Wild Magic

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Riverman was waiting for her, perched on the bow of the old boat, combing his fingers through his ruffed brown fur. He grinned at her, then the grin was gone and he was shaking his head. “Found him. He’s alive, just. Over in the Low City. House under the end of the Iron Bridge.”

Faan closed her hands so tightly her nails cut into her palms. “What happened? Who’s got him?”

“Dead man.”

“What?-

“01’ Giza KutAkich, Manasso Prime. Deader than a three-day fish. Wildings tell me he snatched Reyna because Reyna knew what Juvalgrim.was doing and where he did it. Reyna didn’t want to say. Wildings tell me the walls weep when they speak of it.”

“‘Tell me the whole thing. Tell me.”

“Diyo. Juvalgrim is using sorcery to find gold and food for the Edgers. He calls demons in’ this cave in Mount Fogomalin, not the Sibyl’s, another one. Giza Kutakich was fool enough to let the High Kasso discover him spying. Juvalgrim strangled him, threw his

WILD MAGIC 151 body to a fire-demon. Handy for canceling your mistakes, having demons round the place. Far as he was concerned that was the end of it; he doesn’t know about Reyna.”

“You said Reyna’s alive?”

“Just. He is…” The little black eyes blinked at her; the round face looked drawn. “Broken.”

“What can I do?”

“I told you beware the gods, Faan. SHE’S touched you, but you fought HER. SHE wants you free-willed and fighting for HER. You can make a bargain with HER. Surrender and let her indwell and she’ll heal Reyna, make him whole and clean.”

Her teeth clamped on her lower lip, Faan gazed at him. “You HERS?”

“Not me. Not against her either. Little ’uns like me and the Wildings, we get mixed up in god business, we get stomped.” He scratched at his weedfur. “Appreciate this, Honeychild, I speak what SHE tells me. SHE’s dancing her war with Chumavayal and by the Dance, SHE’S built a cage that’s caught you, and catching you SHE’s caught us.” He wrinkled his short broad nose, blinked his bright black eyes. “I’m of the River, Honeychild, it’s my blood, my life. It’s poisoned now and diminished. I’m poisoned and diminished. When the rains come again, that’ll be made right. But it’ll only happen when the Godwar’s finished. Abeyhamal needs you. So I need you. The Wildings want to break from from the Land and the bonds that hold them here. They need you. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Faan closed her eyes, drew in a deep breath, let it out. “This much. You are using me as much as SHE _is.,›

“As you use us, Honeychild. I have a hope and a belief that it is different between us. The take and take of friendship as well as need?”

Faan swallowed, rubbed at her eyes. “Hope. Not much of that around these days. Vema, vema, friend.” When he grinned so broadly that his beady black eyes shut to slits, she relaxed. “Tell me what I should do.”

“Find someone to help you. Cross by the Wood Bridge, not the Iron, don’t touch the Iron. Carry Reyna back to the Beehouse, lay him before the Altar and make your bargain with HER.”

“How?”

“Tell the Kassian Tai what you need. She will do it.”

“Gods!”

“Diyo. Don’t say more.” He jumped from the boat to her shoulder, stroked her cheek, leapt into the water, and was gone.