The girls have an entire wordless conversation between them. Finally, Eydis cocks her head and decrees, “We won’t listen to another word until you return it.”
And so, I retrieve their hair, setting each skein within a clamshell before the corresponding mermaid.
“Ávoxtr skor. Ávoxtr skor. Ávoxtr skor.”
One by one, each girl’s hair finds its home, and with a sparkling blue light, each strand becomes just as long and lush as before, the pieces flowing over their shoulders and down their backs. One spun through with golden thread, one tipped with onyx ink, one curly enough even the water can’t weigh it straight.
A modicum of relaxation hits the braced cut of each girl’s spine. It’s not much, but it’s a relief.
“Now, before you return to your castle lair, here’s what you must do. I cannot leave this place—your father has made sure of that—but you can. I need you to go to Runa. She is in a little cabin built into the country earth five miles from Lille Bjerg Pass in the valley along the southern cut of Havnestad’s shore.”
The girls nod.
“Call to her in your way, and when she emerges, you must warn her of your father’s plans for war. He isn’t just coming for humans, he’s coming forallthe remaining magic on land. Meaning, your sister must prepare any witch she can find as fast as possible. Your father will move soon—he needs that land magic like he needs another hit of ríkifjor serum. When the flowers run out, he’ll have no choice but to strike.”
Again, the girls nod, accepting my terms. They turn to go, but I stop them—because their mission isn’t just one of warning but one of retrieval. In a swirl of long, beautiful, magical hair, the three of them face me.
“I have one additional request. As part of her bargain, Runa retrieved a ring from the Øldenburg king. Ask her to give you that ring, and deliver it to me.”
23
Runa
MY WILDFIRE SPELL ISN’T WORKING.
Not at all.
Oh,Ican call the fire on command over and over again, the distance I was trying to ignore now a gap filled, if not healed and closed. But my comfort has no time to set, completely rattled as I am by the impossible task ahead of me. These witches are practically untrainable.
After running Agnata through the abbreviated version of what we’ve decided to do, we prioritize our tasks ahead of implementing our plan, and every witch knowing how to call wildfire leaps to the top of list. Useful as offense, defense, and an excellent distraction.
The presence of the amethyst warming my palm and Niklas’s ring still circling my thumb, I demonstrate the spell to the three girls—space is scarce, and Will volunteered tosit out until someone got the hang of it and would trade out.
I stand in the center of the room, beside the table, cleared of Agnata’s late supper.
“When I call to my magic, it’s with authority and a command to action. I don’t give it any room to hesitate or disobey.”
I point my left arm aloft, fist formed and pointed toward the rafters, though I know I’ve got a good five feet of overhead to work with. I set my legs in a strong foundation beneath me and call to my magic.
“Villieldr.”
Purple flames flicker off my arm, lighting the hopeful faces of the witches across from me.
“Your turn. Command the magic. Ready? One, two, three.”
“Villieldr!”the three shout at nearly the same time.
And nothing.
I shake it off. “Again.”
“Villieldr!”
Nothing.
“Again.”
This time they’re even slower. Out of sync. Less enthusiastic.“Villieldr!”
