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‘There’s something in the distance,’ I whispered.

Irsha didn’t pull up, but his hand drifted to his belt. ‘Tova, behind me,’ he commanded, and the dwarf reluctantly obeyed. ‘Stay ready. Sana, slide off the horse on my mark. I won’t be fooled again.’

I strained to see, but nothing about the light looked threatening. It was more like the warm, welcoming candlelight of a home you ached to rest in.

‘Maybe it’s the village you mentioned,’ I whispered. Irsha nodded.

‘It’s possible, but after the lake I don’t trust my eyes,’ he said, slowing the horses.

It took half an hour to cover the final mile of the road. It was dark, with stars blanketing the cloudless sky. An owl’s hoot and the eerie flap of bat wings were the only sounds that broke the silence.

The village revealed itself as we crested a small hill. The thatched cottages, with light glowing in their windows, reminded me of those back home. Life was no different here, despite the divisions between our courts.

‘Do you think they’ll welcome us? Even a barn will do,’ I said, hiding my mask and casting a veil of disinterest. It wouldn’t hold in the cold light of day. Not with my spellcasting skills. But in the dark, I hoped the veil would keep someone from looking too closely.

‘They will be welcoming, even if I have to persuade them.’ Irsha brushed the stray hair from my forehead. ‘Now put that doll face of yours to good use and play the helpless maiden. I really need to sleep in a bed tonight.’

I smacked him on the shoulder, but as soon as we entered the inn, I did exactly that, acting wounded and letting Irsha carry me.

This, and the generous sum of money, convinced the innkeeper his guests needed a decent room, and we only realised he’d given us his own quarters when I found a pair of men’s trousers drying next to the fireplace.

When Tova swore he saw something moving on the bedsheet, we chose the floor. Sandwiched between Irsha’s massive body and a snoring Tova, I struggled to fall asleep. My mind raced over the implications of my oath to the water demigod.

Irsha grumbled when I sat up, his eyes cracking open just enough to check on me.

‘I’m going to the privy,’ I told him, hoping his recent and rather justified paranoia wouldn’t encroach on my private time.

‘If you don’t return quickly, I’m coming out after you,’ he said, turning to the side. ‘Take a dagger with you and your belt.’

I rolled my eyes but picked up one of his long blades before leaving the room. It was a simple tavern, typical for a small village, with a rickety outhouse on the far side of an equally small courtyard.

I stopped by the well and peered inside.

‘Erm… Vodnik?’ I muttered, not sure how this was supposed to work. To ensure the message got delivered, I held my hand over the stone rim and sent a pulse of emerald energy into the well. ‘Anyone here? Answer the Vila’s daughter.’

The water gurgled, the surface churning.

‘What do you need, mage? Be quick.’ The whisper came from the depths, and I exhaled with a smile.

‘Is the Light Fae Niersen Ordo’lan still in his castle?’ I asked.

I didn’t want us to get there only to find it empty, and the Vodnik’s words gave me the idea. After all, he claimed that water everywhere had a spirit.

‘He is. The defiler arrived yesterday. His horse was tired and collapsed by the water. When the fae went to bathe, he smelled rotten. Bannik saw him. The corrupt Aether is affecting him.’

I chuckled, relieved that we hadn’t wasted the journey. Even more amusing was the thought of the bathhouse spirit spying on the naked herald.

Water was indeed everywhere.

‘Tell me about the fae soldiers. Where they are. Is the road to the capital safe?’ If my blood were payment for Vodnik’s help, I might as well use it.

There was silence, the churning water sloshing over the stones. My patience wore thin. The longer I knelt in the courtyard, the greater the chance someone would find me talking to the well.

When the answer eventually came, it was more than I’d expected.

‘The road is clear. The soldiers are marching to the capital, so the castle of the defiler is almost unguarded. If you wish, we shall flood the city. The river will cleanse it from the land.’

‘What? No. Thank you. No flooding required.’ I waved my arms as if the voice in the well could see them. ‘Don’t hurt the innocent. All I needed was information.’