“Ah, so Kiki wasn’t spinning tales.”
Takkan’s a friend. And I wish you would stop usinghumanas an insult. I’m human, and so are my brothers.
“I did say he was unremarkable.” Before I could fire off another retort, Seryu dipped back into the water. When he resurfaced, his feathery green eyebrows were knitted. I wondered what was happening in his underwater kingdom, for his demeanor became suddenly stiff, as if he was being watched.
“I’ll send word to your brothers that you’ve completed the net. Do your best to survive until I see you again.”
The water stilled, and he vanished, leaving me to bear the weight of Raikama’s curse alone.
By the time I returned to the castle, I was exhausted, half-frozen, and very much looking forward to collapsing by the hearth. But I forgot my fatigue when I saw Megari curled up against my door, violently ill.
“Lina,” she rasped. “You’re back. I couldn’t sleep. My stomach.”
Her face was wan, her eyes glassy and puffy, and her limbs so limp she could barely keep herself up.
“My stomach,” she moaned, vomit on her lips. “Helpme.”
She shivered as she slumped over me, listless. Her pulse was ebbing fast.
Frantic with worry, I scooped her into my arms.Stay strong, Megari,I thought, carrying her.You’ll be all right.
You’re not taking her to the smirk-happy priestess, are you?Kiki exclaimed from inside my sleeve.
I was. Much as I hated to admit it, I needed Zairena’s help. I prayed she was in her room tonight. I rapped my knuckles on her door, not relenting until she answered.
“Are you possessed? How dare you—” Zairena started, but then her eyes widened. “Megari!”
She immediately signaled for the guard at the end of the hall. “Bring Lady Megari to her chambers.”
I started to follow, but Zairena waved me away. “Go back to sleep. You’ve done enough, and we don’t need the entire fortress knowing Megari is ill.”
But I ignored her, helping the guard put Megari back into her bed.
I stroked the girl’s hair, wishing I could tell her a story. I settled for strumming softly on her moon lute. A tray of half-eaten tangerines and dried red dates rested on one of her tables. And a plate of old persimmon cake. Emuri’en’s strands! I hoped she hadn’t fallen ill from eating one of Chiruan’s desserts.
It felt like hours before Zairena returned with tea. When she saw me, her lips parted to make a characteristically unpleasant remark. For once, she thought better of it and passed me the tea. Together we helped Megari drink, tilting her chin up to dribble the liquid through her pressed lips. After the pot was drained, Megari’s breathing slowly eased and she drifted back to sleep.
“She’ll be better in the morning,” said Zairena.
Thank you,I gestured, truly grateful. Perhaps Zairenawasa priestess after all. The tea smelled of ginger and orange and hawthorn berries—all ingredients for relieving stomach pains.
“Wait.” Zairena’s face was weary, her fingers stained with tea and herbs. “It was a good thing you brought her to me. Thank you, Lina.”
I blinked, startled by the gesture of peace, reluctant as itwas.
Who would have guessed?Kiki muttered once we were alone.It took Megari almost dying for that viper to withdraw her fangs. Do you believe her?
I collapsed onto my bed, utterly spent. It didn’t matter whether I believed her. By the end of the week, I’d be gone from here.
And if the gods willed it, my winter in Iro would be a memory left far in the past.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
There were only two farewells that mattered, and I didn’t know how to go about either one of them.
I started with Megari. She was back to her usual cheerful self, and when I visited, she was trying to decide what to wear to the Winter Festival.
Puddles of silk and satin surrounded her, dresses and sashes and slippers scattered about the floor. “Lina!” she cried, wading through the mess. She held up two ribbons. “Help me, I’m trying to decide on colors for my braids.”
