A human seer and an elven prince have one thing in common: a missing sister.
Seraiah's dreams have a habit of coming true, but when all her dreams turn into nightmares, she fears for her sister's life. Each nightmare is a little different, but they...
Clouds had built in the sky, and a sharp wind had picked up by the time Seraiah left the castle. There was still another hour or so before the market closed for the day. If she went straight home and started cooking, she could have dinner on the table by the time Papa and Sterling came home.
When she finally arrived home, the house was cold and empty. Seraiah didn't bother taking off her cloak, but instead headed straight for the hearth. Fumbling with the steel and flint, it took a few tries before a spark finally caught. Blowing gently on it, she coaxed the flames to life.
She held out her hands and soaked in the delicious warmth. Slowly, she flexed her ink-stained fingers and hissed in pain as the feeling came back into them.
Once she was satisfied her fingers were working normally, she pulled her cloak off and hung it on a hook by the front door.
Then she got to work.
She hummed to herself and thought about what story she would tell Sterling about the strangers as she assembled the ingredients for dinner—a single carrot that had started to go soft, a few potatoes, a shriveled-looking onion, a handful of dried beans, and a small bundle of dried herbs. It was all that remained of their food stores. She hoped Papa had sold one of his pieces of furniture today, otherwise, they would have to go without until she received her wages three days from now.
Doing the best she could, Seraiah put the ingredients together to make a soup. She was leaning over the pot to give it a stir when someone knocked on the door.
Tap, tap, tap. Three light raps, soft but urgent.
Startled, the ladle slipped from her fingers and hit the floor. She cursed as she bent to pick it up. Whoever was at the door was lucky she hadn't upended the entire thing. Dropping the ladle into a nearby bucket of water, she went to see who it could be at this hour.
"Nissa!" Freya's youngest daughter stood on her doorstep, tears streaming down her face. "What in the world is the matter? Did something happen to your mother?" Seraiah pulled the little girl inside and shut the door.
Nissa's whole body shook as she cried harder.
The feeling of unease she'd woken with that morning came creeping back, but Seraiah shoved it down. She refused to let it poison her thoughts. It was only a dream.
She bent down, so she was eye-level with the girl. "Take a breath. I'm sure whatever it was, it wasn't that bad."
Nissa only shook her head, pulling in gasping breaths.
"Do you think you could tell me what happened?" Seraiah asked, keeping her voice low and soothing.
Nissa continued sucking in ragged breaths, not saying anything.
"Did something happen to your family?"
The girl shook her head and pressed her lips together, looking like she was going to burst into tears again at any second.
"It's Sterling," Nissa finally blurted, and Seraiah's stomach dropped.
She knew what the girl's next words would be before Nissa even said them.
"She is missing."
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