The Guild of the Cowry Catchers, Book 1: Embers

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  “Thess, how does the Priestess know things?”

  Thessalyn stopped her tactile exploration of their new home. “What do you mean?”

  “Her wyvern probably saved my life last night.” Gerard had already told Thessalyn about the fight. “It happened so fast, yet she seemed to have sent the wyvern.”

  “Perhaps the gods have been watching over you,” suggested Thessalyn.

  Gerard had thought of that. It made his skin crawl. “But,” he persisted, “she knew things about the fight when we arrived in her Sanctum. I don’t see how even a wyvern could have gotten there ahead of us.” He hesitated. “And yet, she doesn’t know everything. She didn’t know what I’d done with the prisoners or what they’d said to me.”

  “She is a goddess, love,” said Thessalyn, “a servant of the Firebird. She may have once been a grishnard like you or me, but now she is something more, something different. Perhaps the Firebird himself speaks to her. Who can say?”

  The Firebird. That reminded him of something. “I dreamed of him last night.”

  Thessalyn looked interested. She believed in dreams. “Did he speak to you?”

  “Yes…” The details were coming back. “He came to me on a beach on a dark night. He said…” What did he say? That I was brave? That he loved me? No, he didn’t actually say any of that. “‘Mine.’ He touched my forehead with his beak and said, ‘Mine.’”

  Thessalyn smiled. “I told you, Gerard: you are good. The light claims you.”

  Gerard shook his head. It was the darkness, he thought. The darkness was trying to claim me. Who won? Did I keep that golden feather? He couldn’t remember.