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“No, because it was wrong. Killing an innocent is wrong. I wanted to do the right thing.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“And for a woman, maybe, sure. Fine. Yes. But I… I don’t know if I’ve done the right thing. I don’t know anything anymore.”
“What are Iseris’s evils?”
He ran a hand through his hair as he blew out a breath. “Magic. Nothing more.” And also nothing less. The most dire, and yet the least done to earn it.
“You respect her.”
“Of course, I do.”
“Many are unworthy of respect.”
“Oh, I know. Not her, though. I thought it was obvious to you. She… has been a very good friend.”
“Did they know you were ‘friends,’ or was your friendship secret?”
“They knew. I think they knew better than I did. Truly, we are friends, nothing more.”
“Ah. All that madness, and here you are caught up in the middle of it.” She stepped closer and gestured around them, like it surrounded her too. “Well, if you ask me, I don’t think you’ve left her service.”
“Iseris’s? Certainly, I haven’t.”
“Nefrana’s. Those who would murder in the goddess’s name are paying too much attention to the old books written by those just like themselves, and not enough attention to the Way.”
He frowned. “How so?”
“Can’t you hear it in the air? Listen. It’s in the whisper of the trees.”
“What is?” He stepped closer.
“The gods hear those same whispers in their hearts, you know. Even a goddess can serve the Way.” She indicated one of the pillars with her teacup. “Or read it here, if you can read the old lettering.”
He turned, eyes skimming over each pillar. “I can’t. I’m lucky they taught me to read anything at all.”
“We can all feel the Way of Things in our guts. But, sometimes, our heads interfere.”
He pinned her with a steely glare. “But how could it be the Way of Things for me to kill Iseris?”
“It wasn’t. That is your head interfering.” She jabbed a finger at him.
“What are you talking about? I don’t understand. What does that old saying even mean, anyway?”
“It means that maybe what has happened is exactly what should have happened. Perhaps you were exactly the right person for that moment, the one chosen by Nefrana. Has that ever occurred to you?”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Think about it. She offered you a chance to serve her more deeply than any of those fools will dream of ever doing. She offered a chance, and you took it.” She took her cup in both her hands and had a long drink. “Drink the tea. You’re going to need it. The forest fever won’t keep your pursuers away forever. If you’d like to pray somewhere away from the wind, there’s another shrine in that cave there.” She pointed behind some trees.
“You have two shrines? A mage in the woods with two shrines to Nefrana?” None of that made any sense.
“Oh, the shrines are older than me.”
“Who are you, Selis? Why are you hiding here?”
“Answers in due time, young man. You wouldn’t want to learn all the secrets without your friend, would you?”
