Page 117 of First Ritual
Winona’s lips curved. “Glad to hear it.”
The woman was growing on me. I wished she’d let loose her bun and be the sparkling, caring person I could see she really was from this glimpse of her quarters.
My name was added to the list, and a large question mark appeared beside my weaknesses. My power level was listed.
“We’re best situated to attack in the furthest territory to the northwest, and the closest to the southeast,” spoke a woman. I recognized Josie. Bedwyr’s Josie. No doubt a source of the hostility I’d sensed on arrival.
She was right about which territories to target, and she hadn’t mentioned the obvious choice. From glancing at the map, a person would assume the territories bordering their dominated space made the most sense to attack. That was where Vero had the most novice presence, which lessened the battles they’d need to win before attempting to seize an entire territory. However, when the individuals were considered, that was no longer true. Even though Vero had a third less presence in the furthest northwest territory, they had a better chance of success.
A murmur of assent went up.
“Miss Corentine, any questions?” Winona asked after a further five minutes of locking in the decision.
The patterns of the game were imprinted in my mind. Incomplete, but vibrant. The stirrings of interest I’d felt here and there in the last two weeks burned stronger now. Seized by that force, I approached the map.
I blinked twice to focus my mental vision of my quipu braid and its patterns with the image of the map before me. I held tight to my memory of the threads connecting individuals as I traced along the map with my finger.
The urge to trace my finger disappeared. “Who is here?”
A giggle. A snicker.
“Wild,” Sven answered.
Josie piped up, “You’re telling me you’ve never been to his room?” A guy next to her snorted along with her.
I glanced back. “No. We prefer orgies by the lake.”
Sven choked amid the gasps—and some laughter—from the other magus.
Dismissing Josie’s red-blotched face, I studied the proven room under my finger. Wild.
“Is there something about Wild in that territory that bothers you?” Winona asked.
Yes. What exactly had led my finger to him, though, I couldn’t say. He’d been placed in the southeast territory to defend Fertim’s frontline against Vero. My designated proven room was far from his, in a northwest territory, so we wouldn’t find ourselves in a fight anytime soon. “More is needed first.”
Even I heard the odd floating quality to my voice, similar to what Rooke sounded like when in the midst of her divination stuff.
“Let us know if it comes to you,” Winona said after a beat. “Proven, please assemble in Sage’s quarters after lunch. Everyone will attend the debrief tomorrow morning, as usual. Dismissed.”
Snapping from my stupor, I turned from the map and caught her intense regard.
Winona tapped her bottom lip. “Did the game call to your magic, Miss Corentine?”
It was? “If it was, I wasn’t in control of it.”
“I believe this week of Caves will be rather unlike others.” She winked. “About time.”
29
“You’re not hungry?”
I’d sensed Wild coming and had made sure to pick up a book at random. I’d banished all demon books of interest to the duffel in my quarters as I went so no one caught me with them. “Nope. You’re not either?”
Wild leaned against the low table that ran along the length of the aisle on both sides. Chairs interspersed the table turning the library into a massive study area.
“Thought I’d check on you. You never miss lunch.”
A flicker of humor sparked at his observation. “I like my food. Nothing’s wrong. Just not hungry.”