because of the prophecy about the redheads.»
«What was the prophecy?» Fiona only now noticed that one blue morialla was perched imposingly on top of the flooded fireplace.
«She’s not a spy,» Rokuela nodded at the bird. «So, about the redheads… It is a delicate subject! There is a prophecy that the Sultanit’s dynasty will be massacred by a single ginger-haired girl. She can be identified by her freckles and her ability to communicate with the souls of the dead.»
«You mean ghosts?» Fiona remembered the jesters and the corpses in the carriage. She had communicated with the latter. She didn’t imagine it.
«Does communicating with dead people in dreams count, too?»
«Well, if they’re frequent dreams…»
«What if I only dreamt about the dead woman who warned me of danger once?»
«Then it might just have been a prophetic dream. Many people have such dreams when they’re in danger. And you were about to be executed.»
«It is ridiculous! Her hair is like fire, but she would have died in the fire,» the horned skull of a morgen’s muttered as he lay across the table and laughed gruffly.
«Shut up!» Rokuela hissed at him and explained. «That’s my counselor.»
She had a magic fish, a man-each minute changing the color of its scales, a man-shell that sang beautifully, and a strange jelly-fish-like creature that swept the floor with its tentacles.
It was the shell that Fiona liked best. It had such a sweet-sounding singing voice, as if a siren had been imprisoned inside.
«You’ll have to stay here with me and my pets,» she concluded when she heard the sound of huge wings rustling through the rain.»
«Wouldn’t it be better if I went back to the mill? I don’t want to embarrass you.»
In fact she was frightened. A hedge of live jellyfish, morgens’ skulls, and mermaid’s bones would impress anyone. And then there’s the creature in the fire tank!
«Ornella will find you at the mill. Griffons never let their victims go, and their brides won’t be let go by sea magic.»
«Are griffons sea birds?»
«All birds that are capable of flying across the sea can be categorized as sea birds. They have settled by the sea.»
She’s right about that. Ornella and her brothers’ castle stands at the edge of the surf. It’s like a rock rising out of the coastal waves. That’s no coincidence.
«You already know there’s a terrible curse on the whole Sultanit’s dynasty,» Rokuela said, as if she’d just remembered it now. She clutched the amulet of feathers and shells tightly in her hands. The feathers seemed to be eagle feathers.
«They were now only half human and half griffin. And every bride or groom chosen by the children of the cursed Sultanit’s King will also be forced to turn into a griffin. It is fate that will decide whether they die in the first transformation or become accustomed to the plumage of a bird.»
The drumbeat of rain became as unpleasant as if needles had been pricked into their ears. Fiona somehow wasn’t surprised or questioning the sea witch’s words. Ornella had mentioned werewolves for a reason. Nor was the game of clawed tomboys a coincidence.
«So all birds could turn into griffins? Can Condor, too?»
It didn’t surprise Rokuela that Fiona was interested in the most handsome of princes.
«He is the only one who is an innocent victim. Only half of the Sultan’s blood is in him, but he has become so accustomed to the guise of the golden eagle that he himself has become a predator.»
The golden eagle is him! That’s why she was so infatuated with him that she climbed into the cave! Condor’s charm was undeniable. No matter what form he took, he could charm a girl’s heart out of anything.
«Werewolves are not a fairy tale,» Rokuela interpreted her grief in her own way. «You may not believe a man can turn into a wolf or a bird of prey with claws of steel, but you can’t ignore the power of a curse.»
«I’m afraid that for bad people, the curse can be a blessing. If Ornella manages to turn into a bird of prey, she will tear everyone apart.»
«She can,» Rokuela dumbfounded her. – All of the king’s children can turn into birds. In addition, they all develop some sort of magical gift. The Condor, for instance, can understand what the wind reports. He can also easily translate the speech of the spirits of rain, fire, and even snow and ice. He is the most gifted of the royal family.»
«And he is the most evil!»
«Conrad is not evil! He just doesn’t want anyone else to be victimized, so he doesn’t greet anyone. I bet he tried to chase you away when you snuck into the eagle’s nest.»
«Did he call you here to get me away from the eagle princes forever?» Fiona guessed. That’s hardly a sign of kindness. It’s more likely that Condor was afraid his brothers would be attracted to the peasant girl. He and Ornella were on the same side. What two snobs!
For some reason, she longed unbearably to dance with all the princes again, and then to fly with the birds. What was going through her head? It is as if someone is sending them to her on purpose.
«They are looking for you,» Rokuela realized. «Close your mind to them!»
«Or else they will tear me to pieces, won’t they?»
«As long as you’re with me, they don’t stand a chance. If you have nowhere else to go, we should unite against them. But to help me, you must return to the castle for a while and trick the princes into believing that you miss them, too, and are even willing to sacrifice yourself for them. It’s risky, but worth the risk.»
Fiona fell asleep on the move. Rokuela’s translucent eyes fascinated her. Rokuela was definitely not young, but her skin was so youthful. What magic tricks does she not know? Is an alliance with her power or doom?
«What do you want from the Sultanit’s dynasty?» Fiona asked, yawning. «Is it their total annihilation?»
«I only want my beloved back. He is imprisoned somewhere by King of Sultanit.»
«King of Sultanit is dead. The queen rules there now.»
«Is it a queen?» Rokuela didn’t know that yet. She must not have looked in her mirror.
«I’m sure I heard. Ornella was proclaimed queen.»
«Then the worst thing happened. Did none of the brothers insist on their right to the throne?»
«It is no one!»
«Oh, my! The weakest link turned out to be the strongest. Six months ago, I wouldn’t have bet on Ornella and a crushed shell. Either Orvel or Condor should have ruled.»
«Is Condor the eldest?» Fiona thought he was the youngest.
«He is the youngest,» Rokuela confirmed. «But I could see in the future that he must rule the country. It makes sense. He’s reasonable and reserved. He would be a good counterbalance to the brothers’ aggression.»
«Not all prophecies are destined to come true,» said Fiona philosophically.
Perhaps it was for the best. If Condor were King, no more maidens’ hearts would be broken. He’d already broken her heart. Fiona would have liked to tame him, even as a golden eagle, but he was beyond her reach.
«Consider my offer now!» Rokuela wove fanciful ornaments of coins and shells into her hair, and prepared to set out into the night.
Fiona realized that she should not be asked where she was going. It was a mystery.
Raid
A night