Dreams of the Forgotten Dead by Eric Asher

Author:Eric Asher
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
Publisher: Eric Asher
Published: 2021-08-07T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY

The Fae wanderer inclined her head to Nixie. “You may call me Oda, if it pleases you.”

Nixie didn’t acknowledge her with a nod, or bow, or any kind of gesture a commoner might have. Instead, she only answered directly. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Oda.” Nixie turned to the rest of us in turn. “This is Damian, Mortal Prince of the Undines. Foster, the Demon Sword, as you astutely observed, and Frank, journeyman of Death’s Door and representative of Atlantis.”

Oda hadn’t shown much of a reaction to anything until Nixie dropped Frank’s title into the conversation. Of course, Frank looked almost as surprised as Oda.

“Sounds like you got a promotion,” I whispered to him.

That drew a raised eyebrow from Oda, but she didn’t respond. Instead, she folded her legs and sank to the ground across from Frank. She didn’t look away from Frank after that, and it was unnerving to watch, as if she thought Frank was the largest threat of any of us.

“If you would purchase my wares, I would tell you much of the world around you.”

“The wastelands?” Frank joined her on the ground.

The Fae cocked her head to the side as if listening to something distant. “Perhaps.”

“I’m interested, but I need to make sure Atlantis is taken care of first. You know, they’ve had a rough go of it, and they’ll be the seat of power for the undines again.”

“Your openness is refreshing.”

Frank sounded entirely normal, and not at all like he was about to negotiate with a cunning Fae. “All cards on the table. That’s how I like to negotiate. I need to strike a deal that’s good for me and my friends, but I want you to be happy with it too. It’s how I do business.”

“Wise of you, journeyman. Have you bartered with the Fae before?”

“Every day.”

It wasn’t a lie, but I had to choke back a laugh, hiding it under a cough as Foster put his hands on his hips.

“Tell me what it is you seek, and I will tell you what I have.”

“I need to know what you want,” Frank said. “If I don’t have anything that catches your eye, we’ll have to find someone else.”

Oda broke eye contact for the first time, looking back toward the wastes. “You would risk much journeying there blind. Perhaps you would like a token that will pierce glamour? I believe most travelers would find that most potent.”

“A seeing stone?” Frank asked. “I thought wanderers had rare goods.”

Oda froze. It wasn’t an insult, but a challenge, and I exchanged a grin with Nixie as we both took a seat beneath the towering oak trees.

“If you speak for Atlantis, I suspect you seek ore for the stone swords,” Oda said. “And if that is what you have come to seek, the forges yet survive. That is invaluable information on its own.”

“Copper imbued with magrasnetto.”

“If that is what you wish to call it. But it will do you little good without the venom of a basilisk.

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