“My apologies for startling you. I saw your interest in the plant and thought I should make my introductions. We rarely have such lovely strangers visiting our desert.” He grinned, revealing extremely white teeth not affected by age or decay. “My name is Aberforth, and you are?”
“You may call me Sabine,” she said, tilting her head in greeting.
“Ah, Sabine. Lovely name,” he murmured, closing the distance between them until only the plant separated them. “The leaves of this plant can be boiled down and the fibers extracted for all different purposes. The desert tribes use them to make rope or even clothing. The fruit, on the other hand, is quite tasty. If you find yourself wandering the desert, they can be a good source of food and even water.”
She frowned, noting he didn’t include himself as a desert tribesman. She had the suspicion it wasn’t an accidental omission. “My companions told me some desert plants contain water. Is this one of them?”
“Yes, but not like you might expect,” the man said and knelt to deftly pluck one of the purple fruits from its thorny cage. He tore it open, bit off half, and swallowed. He offered the other half of the fruit to Sabine.
She accepted and turned it around to study the purplish fruit. The inside was a bright pink, while the center of it was a deep, almost red color. Raising it her nose, she inhaled and was mildly surprised at the sweet floral scent. She might be wary of this stranger, but she knew the fruit was safe to eat.
Sabine took a bite, and her eyes widened. It was far more refreshing and juicier than she’d expected. She felt her magic surge to the surface, the moisture helping to replenish her dwindling supply. The fruit contained power.
The man grinned and finished off his piece. “Good, eh?”
Sabine wiped the juice from her chin. “Very. I can understand why you call it a Lifegiver Brittlebush. It’s mostly water.”
The man nodded and held up a finger as though giving her a lesson. “Indeed, but the plant does far more. Sometimes you will find it near an oasis. Other times, it grows in areas where water is hidden. Either way, you will find water nearby anytime you discover a Lifegiver.”
Sabine arched her brow and studied the plant’s leaves again, remembering the magical Faerie water they’d discovered. The silver veins threading through the plant could be a sign it had ties to her people. She wouldn’t know unless she accessed her dormant memories, and it was too risky around a stranger. There might be another source of Faerie magic around here, which was why the fruit had helped replenish her power. “When you mentioned hidden water, are you referring to something like an underground spring?”
His gaze sharpened on her. “Yes. Have you found an underground spring?”
“Far north of here and rather by accident,” she replied, once again feeling uneasy by this man’s scrutiny. She glanced over and saw Gina and Nallia were already at the oasis. “I should probably join my companions.”
“Indulge an old man for another moment if you will,” Aberforth said, edging closer to her.
Sabine froze, aware he was intently studying her ears. She mentally kicked herself for not hiding them when they had arrived. She hadn’t planned on encountering anyone other than the troupe until Ryley indicated whether they’d be staying.
“You’re not human.”
Sabine straightened and inclined her head. The Fae might not be able to lie, but she could skirt the truth. “Only a rare few can claim to be purely human anymore.”
“Very true,” Aberforth said in agreement and gestured at a large rock formation a short distance away. “Before you rejoin your friends, will you take a short walk to those rocks with me? I wish to show you something.”
He gripped his walking stick tightly and headed toward the rock formation without waiting for a response or checking to see if she was following him. She glanced toward the oasis, but no one was paying them any attention. With a frown, she turned to follow behind the unusual man. If necessary, she could handle herself. But if this man could lead her to information about the missing Merfolk woman, she needed to find out.
Aberforth walked to a large orangish rock formation jutting out of the ground. It was an imposing landmark that offered a bit of shade. On the side of the rock surface, different pictures had been carved out and then darkened with some material, possibly charcoal.
Aberforth turned to face her. “Tell me what you see.”
Sabine frowned and moved closer to study the carvings. On the surface, most of the lines appeared to be abstract squiggles, but as she approached, she realized that wasn’t the case. The patterns appeared to tell a story, one with people and fish.
She cocked her head and pointed to three curved lines in an up and down slant. “Do these lines represent the ocean? They remind me of waves.”
“Very good.” Aberforth nodded. “What else?”
Her frown deepened as she tried to follow the story depicted by the images. “I see fish in the water and people on land. The people are catching the fish, perhaps to eat?” She moved to study the next set of images. These appeared to be mostly land images, while the earlier ones represented the sea. One of them showed the fish and the people with waves over top of them. Underneath were more squiggles in a spiral pattern she couldn’t identify. They were vaguely familiar.
She reached out and brushed her fingers over them. “I don’t know what these symbols represent.”
“The purification of fire,” Aberforth said, and she jumped. The elderly man’s ability to move silently was unnerving. She’d never known humans to possess such a trait.
She took a step away from him, wanting to keep some distance between them. “Purification of fire? You mean like the burning festival in Karga?”
“A corrupted and stolen ritual,” Aberforth said with no small measure of disgust. He brought his walking stick down hard on the ground. Without another word, he headed around the outcropping.
Sabine frowned and followed him. “What do you mean about it being a stolen ritual?”
