Page 70 of The Seeker

“I could,” I agreed. “But I’m afraid that would only cause further resentment and unrest. What would you think of my asking for a panel of rulers instead of a viscount? Then we could have a required Seid member on that panel.”

“It would distribute the power more equally,” she agreed, tapping her chin with her pointer finger.

We weren’t getting anywhere, and I could feel Ena was growing bored, so I decided to change the subject. “What do you think will happen after tomorrow?”

“What do you mean?”

My hands were empty now, the stick completely obliterated, and I moved to picking at one of my fingernails. “Do we just go home after this?” It wasn’t until after I said the word that I realized I didn’t even know where my home was.

“I assume so,” Ena said with a frown, as if she too remembered the mess we came from. “You know, I actually haven’t really thought about it.”

“Me either. I . . .” I breathed in through my nose and out through my mouth, trying to calm the sense of unease spreading through my body. “I’ve never really made plans before, you know? Not when I was a kid, not when I went to the military, not when⁠—”

“Leif kidnapped you.”

“Exactly. And now I feel as if I have all the options in the world and I don’t know what to choose.” Tears built behind my eyes, but I blinked them back. Now wasn’t the time to cry about my misfortune.

Silence settled between us. “Well . . .” Ena’s voice sounded loud, echoing off the dark buildings on the silent street. “You seem to really like helping people, and you’re passionate about the Seid. Maybe you could work with the coven to teach the next generation?”

I nodded. What she was hinting at was sitting like a rock in my stomach. “The thing is . . . I don’t think the Seid can continue as we have. Magic, and only us being able to read it, has led to disparity and fear among those who didn’t learn, and if that continues . . .” I pinched my eyes shut, images of Askel’s sadness floating through. “I fear there will be another Purge. I think we need to find a way to end the disparity. Ensure everyone can learn to read and then people won’t feel bad when others have magic and they don’t. I was trying to burn the books,” I admitted sheepishly. “But after talking with Otho today, I’m not sure that’s the way. I think we need to teach everyone magic.”

“But how are you going to manage the differing powers? If everyone can read, won’t they fight over the books?” Ena frowned.

I groaned. “You’re right. We would need a library system, or some way to ensure that everyone was able to check out different powers but then return them and—ugh . . .” I rubbed my forehead. “This is more complicated than I thought.”

“I think that’s why Otho wants to erase magic entirely,” Ena whispered.

My hands stopped their motions. Ena didn’t know about the books upstairs and the fact that Otho wasn’t planning to burn them. He was planning to hide them instead, and keep them as a weapon, should he need them. I stood, brushing off the dust from the back of my breeches, intending to head inside.

“Runa?” Ena asked, still in her seated position, her back against the wall of the inn.

“Yeah?”

“When this is over, will you bond yourself to Otho?”

The scar on my hand itched, and I brought my hand up to rub it. Until that moment, I hadn’t thought about my future intertwined with Otho’s at all.

“You don’t have to, you know,” she whispered.

I didn’t have an answer; my mind couldn’t form words. Instead, I nodded my good night before walking back inside the inn and up the stairs.

Back to the room with the man who held my heart.

But maybe not my future.

CHAPTER 23

Otho woke before me as always. He wasn’t in the room when I opened my eyes, and I dressed in silence, choosing the outfit that was less dusty for a meeting with the king. I wished I’d done laundry, but I knew if the king wouldn’t take me seriously in these clothes, he wouldn’t have listened had I dressed in something cleaner. I dug in my pack for my vials, wincing as I took the last dose I had on hand of the belladonna. I would need to find some today after our meeting with the king, though Otho assured me that wouldn’t be a problem in a town the size of Shianp.

My nerves were on fire, making it a challenge to accomplish even the simplest tasks. It wasn’t until I was nearly out the door that I spotted the note that Otho had left on his side of the bed.

Gone to grab breakfast for everyone. Back soon.

-Otho

My heart warmed at the thoughtfulness, but also at seeing Otho’s handwriting for the first time. For some reason, I’d assumed that the general of a military would write in a hand that was barely legible, but Otho’s handwriting was pristine. The letters were even—written in a flowing cursive I knew I would never be able to emulate, especially considering I’d grown up being forced to write in the exact same hand as my brother.

There was a pinch in my chest at the thought, but I pushed it away, knowing today was too important to worry about what had occurred with my brother the day before.