Page 129 of Soulgazer

“Not quite. Do you remember the song, Saoirse?”

I nod as I twist away from the open sea and try to bury myself against her legs, hide from the cold in her skirts. “The island one?”

“That’s it. Sing it for me, will you? I forget.”

“Gran, it’s so cold—”

“Sing it.” Her fingers bite and I flinch. Swallow.

“D-daughter of the knowing sea…” The rest of the words disappear from my mind as though washed by the rain that pelts my face, and her frown is so severe, I want to cry. But she sighs and smooths my hair, kissing the top of my head before turning me by the shoulders to face the waters again.

“Daughter of the knowing sea

Gaze sworn long ago to me

Captive soul, your blood shall free

The Isle of the Lost

Painted lips and bronze-capped tail

Past stones of deepest shadow sail

Recall to breath, the waters pale

End their ageless frost

Silver streams our great moon wept

While mistress fate for cent’ries slept

Rot across the lands has crept

To claim their wicked cost

Heir of sight, vision reviled

Death awaits, my star-touched child

Flee to the waters and the wild

A home time unlost.”

Her arms shake as she grips my shoulders tighter. “Death awaits, my star-touched child.”

She pushes my body down.

No. I don’t want to go.

“Gran!” I writhe as she forces me to my knees on the scratchy stones, cough when ocean spray slaps my face. And then I wail. “I don’t want to!”

“Hush. Weren’t you listening, little Soulgazer?”

The word resonates through the vision, settles deep in my bones, until a fresh wave brings me back to this present, and the pressure on my shoulders, the clouds raging above our heads.

Gran pushes harder, and finally I pitch forward, arms flailing against water I don’t know how to navigate. My wail becomes a scream as she kisses my cheek and wraps a hand over my eyes.

“Star-touched child. Don’t you see? I lost the pure sight when you were born, but this way—this way I can gain it back. Find the island—appease the knowing sea. Release your grandfather from his torment.”