Vander’s brows tugged closer, and he butted in before I could answer. “She’s from Lothleton. Why?”
A dismissive hand and shrug answered. “Just curious.”
“Forgive me for not knowing,” I started, “but why don’t you wear mage’s robes?”
Murial’s brows rose. “Oh, well, I don’t work for the guild. I went through my training with the guild, of course, as we all do, but I decided to start my own shop. It’s more fun.”
I hadn’t known that was an option.
The bird squawked again and took flight. It landed on Murial’s shoulder, and the beady black eyes stared Vander down. “Cookie.”
“Sorry, Zenon, no cookie.”
It cocked its head and chittered angrily.
Murial reached up and patted its head. “Settle, Zenon, my boy. Anyway, what brings you into town today?”
Vander tilted his head toward me and waited for me to answer. I cleared my throat. “I need some new clothes to wear when I’m not in uniform.”
“She wants to see magic too.”
“Perfect, you certainly came to the right place.” She hooked her elbow around mine and dragged me over to her desk in the corner. Zenon hopped from her shoulder onto the desk with his long talons clacking. He stopped in front of me, head bobbing. “Vampire. Vampire. Vampire.”
I stiffened. Could this bird sense I was bitten? I sometimes wondered if it had tainted me, even if it hadn’t turned me.
“Oh, you’re insufferable today.” Murial shooed the bird, and he took flight back to the perch. “He overhears talk and hangs on certain words. Have a seat, Aesira.”
Over my shoulder, I found Vander looking nervous, standing behind my chair. He folded his arms. “Aunt Murial, what are you doing?”
“She wants to see magic, doesn’t she? I’m just doing a small reading, that’s all.”
His jaw hardened. “When I said magic, I meant conjuring fire in your palm or forcing a chocolate pixie to dance, not fortunetelling.”
“That’s for children. There’s no hurt in a little future peek. I see what the spirits want me to. Remember when you were sixteen and I saw a girl with two different-colored eyes in your future? And I knew you wouldn’t take the path of a scholar.”
Sweat dampened my shirt under my arms. That couldn’t be coincidence and sixteen was long before he and I could have ever met. His tongue ran over his bottom lip. “I remember. That’s the last peek I let you have.”
“And look at Aesira here. She’s?—”
Vander’s eyes flashed, in warning.
Murial cleared her throat. “Well, what I mean to say is I didn’t know she’d be your apprentice, but I knew then she was... important to you.”
I wasn’t sure I wanted someone to peek into my future. It seemed invasive, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
He muttered something about this being a mistake and gripped the back of my wooden chair.
“Can I hold your hand, dear? This is just a bit of fun. Sometimes I can see glimpses of the future. It could be a child you may have one day, or the path to great wealth, or a future lover’s name. Sometimes misfortune, but that’s rare.”
“Um, sure.” I reached out and placed my palm in hers. This time there was no shock. The fingers of her other hand danced over the clear crystal ball. Within a few beats silver smoke swirled inside. She smiled and shimmied in her seat with excitement. “Oh, this is going to be fun, I can already tell. I see that you’re talented, intelligent, and kind. A little stubborn at times. Fear can get in your way but if you push past it, I senseyou can accomplish great things.” All true but vague. Those could be traits of just about anyone.
The silver color of the ball darkened to charcoal. Her cheerful smile dropped, and she closed her eyes. Was that... bad?
When her brows pinched and her grip on my hand tightened, my stomach dipped. Her voice changed suddenly, more melodic—lower pitched. “I see you standing at a shadowy path, forked into two roads. There will come a time when you’ll have to make a terrible choice between the raven of death and eagle of life, but both could devour you.”
I held my breath. What did that mean? Wouldn’t choosing the eagle be the obvious choice? I glanced up at Vander; all the warmth in his face was gone. Murial’s eyes snapped open, and she gently pulled her hand from my palm, then patted my knuckles affectionately.
Vander stepped around my chair and stood beside me. “What does that mean? What choice?”
