Weaver's Curse

Kaedwyn found herself walking off her meal with her companions with her friends. They were currently strolling in front of a shop front, pointing at some of the oddities in the windows.

A woman who wore her platinum blonde hair in a long braid stood in front of a shop noticed them, and waved them over.

“Hello, are you travelers?” she asked in a friendly way that reminded Kaedwyn of Allie.

“Yes,” Allie said, in an equally friendly tone.

“Ah, I thought so!” the woman said. “I’m Lace of the Verity Coven. Care to step inside our shop and take a look? Perhaps get your fortunes told?”

A coven? It’s been a while since I’ve seen one.

Of course, I’ve done my best to stay away from witches so my pursuers will stop assuming I am one.

“Sure!” Allie said.

Lace’s gaze fell on Isaan, and her eyes went wide.

"Oh my." She breathed. “That is... quite the curse!”

“Curse?!” Allie said, more loudly than Kaedwyn thought felt safe.

“We’ll talk about that later.” Kaedwyn said, hushing her. She turned to Lace. “We’ll come in.”

“Yes, excellent,” Lace said, her worried gaze still on Isaan.

She ushered the four of them in and sat them down in a curtained off room full of sofas.

“Are you alright with everyone else knowing?” Kaedwyn asked Isaan quietly.

“I don’t think it’s anything to be ashamed of.” He said.

“I can’t tell the true nature of your curse due to my power’s limitations,” Lace said, leaning closer to Isaan. “But I can tell that the magic on you is strong, and not liable to wear off for years. Maybe not even within your lifetime.”

Isaan’s face fell.

“But,” Lace continued. “this is going to sound strange, but I don’t think it’s exactly a malevolent curse. I don’t feel that kind of energy from it.”

“I’m sorry, but how can a curse not be malevolent?” Kaedwyn said, glaring at the woman.

“It happens occasionally. For instance, the caster could have been hired to give the curse as a punishment from someone else.” Lace explained.

“Hm.” Isaan muttered, frowning.

Does it have something to do with that person he told me about, Deled?

“You also have a second spell on you.” Lace said. “Not a curse.”

“I do?” Isaan asked.

“Yes.” Lace confirmed. “It’s on the back of your neck.”

She gave him a hand-mirror that he used to examine a pyramid of three dots on the back of his neck.

“Can you tell me what it does?” Isaan asked her.

“If you will allow me to touch it, I may be able to.” Lace said.

He nodded his consent, and Lace gently laid her palm against the back of her neck.

“It feels like a binding spell.” Lace reported. “It binds you to two others, and they to you, though the bond is now weak.”

Probably because of his curse, Kaedwyn noted.

Isaan met her eyes. “Do you think the bindings are related to the person I’m supposed to be finding?”

“Probably.” Kaedwyn said.

“Can you discern anything about those I’m tied to?” Isaan asked Lace.

She closed her eyes. “Only that they are both still alive.”

“Thank you.” Isaan said softly. “You’ve helped me a lot.”

“You’re welcome.” Lace said. “Does anyone else want a reading? I’ll do it for free since I just had to deliver so much bad news. It probably won’t be as intense as his.”

“Sure.” Allie said.

Lace took one of Allie’s hands and rubbed it gently between her own.

“You... carry a secret.” Lace said. “One that you aren’t worried about escaping.”

“So not a particularly dangerous one?” Kaedwyn said.

“I suppose so.” Lace said. “You are a bright person, though that light has been forced to burn dimly for a long time.”

Allie withdrew her hand, and Kaedwyn could have sworn she looked a little sad.

“Thanks.” She said, mustering a smile.

“My turn.” Toby said.

Lace clasped his hand like she’d done Allie’s.

“You fear few things, but you are terrified of cages.” She murmured. “You hold information that you do not choose to share with others.”

“Ooh nice and cryptic.” Toby said. “Thanks.”

“Your turn, Kaedwyn.” Allie said, nudging her.

“Ugh, fine.” Kaedwyn said, offering her hand to the witch.

Lace’s hands were soft and cool against hers.

“Your blood is ancient and powerful...” Lace said. “It is a power that is not yours to wield.”

Wow thanks, as if I didn’t already know that, Kaedwyn thought irritated. The statement resurfaced old bitterness that she thought she’d buried long ago.

She was always wrong about that.

“You hold a different power within you. And you are being pursued over a falsehood.” Lace said.

Her eyes rolled back in her head, causing Kaedwyn to jump.

“They will continue to follow you. From Selah to Reganne, from Zircon to Loann, and back to Telare. This fate was decided for you before your very birth, and your questions will find their answer in the tallest of Jethro’s Peaks on the night that the sun and moon share the sky between them.”

Her eyes snapped back into the correct place, and she slumped back on the sofa.

“Oh dear, I did it again,” she sighed. “Did I at least say something useful?”

“Actually, yes.” Kaedwyn said. “Sort of.”

“Oh good.” Lace sighed. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to excuse me.”

She rose, and wobbled out of the room.

“What was that supposed to mean?” Allie asked, looking to Kaedwyn.

She shrugged. “That I’m going to have to go to the mountains to figure out who keeps trying to kidnap me?”

“There’s someone trying to kidnap you?!” Allie said.

“Yes.” Kaedwyn said quietly. “They’ve succeeded in capturing me a few times, but I’ve always managed to escape.”

“How long has this been going on?” Toby asked.

“Hm. Six years or so?”

“Sheesh.” Toby said.

“Why are they after you?” Isaan said.

“I don’t know. The only reason I’ve gotten them to tell me was ‘because you’re a witch’. Which, by the way, I am not.” Kaedwyn said.

I wish I were one.

How many problems would having inherited my mother’s gift have solved for me?

Toby cocked his head. “Are they mistaking you for someone else?”

“I don’t think so. A few years ago, one of them slipped up and called me by name.”

“What a mess.” Allie said, looking at her sympathetically.

Right?

“If you want to find out who’s behind it, I’ll come with you.” Isaan said. “You said we’d have to go through those mountains to get to Telare anyway.”

“I don’t think it would hurt to have backup.” Toby said thoughtfully.

“If you’ll have me, I’ll come too.” Allie offered.

Maybe I won’t be in this alone anymore.