Page 90 of A Dance With Fire
“If I may?” Weylyn interjected. Something, Shula guessed, he didn’t do often by the way everyone stared at him with startled expressions.
The king waved a hand. “Proceed.”
“From what I have gathered, the seer’s—Davina’s—predictions were scattered in pieces. Though, some of what she said does lead us to believe that something else is afoot. Perhaps… if we find another seer to give us an accurate prediction…” He trailed off. “Davina is dead and cannot give us answers, so we must find them elsewhere.”
No one spoke after that as they waited to see what the king would say. He appeared lost in thought.
“Where would we find another seer?” he asked calmly.
A throat cleared.
Shula looked up at a Fae man who stepped from the shadows of the room. She hadn’t noticed him before, and she probably should have. He looked like a half breed. Half High Fae and half Unseelie. He was tall, beautiful, elegant, yet his skin was purple, his hair white and slicked back into a low knot.
“I know of a seer.” His voice was melodic and dreamy.
The king spread his palms against the surface of the table. “Then by all means, speak.”
The Fae cleared his throat again. “Not just any seer.The Seer. One who does not just see the future in flashes, but who sees all.”
Quiet murmurs rang around the room. Shula could feel the tension suddenly ratchet up, and she wondered at that, wondered who this mysterious seer was. The Seer. There was reverence in the words he spoke, and most of the Fae present shuffled uneasily.
“The Seer,” the king repeated drolly. “That is your solution?”
“Seers are rare, Your Majesty. We keep a record of every Fae we harbor here and what their abilities are. We do not have one. They are as rare as Elementals because Mana does not want to gift so many with prophecies. So, the solution is easy. You want answers to your questions? The Seer.”
“It’s suicide,” someone spat. “You cannot just find The Seer.”
Shula shifted in her seat from side to side, chewing at the inside of her mouth. Her mouth opened, closed, until she decided,fuck it,and asked, “Who’s The Seer?”
All eyes went straight to her. As if she’d asked a ridiculous question. Perhaps she had, because she hadn’t grown into the same culture they had, and it showed just how much she disgusted them for it.
She tried not to blush and failed.
“The Seer is rumored to be as old as time,” Valerio answered her, his tone gentle yet firm. “She—or he—is a Fae with the gift of prophecy. You heard Davina’s prophecies? The Seer’s are nothing like hers. She—or he—knows all, sees all. Past, present, and future.”
Then The Seer must have been incredibly powerful and, judging by the looks on their faces, fearsome as well.
Shula had seen what the power of prophecy could do to a Fae. It had slowly drove Davina mad until her ramblings resembled that of a madwoman.
“Why would finding The Seer be suicide?” Shula asked.
“Because, Shula, The Seer lives beyond the Ley Line.”
Shula froze. The Ley Line. The line of magic that separated the kingdom of Orknie from Tir na Faie. That separated the human lands from the Feylands.
A place that used to be guarded by fearsome warriors to protect the secrets of the south. A place that Fae dared never to venture towards anymore. Because it had been infected, poisoned, a blight placed upon the land by the humans.
A kingdom now filled with iron.
“Because of the iron, not even Uric could portal us there. We would have to travel on foot. A month’s worth of a journey, maybe more.” Valerio turned to his father. “Please, father, let us go find The Seer and bring you answers.” He dipped his head and lowered his voice. “Let us help the Fae thrive once again. I know it is what you want, and this might be the only opportunity we have at discovering the truth.”
King Ashera sighed. “Fine,” he conceded. “You may go. The six of you.”
Valerio stiffened. “Six?”
“Yes. Six. You, Clay, Uric, Julius, Ryker, and Weylyn. You will need him to communicate with me. I want daily updates regarding the journey.”
Valerio looked like he wanted to groan but held it back by biting the inside of his cheek. Clay did openly roll his eyes.
