Page 5 of Sightwitch
There were a lot.
Ry seemed to know what I was thinking because she laughed again and said, “Don’t worry. You have time to learn it all. I’ve been here for five years—since I was four years old!—and I’m still learning.”
Then she smiled big, and I smiled back.
“What about the Nine Star Puzzle?” I asked. “I haven’t figured that out yet.”
“Me either! And I’ve been trying to solve since I got here.” She shrugged. “Sister Hilga says that it takes some Sisters their whole lives to find the answer.”
I winced. “I hope it doesn’t takememy whole life.”
“It won’t, Tanz. It won’t.” Ryber laughed after that, a bright sound that made me laugh too.
I like how she called me “Tanz.”
“Do you have other questions?” she asked while neatly turning down her half of the bed.
I hesitated. Ididhave a question, but I did not want to be rude. My curiosity got the better of me in the end, though. “Why did Sister Lindou say I was lucky to share a room with you?”
“Oh.” Ryber’s face fell, and I knew right away I shouldn’t have asked. I should have “practiced restraint” like Gran-Mi always taught me.
“They tell me I will have strong Sight one day,” Ryber answered eventually. “Stronger than other Sisters. So I guess being with me is… special.”
I wanted to ask her why her Sight would be stronger and why that made her special, but this time, I was smart enough to stay quiet.
Poor Ry. I don’t like how worried she looks now.
A BRIEFGUIDE TO THESIGHTWITCHESSister Toria Avé
INTRODUCTION
Sightwitches are not born; we are made.
Welcome to the Sightwitch Sister Convent. After years of mentoring Serving Sisters, I decided to compile all the rules, orders, and requirements that new arrivals must learn, as well as all the questions they most often ask.
To understand what life here will be like, you must first and foremost understand who our Goddess truly is. Her sleeping form beneath the Witchlands is not only the source of all magic but also the reason we exist. She is life; She is death; She is the ultimate creator.
Many cultures have different names for her, but we know her by her true name: Sirmaya.
The Sightwitch order was founded almost fifteen hundred years ago, when the first Sightwitches appeared in the Witchlands.
At that time, there were no other witches save for the Paladins, whose duty it was to protect and maintain peace across the land. While those chosen twelve were born with magic, our Sightwitch magic is a gift gained simply by devoting our lives to the Goddess. Time spent inside the mountain on which we now reside leads to a buildup of Sirmaya’s magic, and ultimately the ability to see into the future.
Over time, the Sisters have honed other talents with this unique form of magic. We have learned that a small cut beneath the ear of a corpse allows us to access the memories of the dead. Additionally, we have found that our own memories are thorough and infallible—every detail around us can be seen a single time and never forgotten.
These three types of magic are what we now swear to protect each morning when we recite the Memory Vow, the Vow of Clear Eyes, and the Vow of a Future Dreamed.
Ryber Fortiza
Y18 D153 — 1 day since Tanzi was Summoned
DREAMS
I don’t remember my dreams. As usual.
And I already miss Tanzi. It’s strange to wake up alone. Strange to write this without hearing her quill scratch nearby. Strange to sit in this cold space with no one asking, “Did you sleep well, Rybie-Ry?”
Oh, it is true she will be back tonight, but her eyes will no longer be the dark brown of most Kritians. They will be silver.
