Heart of the Huntress (The Chronicles of Teneria Book 1) by Aimee Irving

Author:Aimee Irving [Irving, Aimee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blue Stag Press
Published: 2021-09-06T23:00:00+00:00

TWENTY FOUR

Oda drew her blade at the sight of the hawk tattoo upon Inari’s chest. “It’s identical.” She levelled the sword at the shaman’s throat.

Inari tensed, the blade kissing his neck.

“The only difference is the one on Brighde’s chest is upside down,” Tristan said. “You knew. Hence why you stalled.”

“Put that sword away!” Silas bellowed. “I will not have any bloodshed in the House of the Divines.”

Oda stared at the high priest for a long moment, clearly reluctant to obey.

“Lower your weapon, guard.” Silas placed a hand on her arm.

“I was sent here to protect you all. Forgive me if I do not comply. I am just doing my duty.”

Silas let out a long-drawn sigh. “Then you had best speak candidly, shaman. What is the meaning of this?”

“I do not know,” Inari said.

“How convenient.” Tristan sneered.

“Is it?”

“It is an awfully strange coincidence,” Silas said, “for you to bear the exact same marking.”

“It certainly is. And it is just that. A coincidence.” Inari glanced towards Aloisia again, willing her to say something. Still, she remained silent.

“If it is a map to the one who cast it, if the map is leading to the hawk…” Tristan pointed to the shaman. “How do we know it isn’t leading to you?”

“Until I set foot in this room, you did not identify it as a map.” The shaman retreated from Oda, swiping a palm down his face. “Why would I give such information if it were leading to me? When I have seen the similarity between the hawks. Why would I do any of this if I were the one who cast it?”

“Unless you needed access to the body,” Oda said.

“And I came here before you all to gain access to it? Asked the judiciaries to grant me entry, offered to help in translating the curse here? If I had cast this spell, if I had been powerful enough to have done so, I would not need permission to enter here. I would not be asking.”

“He’s speaking sense,” Aloisia said.

None seemed to hear her but Inari.

“Thus far,” Tristan said, “you are the only one near Littlewatch who practices magic. How are we to discern what kind of magic it is? Beyond what you tell us, of course.”

“I told you I do not practice this magic,” Inari said.

“And how do we know you aren’t lying?”

Inari breathed an incredulous laugh. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? It’s almost too easy. After all, if I were the culprit, it would mean Fynn was innocent. He would walk free, and I would be the one to hang.”

Aloisia winced. “Stop!”

They all turned their questioning gazes to her.

“Can’t you see he is at least speaking sense?”

Tristan stepped back as if he had been struck. “You can’t be serious.”

“I’m very serious. He didn’t have to come here, to help. If he had cast this spell, if he were in control of the Forgotten Gods, he wouldn’t have to come here to gain access to Brighde. He would only need to order them to collect her, and they would.

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