Page 58 of A Touch of Royalty

Emryn would be able to figure it out. He knew that for some reason, deep in his soul.

Emryn stopped at a plain, unassuming door deep in the hallways of the house and took a breath, squaring her shoulders before she knocked at the door.

It was flung open immediately, and the sounds spilling from the room were horrendous. A sort of song, if it had been sung through blood.

Emryn pushed past the harried looking attendant and vanished into the room. Cas and Asan hurried in her wake, only to see her drop to her knees at the side of the oracle. The oracle’s face was torn, her nails bloodied and there were frayed cords around her wrists as though she had been restrained.

“Sister, be calm.” Emryn took the bloodied hands in hers and pressed her forehead to the oracle’s. “Breathe, sister, I’m here.”

The sound cut out, and Cas realized it was the oracle who had been making that sound. “Sister,” the word was a sigh, and the oracle raised a bloody hand and touched Emryn’s face.

“I’m here,” Emryn’s voice sounded strange. “I heard you, sister, even if I didn’t know at first.”

“Will you help?” the attendant asked.

“If you would step out,” Asan said, slowly edging the attendant out of the room as Emryn started undoing the clasp on her cloak.

Asan closed the door in the protesting attendant’s face and turned back to Emryn.

Who had taken her cloak off and was stretching her wings out with a small pained sound.

“Your soul is beautiful, sister.” The oracle touched one of the feathers.

Emryn wrapped the oracle in her wings, concealing them both. There was a wash, a flash, the pressure of it was almost enough to take Cas off his feet. And there was a singing in the air, the same song that the oracle had been singing, but no longer sung through blood.

And when Emryn pulled her wings back, the oracle was healed. The wounds on her face were gone, her hands no longer streaked in blood. Her eyes were still blind, but that was the will of the Mother and Emryn would not be able to remove that.

“Why did you call, sister?”

“The Mother speaks,” the oracle said, clasping her hands in front of her. “Her Wings, Her Eyes, Her Child. Seek the Seeker, the Phoenix, the Flame. Their ways are open, but the doors are shut. Find the keys.”

The oracle blinked, reaching to rub her eyes. “The Mother’s words, sister.”

“Thank you, sister.” Emryn turned confused eyes on Cas, who shrugged slightly. “I will find them, I promise.”

“Beware the eyes in the dark,” the oracle said as Emryn helped her to her feet. “But the teeth are safe.”

39

SOUL

Emryn folded her wings, gritting her teeth against the pain and reaching for her cloak. Cas draped it around her shoulders and she smiled at him, grateful.

She still needed to see if the Mother would speak to her. Still needed to know what she was to do with the favor granted to her by Her guardian bird.

But first she needed to finish taking care of the oracle. Emryn had healed her, but she was tired and Emryn helped her across the room and to her bed, tucking her in and watching as she fell asleep with a final smile at Emryn.

The attendant was outside the room, looking puzzled and worried as Emryn opened the door and stepped out with Cas and Asan in her wake. “She’s sleeping,” Emryn said quietly.

“Thank you, Highness.” The attendant brushed past her and closed the door with a quiet click.

“I think we offended her,” Emryn said to no one in particular. “I didn’t want to do that, but-”

“We need to keep it quiet for now,” Asan said quietly. “We should see the priestess and find out if we can commune with the Mother.”

Emryn nodded, looking at the corridor. “How did I get here?”

“This way.” Cas took her hand and led her back through the house’s warren. “I’ve always had a good sense of direction.”

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