Free Shadows Before the Sun by Kelly Gay Page A

etched with a spiral of symbols from top to bottom. “What is it?”
    “You’re about to enter the land of the sirens, Charlie. They wear no voice-mods like they must in the human world. You might be changing, evolving into a being capable of withstanding their voices like we do, but you’re not there yet, so let’s just play it safe and wear this at all times.” Ah, so here was the Elder’s version of grimwyrd .
    “Wouldn’t want you drooling after every siren who crosses our path,” Sandra quipped.
    I shot her a hard glare. “I’d planned to buy some grimwyrd .”
    Lightwater only chuckled. “Two spirited ones, I’d say. And this is for language.” The Elder came at me with her pointer finger.
    Instinctively, I stepped back. “What are you doing?”
    “She’s making it so you can understand and converse in all languages,” Sandra said with a sigh. “Really, Charlie, try to keep up. It’s a simple syndialexi spell. Relax. Travelers do it all the time.”
    Lightwater gave me a motherly smile. “It won’t hurt a bit.” Her pointer finger pressed against my temple as she muttered words unknown to me. Warmth radiated from her touch and spread through my skin. Gentle and un-intrusive and then it was gone almost as soon as it began.
    “There. Now you may talk and understand.”
    She was close to me, so close I could smell lavender and sage on her skin. “Why are you helping me?”
    Lightwater leaned her hip on the edge of the desk and folded her hands in front of her. “Because I want something in return.”
    Ah, there it is.
    “After you have obtained your goal, set things to right, and have had time to recuperate from your journey, I would ask you to return here to Ithonia and grant me two days.” My eyes narrowed. “To study you. To learn. I will have you answer any question posed to you and demonstrate your gifts to the best of your ability.”
    The cloak I could’ve gotten. The grimwyrd Icould’ve gotten in place of the amulet. The mages to take me into Fiallan, could’ve gotten that, too. The language spell was helpful, but travelers also employed translators. So, Lightwater really hadn’t offered me anything I couldn’t have gotten myself.
    “You give me two days, Charlie Madigan, and I will grant you one marker in return.”
    “A marker,” I repeated.
    “A promise. One. To put all my power, all the knowledge at my disposal, to completing one task, solving one dilemma, or granting a desire you ask. To the best of my ability and as long as it harms none, of course.”
    Sandra let out a low whistle. “Never offered me a marker.”
    Lightwater turned a kind eye to Alessandra. “There is nothing I can offer the oracle that she does not already have. And that which she does not have and desires is unobtainable. This you know.”
    Sandra huffed as I slipped the amulet over my head, deciding to accept the offer. “I accept your terms, as long as the two days I’m here harms none as well.”
    The Elder flashed a grin. “Of course. The deal has been struck.” She moved back to her seat. “Trahern and Brell will take you now.”
    Sandra stood, said her good-byes to the Elder, and then faced me. “Ready?”
    Trahern stepped next to me and curved his hand around my elbow as Brell did the same to Sandra. And then they vanished. I had a half second to seethem blink out before the ground dropped out from under me.
    I’d traveled this way before courtesy of Aaron, so I knew what to expect, but it sure as hell didn’t stop that brief flash of panic as my body dispersed into energy and then re-formed moments later in a new place, feeling about a hundred pounds heavier.
    Yep, I thought. The sensation of going from weightless to weight? Still hated it.

6

    He’d always thought going back into the grid would be a fate worse than death.
    He was wrong.
    Leave it to those fucking old hags to come up with something worse.
    His laugh turned to coughs. He lifted his head a fraction to relieve the hard