World Weaver (The Devany Miller Series Book 4) Read Free

will have unlimited power. I can’t imagine they will wield it responsibly. At first, perhaps. But you know as well as I do how power corrupts.”
    What was she saying? That I’d been corrupted by my power?
    “No,” she said, sounding tired. “I’m not talking about you. Not yet. Yes, I do think it could go to your head, very easily. History has shown over and over again that power corrupts. Why would you be any different?”
    “Well, thanks for the vote of confidence.”
    She shrugged as if to say, ‘No problem.’
    “So what should I do?”
    “Find a way to break the Omphalos again.”
    I walked to the window. Outside, a slug-like Skriven crawled by, leaving behind a slime trail of acid that sizzled the ground. “I can’t get anywhere near it.”
    “Perhaps you don’t need to.”
    I glanced at her over my shoulder. “What do you mean?”
    “Looking into how King Sorgen made it might tell you how to break it.”
    Back to the view outside. The Skriven had left behind a smoking black trail that was already being absorbed by the ground. The Slip was so weird. “I need to find my daughter before the borders close. I don’t have time to look into it.” I had access to the man himself, but it was unclear how I’d get the burnt husk of what remained of Sorgen to talk. Perhaps the goddess would be able to tell me.
    “You need to stay out of witch lands. If the Anforsa finds you, I’m afraid she might kill you.”
    I snorted.
    “Devany, I’ve heard she’s been opening herself up to the Omphalos, letting more and more of its magic fill her. There were a few witches in my day that could take half of the magic that thing is putting out now.”
    “Is it too much to hope that she’ll boil her brains?”
    “Yes. The magic will burn away her sanity, but it will also keep her alive. That’s why it’s safer for you and your daughter if you stay away.”
    I pressed my hand to my forehead, feeling the beginnings of a headache. “I can’t stay away. The guilt would eat me alive if I didn’t search for her.”
    She leaned forward, her elbows propped on her knees. “We will find her. Wherever she is, we will find her. Arsinua won’t hurt her or let her be hurt. She may have a lot of faults, but she is a tireless protector of the weak.”
    I didn’t answer. Couldn’t. I’d been wishing death on Arsinua’s head since finding her and my daughter missing. Marantha didn’t need to know what bloodthirsty thoughts ran around in my skull. So I didn’t speak. I bit down on my tears instead and prayed she was right.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    TWO
     
     
    “Are you sure you’ll be okay?” I asked Marantha when we got back to her house. I’d tried talking her out of staying where she was, considering the Anforsa was off her rocker, but of course she’d refused.
    “Oh, who knows anymore? I’m sure Kenda will come here and threaten me. She’s done it before.”
    “Do you have any family or friends to stay with for a while?”
    She crossed to the window and peeked out the curtain. “To what end? If the woman wants to find me, she’ll find me.”
    “Not on Earth,” I said.
    “Speaking of Earth.”
    “Yeah?”
    She looked out the window again, a faint frown on her face. “That vessel we put Arsinua into. Do you think your Skriven friend could find her?”
    “Lucy?” I hadn’t thought about it, but now that she said it, it made sense. Was there a way for Ty to find her? Did Skriven put LoJack’s on their Formless Ones? “I’ll ask him. Marantha, why do you keep staring out the window and frowning?”
    She twitched back the curtain, her face a mask. “It’s time for you to go.”
    “What’s wrong?”
    “Go now. Just go.”
    The house shook as if hit by a powerful gust of wind. Glass shattered, and the curtains blew in from the windows. I almost went over onto my ass when the house shook again.
    “What’s out there? Is she out there?” I shouted, clinging to the wall