“So what is this question you have, which no one else can answer?” the witch asked, her head swinging back to look over at Florian. Even though the armchair was big, she still didn’t quite fit, hunching over a bit to peer down at them. As she spoke, she unfolded her arms from within the long, dark cloak in which she had placed the pendant—like her arms, her fingers were long and spindly, as she reached for the tea kettle and poured them each a cup.
“I had a few things, actually,” Florian said, though now that he was here his mind was suddenly blank. “I mean... You said you wanted me to come to you, right? What can you tell me about the prophecy about me?”
“Prophecy?” the hag repeated, her head tilting. Her expression was largely unchanging. “What do you mean?”
“The... the prophecy,” Florian stuttered, frowning. “That you told my dad. About how the Changeling Prince would save the world or whatever.”
For a moment the witch was silent, then she leaned back in her chair with a laugh, shaking her head.
“Jerah, that poor little fool,” she sighed. “Of course he thought it was a prophecy. Is that what he told you?”
“Yes,” Florian said slowly. His mind had gone blank—what was she implying? “Is that... Is that not what you told him?”
“I gave him what I thought was very important information,” she said, shrugging nonchalantly. “It was a... prediction, I suppose, of a reality I had seen that might come to pass. One Ihopedwould come to pass, because it was better than the rest. But a prophecy? No, I wouldn’t call it that. Much could have happened that would have prevented what I saw.”
For a long moment, Florian was silent. He could feel Kade’s eyes on him, certainly just as confused as he was—but he couldn’t look away from the witch’s face. If Jerah had been wrong about this, was there more that he was wrong about?
“I don’t understand,” he finally stammered. “What you... saw? A prediction?”
“There are patterns to the old magic,” she said, waving her hand through the air. “And with the right knowledge, you can peer ahead into the future of the pattern—of course, because the future is always contingent on what happens in the present, there are countless possibilities that stem from each moment. But this future I saw was one that I saw stemming from multiple points, and it seemed to have the most favorable outcome relative to some of the other futures I’d seen. So I gave Jerah the information he would need to give that future the best chance of happening. I suppose it could be considered a prophecy, but if he had walked away that day and forgot everything I told him, perhaps we’d be living in a very different present.”
“So what does that mean? For me?” Florian asked. Distantly he felt the soft weight of Kade’s hand on his leg, but he couldn’t bring himself to look at the other man. His chest felt like a sinkhole. “So what was the point of all this?”
“The point?” she asked, tilting her head—the angle just a touch too far, too unnatural. “I’m not sure I follow. Your presence here tells me you took everything Jerah told you quite seriously. Can I assume you’re attempting to gather the Golden Arrows?”
“Yes,” he replied.
“So why would your plans change or stop now?”
“Because...” he started, only to trail off. “I don’t know. I thought that because of this prophecy, it meant... It meant...”
“It meant you were guaranteed success?” she asked. “It meant only you could do this?”
“I guess so,” he said, shrugging miserably as he leaned back in his chair.
“I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, then,” she said, gesturing to the cup of tea in front of him. “Drink. It’ll make you feel better.”
The unsettling numb feeling at his temples was starting to creep in. Automatically he reached out and took the cup, bringing it to his lips. The tea was warm, but not too hot, and slightly herbal with a minty finish. It did make him feel a little better.
“There are no guarantees for the future,” the hag continued, lifting her cup to her own lips and taking a small, delicate sip. “There are many paths before you, and some lead to success, but others do not. If you fail, perhaps someone else will take up the task again someday, or perhaps that failure will be so spectacular there will be no one left to try again. But youdohave a special power, and that is why you have a better shot than anyone else alive right now. At least that I can see, and I’ve seen quite a bit.”
“Florian,” Kade said softly, his hand on Florian’s leg squeezing. Finally, he managed to meet Kade’s eyes. “This doesn’t change anything. We’re already on this path. We’re going to see it through.”
“He’s right,” the hag said. “You’ve already begun the process. All that’s left is to see it through.”
Florian’s chest roiled with emotion, but somehow the rest of him felt numb. The thought that it didn’thaveto be him, that he could have continued his peaceful life in Coral Shore, that maybe his father never even really needed to send him away in the first place—every last thought stung with grief.
But there was no time to process the implications of all that now. He took in a shuddering breath and looked up at the hag once again.
“What’s your name?” he blurted—he had meant to ask about the Arrows next, but it occurred to him that he had no idea what her name was, and somehow he suspected that she wouldn’t appreciate being called hag or witch to her face. To his surprise, a wide grin slowly spread across her face.
“I can’t tell you how long it’s been since someone has asked me that,” she chuckled. “In our... profession, much of our original identity is lost in order to study the old magic more closely, use it more effectively. But I remember my mother called me Elodie. You may use that, too.”
“Elodie,” Florian repeated. “I... I mean, Kade’s right. We’re already here, so...” He sighed and glanced back over at Kade. The other man’s face was as serious as ever, but he gave Florian an encouraging nod all the same. His tea on the table was still untouched. “There were other things I wanted to ask you, too.”
“Of course,” she answered, gesturing once again for him to continue.
“I was hoping you might know more about the Arrows,” he said, turning to look at her again. “We’ve gotten two so far.”
