Page 4 of Burn Bright
"Had me? What is it?" It had been inmymind.
"An ancient foe," she warned, and gave another strange look. "One not easily vanquished. You are a child of mystery, it seems. And I do not like riddles I cannotanswer."
I stepped back abruptly as she glided toward me. She looked human. Perhaps that was the problem.Don’t trust anything you meet inside Gravenwold,my father’s voice whispered in my memories. "What did you mean when you said you've been waiting many years forme?"
"I’ll answer that question the next time we meet. You’re not ready for it yet. Destiny sits upon your shoulders, but I don't want to scare you away before you hear itswhisper."
A shiver ran down my spine. I was fairly certain I neverwantedto be ready for theanswer.
"What's your name,child?"
The word tripped to my lips, but I caught it before I could let it fly.Neva. Neva Bane.My head was swimming again, and I could hear my name echoing in my ears as if itwantedto escape. "The Old Ways say giving a name is dangerous," I ground out. "Unless you earnit."
"And how do I earn it?" She was allteeth.
"See me safely from this forest, and I'll grant you myname."
She cocked her head. "How old areyou?"
"How old areyou?"
"As old as the mountains, and as young as thesun."
"That's not ananswer."
"And neither isyours."
I took a step back from her. "I'm tired. And I'm hungry. I don't have time forriddles."
"Oh, child." Her vicious smile dawned again. "One day will come a time when all you have isriddles."
"Will you let me leave?" I asked, trying not to look around. More trees bore those candle-wax faces, and the light was beginning to dull. How long had I been here? Had she been distractingme?
Did time run differently here, in theHeart?
"I will let you leave," the old woman said softly. "Though I'm not done with you yet. But I will expect a name. We have a deal, after all. Whisper it to the trees before you leave their embrace. If you don't, then I'll follow you home and take it from your lipsinstead."
The blood drained from my face. "I shouldgo."
And neverreturn.
"Yes. You should not linger here, child." Her smile slowly vanished, leaving her face stern and serious, as if she’d made some sort of decision. "The forest has granted you a stay of execution. A life for alife—"
"I took nolife."
"Precisely." She seemed to grow taller, circling into the shadows of the trees. "Your heart follows the Old Ways, child. Mind you keep to them, less my mercy be not so benevolent next time. And be ready. You have two more tests to passyet."
And then she wasgone.
"For what?" I demanded. I couldn't even make out a single footprint in the snow where she'd beenstanding.
In the tree behind me, a crow cawed. The only other sound was the echo my voice. And the feeling something was watching meagain.
Witch or not, monster or not, it was more than time to get out ofhere.
"And then I'm never coming back," I muttered, feeling the eerie weight of her words upon me. Destiny could take its sweet selfelsewhere.
I wasn'tinterested.
