Page 123 of A Baron of Bonds
I opened the glass pane and took a breath of the cool air, full of life and new beginnings of spring. My window faced north, the expanse of trees seemingly endless in the night sky, the full moon taking her slow decent to the horizon.
The Blightress was there. She was out there now, in her lands, plotting our downfall.
“I need to ask you something.” I stared out at the tops of the trees, finding the place within me which came from her, addressing it through our minds just as she predicted I would.
“Little Sprout, I am sopleasedto hear your voice.”
I clenched my jaw and inhaled slowly, focusing on the jagged horizon. “Can you cure what ails the Overseer of Felgren?”
“Is that who he is? My, my, I had no idea of his importance.”
Venom seeped through my response. “You did this, didn’t you.”
“Didn’t we both, my child? After all, I did not grow those trees in your precious sanctuary.”
“No, but you forced the Blight there in the first place.” I paused, my eyes narrowing. “How did you know those trees were what gave him this illness?”
“I know what the Blight knows. I see what it sees, feel what it feels.”
I scoffed, “Glad to know you suffered then, seven years ago.”
Fuck. I was risking the small chance she’d help me with retorts like that.
I heard her laugh, just as beautiful, just as confident as what I’d heard before. “Your short temper amuses me, so I will listen to your request.”
I exhaled in relief. “I’m asking you for the cure. I’m asking you to help me save his life.”
There was a pause in our line, something I could feel, and I wondered if I’d lost her.
“And in return?”
“What would you ask in return?”
“I would like to know you better, Little Sprout. I would like you to know me. One night each week. Hide it from your lover, I care not. One night where we speak, like this, and you hear me. I will listen to you, but you will also listen to me.”
“Done.” That was no ask at all. I’d choose what to tell her and I’d listen to her story, which I decidedly did not care about, to save Pompeii.
“I’ll hold you to it, then. If you refuse, if you change your mind, I’ll just come for you.” Her tone grew with anger, “I can easily take you, Karus. I can take all of Felgren, if I wish it.”
“Then why don’t you?”
“I do not believe we’ve come to the point where all other options of returning my power have faltered. I told you once, you do not know me. Let me show you who I am.”
“Fine. How do I cure Pompeii?”
“I do not know.”
“This conversation is over.” Furious, I began to step off the chair, my heart racing in rage.
“Karus, I can tell you where to find the cure Heimlen used.”
I gave a grunt of exasperation. She still spoke in riddles.
“I know he used the Blight, my Blight, to make the disease; therefore, I saw him create the cure.”
“How? How did he do it?”
“The answer lies in a book. I saw a glimpse of him reading from the text and practicing his magic to counter what he had created. I assume it’s what he used to produce the cure as I never saw him with any other text after that.”
