. “We’re all working toward the same goal.”
