“He made it clear it’s your story to tell,” Esmyra cut in. “But I’m running out of time. And I already know from others that High Priestesses were once known as the realm’s witches. That when you sacrificed your life to your god to live out your days in the temple, you were granted a greater power than the rest of their subjects.”
“Wait, they do?” Draevyn asked.
Jenli’s head cocked to the side, a small smirk forming as she stared at Esmyra. “And what else do you know?”
“Your power depends on whichever god you serve. And with you serving Villaem?—”
“My power is rooted in the earth itself, and its magic is woven through my veins,” Jenli said, cutting her off. “The art of apothecary is my craft, yet my knowledge extends to all the gifts our land offers, versed in every secret of soil, root, and stone.”
“So, potions?” Draevyn guessed.
“I would say that’s the very baseline.” Jenli pointed to the far wall that was lined with shelves that stretched from the floor to the ceiling, littered with vials of all colors and sizes. “But it takes more than onlythe knowledge to brew what I have. A teardrop of blood must be sacrificed, carrying the essence of the divine.”
Confusion seeped into Esmyra. “A drop of blood?”
“No,” Jenli whispered. “I meant tears. They need to be true tears too, drawn out by only raw emotion. Once the blood drops into the brew, it’s a symbol of Villaem granting it power.”
Her brows drew together. “Your tears areblood?” She looked back to the wall, her eyes roaming over the hundreds of bottles.
“I’ve been here for many years. Manyemotional, lonely years.” Jenli shrugged. “So, I put them to use.”
“I can see that,” Esmyra said, turning back to face her.
Jenli crossed her arms. “But what makes you think you can storm in here demanding I unravel secrets of the gods for you? Gods you barely understand.”
Esmyra took another step toward her, her brows creasing as frustration settled into her. “I don’tbarelyunderstand it.” Her stare drifted between Draevyn and Jak, the latter nodding his head in approval. “Iamit.”
Jenli stared at her for a long moment, her eyes narrowing. “What does that mean?”
Esmyra let out a breath. “Showing you would be easier than explaining.”
Still, Jenli hesitated, her fingers twitching against the quilts. Then finally, she released a slow, resigned sigh as she stood. “Fine. Show me.”
As the silence stretched, Draevyn moved without a word. He crossed the room and swept his hand across the tapestry curtains, pulling them closed in case the crew came up to investigate.
“Have you ever heard of velsinyte?” Esmyra asked.
Jenli’s eyes flared instantly. “How doyouknow of that?”
Esmyra stepped forward before turning her back toward the woman. Draevyn was at her side instantly, but she could feel the tension radiating off of him.
“As I said, I can show you better than I cantell you.” Her fingers reached behind her collar and slowly tugged the fabric up over her head.
Jenli’s breath caught as Esmyra revealed the black marks bleeding beneath her skin. She could feel them as they pulsed faintly, alive with some dark, silent hunger as they fed off her magic.
“I’ve only ever heard whispers,” Jenli murmured, voice hushed now. “It’s supposed to be locked away from our world. I never thought it was real.”
“Well, it is.” Esmyra pulled her shirt back on and turned around to face her alongside Draevyn and Jak. “And it’s killing me.”
CHAPTER 50
Draevyn
And it’s killing me, Esmyra’s words rocked Draevyn right down to his core. But he knew. He knew it had been killing her.
It had become undeniable.
Those black veins were like cursed roots burrowing through her flesh. He saw them every time he closed his eyes. Twisting. Spreading.Devouringher.
