Inkmistress (Of Fire and Stars 0.5)(49)

“I’m Asra,” I said, standing up straighter, trying not to worry about what else Hal had brought back with him in the past. Did she mean other things? Or other people? The thought sent a prickle of jealousy through me. It had felt special to be let in here, to meet the people he was closest to.

Her gaze didn’t waver as she waited for further explanation. Fortunately, Hal cut in.

“After the attack in Valenko, the two of us got caught. Asra helped me escape, but I got sick after overextending myself tricking the guardsmen into setting us free.”

“You shouldn’t take risks like that,” she scolded him. I could tell it wasn’t the first time they’d had the conversation.

“Asra dosed the guardsmen with something and it’s the only reason they didn’t come after us. She could have left me after I got sick, but took care of me instead.” Hal was clearly playing up what I’d done to ingratiate me to Nismae, but she didn’t seem particularly moved.

“I’m an herbalist,” I added. If nothing else, she should appreciate the knowledge I’d shared with her medics and craftspeople.

“I knew one of those in Corovja,” Nismae said. Her dark tone of voice did not invite questions.

“Actually, Asra was the one who asked to come to you,” Hal said. Then, lowering the pitch of his voice, “She’s a demi, like me.”

A spark of interest finally lit in Nismae’s eyes. “You always manage to bring home the most interesting souvenirs from your misadventures.” She turned back to me. “Let’s talk about it at my table.”

Everyone parted as she moved toward a table in the corner. Hal gestured at me to follow. I did so reluctantly. What did Nismae mean by “interesting souvenirs”? Maybe Nismae saw me as another useful magical object, like her stolen prize of the crown. The thought made my tension rise further. Still, I wanted to impress her if I could. Getting her help to find the Fatestone depended on it, and I needed it to change the past to save my village. I took a seat at the table, trying not to let my uncertainty show.

“Tea?” Hal asked me.

“Yes, please,” I said. He poured Nismae a cup without asking her, and then filled mine. The strong aroma of bergamot wafted from our earthenware mugs.

“Your cuffs,” I said tentatively. “What are they?” I couldn’t figure out why they looked so empty in my Sight.

She raised an eyebrow, impressed. “They neutralize magic,” she said. “Helpful when working with volatile energies. Even more useful if something magical and unpleasant is attacking.”

“She won them in a game of dice in Kartasha,” Hal added.

“How did you know they were something beyond ordinary?” she asked, intrigued.

“I have the Sight. I can see magic more clearly than most.”

“Perhaps we can put your skills to use,” Nismae said. “What can you do besides keep my brother out of trouble?”

I glanced at Hal, nervous about what might constitute “useful” by Nismae’s definition. Hal gave me an encouraging look. I took a deep breath. She already knew Hal and I were demigods, so what else did I have to lose?

“I can infuse tinctures with magic to make them more powerful.” I thought of Kaja. “And I didn’t know it until recently, but I can draw magic from other beings and repurpose it for healing or growth.” I thought back to how I’d pulled Leozoar apart. How easy it had been. How powerful it had made me feel and how some of that energy had lingered all the way until I gave the last of the magic to Kaja. I twisted my mug in my hands.

“Fascinating,” Nismae said. She looked at me as though she could dissect and examine all the ways I worked.

“There might be some other things,” I mumbled. I could destroy a village. Make a dragon. Create a flood that killed thousands.

The memories burned like brands.

“Asra is still exploring her powers,” Hal said.

“I haven’t had much training in anything beyond herbalism. I don’t have any family, and I don’t know who my parents are,” I admitted. The farther I got from home in search of answers, the clearer it became that I knew very little about myself or anything else.

“Well, we Nightswifts care for our own,” Nismae said. “Perhaps you’d like to join our family, learn the art of our trade, and exchange a bit of work for information that might help you discover the full range of your gifts? My research into those like you and my brother has been substantial, if not my primary focus. It sounds like you have skills that could be useful to us, especially with further development.”

My stomach dropped as I tried to match her sharp gaze. Become an assassin? Of course an herbalist’s knowledge included poisons and their antidotes, weapons like nightshade powder . . . but I couldn’t. I had never wanted to hurt anyone.

“I don’t think I could do that,” I said. All I’d ever wanted was a quiet life as part of a community. I wanted a family, and to know I belonged, but not with those who dealt in death.

“Don’t pressure Asra,” Hal said.

“I’m not. I only take those who join out of loyalty and passion, not those who are coerced. Though she may regret turning down the opportunity, given what I’ve brought back from my latest excursion,” Nismae said, a sly grin on her face. “I finally have what I need to take care of my unfinished business in Corovja.”