Aberforth didn’t answer. He gestured toward the next set of images and leaned against his walking stick. Sabine narrowed her eyes at him, but he merely arched his brow and continued to wait. This man reminded her of the Faerie Elders with his cryptic words and lack of cooperation. He wanted her to know something, but she’d have to figure it out on her own.
Frustrated, she scowled and tried to focus on the carvings. The fire symbol he’d pointed out was in the center of this side. The people were standing on land on one side of the fire while the water and fish were on the opposite side. Underneath the fire was a person holding a fish, but they were lying on their side rather than standing upright like the others. It almost appeared like they were sleeping.
“The people are on land, and the fish are back in the water.” Her eyes widened, and she straightened. “This describes a ritual. You’re saying Karga stole this fire ritual from the desert tribes?”
“There is one more thing you need to see,” Aberforth said and walked to the far side of the rock formation. Sabine blew out a breath, but she was too caught up in the mystery to abandon it now.
Aberforth halted beside part of the rock formation that was jagged compared to the smooth surfaces where the carvings were located. It almost looked like something had split open the rock, allowing her to see what was hidden within.
She gasped at the sight of large bones sticking out from the sand where the rock had broken. Kneeling beside the bones, she reached out to touch one of them. A frisson of excitement flowed through her, and she knew without asking that this creature had never stepped foot on land. “These are from the sea. How is this possible?”
“Your ears mark you as Fae,” Aberforth said, his penetrating gaze scanning her up and down. “Yet you would ask this?”
Sabine slowly rose, wary of his accusation. It wasn’t the first time she’d been questioned about her origins. “Many people have pointed ears. It only indicates Fae heritage, no matter how distant.”
Aberf
orth smirked. “Do you deny you’re Fae?”
“Who can say what is the truth or a lie?” Sabine shrugged, pretending the question didn’t bother her. She was getting a little too close to revealing herself. “I’ve never met anyone who could name the origins of every person in their family tree.”
“Very well. You may keep your secrets for now.” Aberforth chuckled and gestured toward the expanse of desert around them. “Our world was once very different, including this place. It wasn’t only the Fae who abandoned their lands during the Dragon Wars. What do you think was once here, child?”
Sabine frowned. “Are you suggesting this land was once part of the ocean?”
Aberforth shrugged. “I make no suggestions. I simply encourage you to observe and draw your own conclusions.”
Sabine turned back toward the bones. The only logical conclusion was this area once belonged to the sea. It explained the sand, which reminded her of the nearby beaches. The bones couldn’t belong to anything other than a sea creature. Even the images carved on the face of the rock formation indicated a relationship between the land and the sea.
“What do you know of the Merfolk, Aberforth?”
“Ah,” Aberforth murmured and gave her an approving nod. “Did you know they refer to themselves as the True Folk? What makes them True, I wonder? Who started calling them Merfolk?”
Sabine’s brow furrowed. “I don’t know.”
“A wise answer.” Aberforth grinned and gestured again at the desert. “The Lifegiver plant you saw earlier is one of the treasured secrets of the desert. It’s one of the few things still remaining from the time before the desert tribes settled here. There are many other such secrets hidden, waiting to be unlocked. Perhaps you should take a walk and see what you can discover.”
She frowned, guessing she wouldn’t get any other information out of him. The Faerie Elders used to do the same thing. They would talk in riddles until she managed to find her own answers. She’d grown up being reminded the journey was the most important part of the lesson. “All right. Can you at least tell me which way I should go?”
Aberforth inclined his head and pointed toward the west. “Do you see that rock formation?”
Sabine looked in the direction he indicated and could barely make out the rocky outcropping. It was at least a twenty- or thirty-minute walk away. “Are there more carvings there?”
“Indeed, and beyond too. You may want to take a look. Perhaps you’ll find the answers you seek. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I should return to the oasis while the day is still warm. The sun is rather unforgiving to these old bones.”
Sabine nodded and watched him depart. When he was gone, she walked back around the rocky outcropping to view the carvings again. Aberforth hadn’t blinked when she’d asked about the Merfolk, and few people knew they referred to themselves as the True Folk. Sabine ran her fingertips along the carved images, debating the possible meanings.
“I don’t know if I like him. He’s not fully human, but I can’t tell what he is,” Blossom said as she landed on Sabine’s shoulder. “Why do you think he wanted to show this to you?”
Sabine bit her lip and traced the image of the fish. “I’m not sure, but I’m wondering if there’s some connection between the Merfolk and this area. Aberforth said the burning festival was a stolen and corrupted ritual. What if it’s tied to the Merfolk?”
“Want me to ask the goddess?”
Sabine hesitated. “I’m not sure we should ask her for any favors. I don’t feel her right now, and I’d rather not encourage more interference.”
Blossom nodded and flew over to look at the images. “These look like dead people and fish.”
Sabine walked closer to view the carving where the person and fish were lying on their side under the fire. “That was my thought too. Everyone else is upright, except for them. Perhaps they were burned alive? Like in the burning festival?”
Blossom wrinkled her nose. “Ewwww.”
