As Sure as the Dawn(166)

Freyja went cold listening to her. She looked at Anomia’s hand stroking Marta’s arm and wanted to tear her away from her daughter. Instead, she moved into the lamplight and saw the start of surprise in Anomia’s eyes. Clearly, the young priestess hadn’t wanted her close enough to hear.

“I would speak with you, Anomia.”

“Of course, Mother Freyja.” As Anomia rose gracefully and followed her outside, she brushed her fingers along Marta’s arm. “We’ll talk more later.”

Fury rose in Freyja, but wisdom held her silent. She turned to the younger woman when they were outside the longhouse, keeping her expression calm with effort. “Do you truly believe this illness is brought on by the wrath of Tiwaz?”

Anomia arched her brows, her blue eyes flickering. “Have you heard me say that?”

“I heard enough to know you’ve frightened Marta into believing it. Why would you do such a thing unless you believe it yourself?”

“I do believe it’s true.” And Tiwaz has done it for me, you weak fool. For me!

“You believe. Do you know?”

Freyja’s tone roused Anomia’s pride. How dare she speak to her in this manner?

“Marta is impressionable,” Freyja said, seeing the dangerous light in the younger woman’s eyes. “Unless you know, without doubt, that Tiwaz is displeased with her, don’t even suggest it.”

Anomia wanted to say if Marta was so impressionable, she would have heeded her command to not speak to the Ionian, but she held her tongue. “Do you think you’re the only one to whom Tiwaz speaks?”

Freyja felt a sudden chill at the look in the younger woman’s eyes. She knew instinctively that Anomia was behind whatever was wrong with Marta, but to accuse her would rouse her wrath rather than employ the girl’s supernatural powers for the needed cause, to cure Marta.

“If Tiwaz speaks to you, listen. But as a high priestess, you must remember you seek mercy for your people.” And not power for yourself, she wanted to add.

Anomia sensed Freyja’s fear and savored it. “I have listened,” she said with a faint smile. “And I do seek what’s best for our people.” Who knew better than she what the Chatti needed? Certainly not this pathetic soul who wished for peace.

Freyja had known Anomia since she was a small child and knew her greatest weakness. “Then you’ve failed, haven’t you?”

“Failed?”

“If you had the ear of Tiwaz, Marta would be well, wouldn’t she?” She watched the dark fire flash in Anomia’s blue eyes. “It would seem I’ve been wrong about you,” she said, hiding her anger and fear.

“Wrong?” Anomia said, raising her brows. “Wrong about what?”

“I thought you had power.”

The challenge rushed to Anomia’s head, a flush of heat spreading down through her entire body. “I have power.”

“Not enough, apparently,” Freyja said. Shaking her head in feigned disappointment, she left the young priestess standing outside the door of the longhouse.

Anomia gritted her teeth to keep from screaming. How dare Freyja doubt her powers? Spinning around, she walked down the street. Varus called out to her, but she ignored him and went into her house. Closing the door, she leaned back against it. Her nails clawed at the wood as she uttered a feral growl in her throat. Shaking with rage, she went to her altar and knelt down. She would show Freyja the power she had!

As night fell, she rose with a blinding headache and mixed an antidote for the spell she had cast. Taking the mixture, she crept through the cold night and anointed Marta’s house with it, fully expecting Tiwaz to give her what she demanded by morning.

He didn’t.





41


Freyja had never seen Anomia so upset. The young priestess had come into Marta’s house without even knocking, fully expecting her to be well. Seeing Marta still in bed, she stared at her in disbelief. “It can’t be,” she gasped. “He wouldn’t do this to me.” She came forward a step, her face reddening. Spinning around, she left.

“Where’s she going?” Usipi said, his face flooding with fear. “Did you see her eyes?”

“I don’t know where she’s going,” Freyja said, hoping it was well away from Marta. She beckoned her grandson, Derek, and asked him to follow at a distance. When he returned, he told them Anomia had gone to the sacred forest. Too young to enter, he had stopped at the border and come back.

Whatever efforts Anomia had made to appease Tiwaz had had no effect, and that frightened Freyja into desperate measures. Having tried everything she knew, she went to speak with Rizpah.