“Will I lose the memory?” It could be something she’d alwayswanted to do without, like the sounds of her childhood friends being lashed forsneaking onto her land to play.
“No, you don’t need to fear that.”
Pity, though she couldn’t go giving parts of herself away, shesupposed. She thought of the first time she’d looked into Thana’s face and hadseen how a stranger could worry for her, how someone could extend a hand whilewanting nothing in return.
“Got it?”
“Oh yes.” She tightened her grip on Thana.
“Good. Hold on to it and follow me.”
Sylph observed as Thana’s power flowed through the mind pyramidand from there to glide along the web, weaving strands of gold over it, throughit. She guided Sylph next, and as Sylph kept the memory at the forefront of hermind, she felt a little pull all over her body, a sensation she fought throughlike a serpent shedding its skin.
Afterward, the trap seemed more tapestry than web. The magicfaded, and she opened her eyes to Thana’s smiling face.
“Now only we can set it off, and only if we’re recalling those memorieswhen we approach.”
Sylph couldn’t resist kissing her. “I thought of you.”
Another blush appeared. “I thought of you, too.” And by hersmile, it seemed to be a happy memory. Sylph was tempted to ask, but dependingon the answer, she might crave another kiss. Or something more and Thana wouldeither have to deny her or embarrass them both before their prince.
Thana licked her lips as if reading Sylph’s mind or perhaps herexpression. Before either of them could begin embarrassing the other, she called,“Dina, you can get the pyramid.”
Prince Gunnar didn’t bother to argue that he could do it. Even inhis Order, everyone seemed to recognize that his life was too important to riskwhen there were others who were willing.
* * *
“Well, this was certainly worth all the trouble,” Dina said asshe surveyed the items from the trapped tent. After Thana had implored her totake care with the trap pyramid, she’d chucked it far into the trees where ithad shattered unceremoniously. She’d given Thana a look that asked if she wassatisfied.
Thana had restrained herself to muttering, “Here’s to beingunappreciated in my time.” What she and Sylph had done had been glorious,beyond noteworthy, though she was going to document the whole experience whenshe got…
Home?
Who knew when that would be, if ever? She tried to push it fromher mind. It fell into the category of futures to be on the lookout for ratherthan futures to be pondered. She would write about it when she could, and thatwould have to suffice.
She turned her attention to the articles Dina had found in thetent. She’d gone through everything twice, even feeling along the tent’s seams,but it held little more than shovels, picks, and other digging apparatus likelanterns and rope. There was also a map of the surrounding area with a fewindiscernible markings. Thana only recognized the wall around the palace andthe edge of Marienne.
Gunnar studied it now, biting his thumbnail. “Do you think theywere trying to dig under the palace wall?” Dina asked as she looked over hisshoulder.
He shook his head. Thana went back to looking at the equipmentwith Sylph, who seemed more mystified by it than the rest of them.
“This is all for digging, what, a hole?” Sylph asked.
Thana shrugged. “Maybe, though the picks could mean they had moresubstantial work to do, like mining or making a well or a tunnel.”
Sylph tilted her head. “You could have just said, a very stubbornhole.” She glanced at Thana from the side of her eye, a small smile in place.
“Yes, all right,” Thana said with a grin. “A stubborn hole for astubborn person.”
“But look.” Sylph kneeled and touched the tip of one shovel.“This dirt seems fresh.” She touched the others. “Compared to what mars theother tools.”
Thana opened her mouth to make a joke about a lady being anexpert on different types of earth, but then she remembered Sylph’s power. Ifanyone was an expert, it was the woman who could commune with the ground.
Sylph slipped a hand into the pocket where she kept her pyramid.“It’s dark like the soil in this forest.” Her eyes took on the unfocused lookof someone using a pyramid. “I sense a void.” She held her free hand over theground where the tent had stood, and a small square of earth parted like water,bringing a piece of leather into the light.
“Spirits above,” Thana said, watching in awe as Sylph took theleather and revealed a slim book wrapped within.
Sylph presented it to Gunnar without ceremony, as if sheaccomplished amazing feats every day. Which she did, but Gunnar clearly wasn’tused to it if his dropped jaw was any indication. By the spirits, Thana wasn’tused to it, either, and she’d seen that fantastic power again and again. Shehad to restrain herself from imploring Sylph to embrace this power, to promiseshe would never forsake it.
Her choice, Thana reminded herself. It was up to Sylph to embraceor ignore it. Even if it made Thana writhe in envy or want to shake Sylph untilher teeth rattled.
Her. Choice.
“Nice,” Dina said, nodding.
Thana turned slowly. “Is that all you have to say?”
She blinked. “And impressive?”
“Is that a question?” Her ire rose now that her frustration had atarget other than Sylph’s stubborn refusal to accept a gift from the tenspirits.
Sylph put a hand on her arm and smiled. “There’s no need to beangry. I’m not offended. It was a compliment.”
“See?” Dina asked, smiling wryly.
“I just…never mind,” Thana said, beyond belief at the pair ofthem. “Gun, what’s in the book?”
“I’m not sure.”
She read over his shoulder. It looked like a journal written in atidy hand, but the words were fragmented, as if the writer noted their thoughtsas they’d had them and hadn’t bothered to explain.
“Five spirits, doubled,” one entry read. “The ten spirits?Relatives?” This was accompanied by a crude sketch of a person with somethingbulky surrounding them, like heaps