“I agree,” Sabine said and pointed at the other outcropping Aberforth had pointed out. “There are some more carvings over there. I’d like to check them out before it gets dark. It might explain a few more things or give us some insight about the Merfolk.”
“Should we tell Malek so he can come too?”
Sabine hesitated and then shook her head. The sun would be setting in the next hour or so. She wasn’t inclined to go far without letting Malek know, but he’d be able to sense her location with their modified mark. “No. It’s not far, and he’s busy helping Tobbin. We have some time before Gina and the others are finished at the oasis. We can take a quick peek at the next rock formation and then head back. If we discover anything, we can fill him in when we return. If we lose too much daylight, we might miss something.”
Blossom flew back onto her shoulder. “It’ll be an adventure!”
“Not much of one,” Sabine said with a smile. “We’re only going to look at the next set of rocks. I’m not inclined to go exploring the desert without more supplies, but I have enough water with us for a short walk, and we can always find more.”
Sabine adjusted the bag over her shoulder and walked in the direction of the outcropping. Glancing at Blossom, she asked, “What made you think Aberforth wasn’t fully human? He reminded me of the Faerie Elders, but he’s not Fae.”
“He smelled weird.” Blossom wrinkled her nose. “It was like he was wearing glamour, but it’s not as good as yours.”
Sabine frowned. “Could he be lesser Fae, maybe?”
“Maybe, or something else I’ve never met.” Blossom shrugged.
Sabine fell silent for a while, considering other possibilities. “What if he’s one of the Merfolk? Only in human form? He spoke of the desert tribes as though he wasn’t one of them.”
Blossom rubbed her nose. “He didn’t smell fishy. The other guy smelled like fish.”
Sabine laughed. “True, but maybe he didn’t smell the same because he was in human form. Ilwan never changed forms in front of us.”
“You always smell like flowers and the forest,” Blossom replied. “It doesn’t matter if you look like a human.”
Sabine arched her brow. She hadn’t been aware she smelled like flowers to the pixies. Interesting. Maybe it was part of the reason why they were drawn to the Fae. “How many of the Merfolk have you met? Could you say with certainty he wasn’t one?”
“I guess not. I only met the one,” Blossom muttered and then perked up. “If you don’t want to ask the goddess, I could try contacting my clan. Think we can find more flowers?”
Sabine frowned, glancing around at the expanse of sand and rocks around them. “I didn’t think you could contact them with desert flowers.”
“If we find more Faerie flowers, I can!”
Sabine smiled. “We’ll keep an eye out, but I wouldn’t count on it. When we get back to the oasis, maybe we can talk to Aberforth again. He might drop a few more clues about his identity.”
“Oh, look! Plants!” Blossom flew off Sabine’s shoulder and zipped down the hill. Sabine followed her, making her way a bit more carefully. Tripping and twisting an ankle wouldn’t be ideal, especially not this far away from the encampment.
“That’s another one of the Lifegiver plants,” Sabine said, glancing around the area, but she didn’t see any water. “Aberforth said they grew around sources of water. There may be an underground spring nearby or even the same one fueling the oasis. I’m not sure how far away they can grow.”
After crouching beside the plant, she ran her fingers along the spiny leaves. This one had more fruit than the last one, and she used her knife to carefully remove one of them without damaging the stalk. Cutting it open, she said, “You should try this, Blossom. I don’t know if you’ll be able to contact your family with it, but you’ll like the taste. There’s magic in the fruit.”
Blossom landed on her hand and sniffed at it. “Nope. Can’t contact them.” She took a small bite, and her eyes widened. “Yum! I like it. It packs a bit of
a punch.”
“Good. I’ll bring a few more with me for us to eat later.” Sabine placed part of the fruit on the ground so Blossom could finish it off. Using her knife, she cut off a couple more fruits from the stalks and placed them carefully in her bag so they wouldn’t get crushed. Blossom didn’t require much sustenance, but she always fared better with a variety of different food choices.
When she finished, Sabine picked up her bag again and continued walking. The rocky outcropping was much closer now, but she was still too far away to see if it contained the same type of images. The sun was beginning to slip past the horizon, an indication she needed to hurry. She could always generate a light source with her magic, but it was too risky out here with the desert tribes.
“Oh! I see more of those plants,” Blossom said and pointed toward their destination.
“You’re right,” Sabine said in surprise. Dozens of the spiny Lifegiver plants surrounded the rock formation, their distinctive purple fruits acting as beacons. She walked a little faster, anxious to reach the rocks before the sun disappeared. By the time she arrived, she was slightly out of breath. It had been farther than she’d thought.
Blossom flew off her shoulder to investigate the nearby plants. In addition to the Lifegiver, there were several others Sabine didn’t recognize. Some of them had flowers, their blossoms both exotic and appealing as they filled the air with their sweet perfumes.
Sabine put down her bag and approached the stone formation. She could make out a few marks, but they hadn’t been darkened like the previous ones. She squinted, but they were barely visible. “I don’t think these are pictures. It almost looks like letters have been carved onto the surface.”
“Can you read them?”
By Blood and Magic Page 25
