The Curse of the Gift

Part 7

Marian's room was very similar to the prince's, but not as expensive ornamentation and smaller in size. And unlike the prince's room, where the curtains were open and daylight flooded the room, the woman's room was in total darkness.

I couldn't figure out where Marian was right away, but after a few minutes my vision got used to the darkness, and I saw a woman. She was sitting across from the dressing table, doing her hair.

"How's the prince?" Marian didn't even turn in my direction when she started talking. And I continued to stand by the door, not knowing where to put myself.

"When I left, he was falling asleep."

"That's a good thing. He needs to rest now."

The more I talk to this woman, the more questions I have for her. And I still haven't forgotten what happened in the prince's chambers. Wasn't she the reason my hands were thrown into the fiery furnace? And who is she? And why did everyone in this castle, except the king, dislike her? It was clear enough with Ryan. He doesn't like people at all, and given that there was most likely a relationship between them, and somehow I'm sure she was the one who left first, his dislike is understandable. But everyone else...

And I still don't fully understand Alan's attitude toward her. Most of his wariness has to do with the fact that he wants to protect the prince. But were there other reasons?

While I racked my mind with questions, Marian had finished her procedures on her hair, and now she turned toward me and looked intently in my direction.

"If you want to ask me a question, go ahead," the woman rose from her seat and headed in my direction. "I don't like to beat around the bush."

"Who are you?" I didn't want to test my patience or hers, either, and got right to the point. "A healer?"

Marian looked at me with a sort of disbelief, even surprise.

"You don't know who I am?"

"Should I?"

Marian smiled and folded her arms across her chest as she turned and headed toward the window. Then she yanked the curtains aside, which made me squeeze my eyes shut because the harsh light hurt my eyes.

"You're not from Deles, are you?"

Not really sure what that had to do with the fact that I didn't know her.

"No. So what?"

The woman stood with her back to me for another minute, staring silently into the horizon, where the sun was beginning to set, turning the sky bright orange and gold.

"Do you know who the Eyres are?" Marian said the last word in an almost whisper.

"Of course I do. They are women born with a special gift that allows them to heal people with just a touch." I sounded like something out of a book. But that's what my grandmother told me. "But as far as I know, there are no more of them left. Before I was born, they were all captured and killed, and hunted for years afterward."

Marian turned to face me, and now her eyes were full of grief. I was a little frightened, because I didn't know if my words had upset her or not.

"You're right," the woman sighed heavily, and she sat down in the chair beside the dressing table, as if someone had put iron fetters on her. "But not all of them. I'm one of the last."

***

It took me a few seconds to comprehend her words. And when they slowly began to make sense to me, I had to lean against the doorjamb to keep my balance.

"What... who..." I didn't know why, but I had trouble finding the words. I was also afraid to say "Eyres" out loud. When I was a little girl, people used to scare me with stories about them, and how if I met even one, I'd be executed. And the local kids loved to scare everyone who came to our island, because legend has it that my island, Astara, was the birthplace of the First of the Eyres.